Artificial Nipples: Do They Affect Breastfeeding in Preemies?

Breast milk is the best possible nutrition for newborns - especially for premature babies who need the extra protection against infection that breast milk provides. But there are practical problems with feeding a premature newborn. How will the baby get milk when mom's not there? How does the baby switch from tube feeding to breastfeeding? Do bottles, pacifiers, or cups interfere with the establishment of breastfeeding? Researchers from Women's and Children's Hospital in North Adelaide, Australia, studied the effect of artificial nipples in the establishment of breastfeeding in preemies.

Three hundred three premature infants born between 23 and 33 weeks' gestation were randomly divided into four groups:

• one group took milk from a small cup and were not given pacifiers
• another group took milk from a small cup and were given pacifiers
• another group took milk from a bottle and were not given pacifiers
• the final group took milk from a bottle and were given pacifiers

All of the newborns' moms intended to breastfeed and agreed to be interviewed 3 and 6 months after birth about whether they were still breastfeeding.

Overall, the use of a pacifier didn't affect a baby's ability to breastfeed. However, preemies who were fed with a cup while in the hospital were 73% more likely than bottle-fed preemies taking only breast milk by the time they were discharged from the hospital. The downside? Babies who were fed with a cup had an average 11-day longer stay in the hospital than those fed with a bottle.

What This Means to You: According to the results of this study, there's no reason to withhold a pacifier from a premature infant because using a pacifier doesn't interfere with breastfeeding. If you have any questions about breastfeeding or bottle feeding your premature infant, talk to the nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit, your child's doctor, or a lactation consultant.

Source: Carmel T. Collins; Philip Ryan; Caroline A. Crowther; Andrew J. McPhee; Susan Paterson; Janet E. Hiller; British Medical Journal, July 24, 2004

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: August 2004

Printer-friendly version Email this article to a friend Send email to us