Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
Published on: February 25, 2016
Pacifier use modifies infant's cardiac autonomic controls during sleep
Patricia Franco1, Sophie Chabanski, Sonia Scaillet
1Sleep and Development Unit, University Children's Hospital Queen Fabiola, Free University of Brussels, Avenue JJ Crocq 15, 1020 Brussels, Belgium. Patricia.Franco@ulb.ac.be
Insights
Pacifier use in infants influences cardiac autonomic control, promoting higher parasympathetic activity during sleep. This may be relevant to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk may be reduced by pacifier use and increased parasympathetic activity during sleep.
- Pacifier use is a potential factor influencing infant autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation during sleep.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of pacifier use on cardiac autonomic control in healthy infants during sleep.
- To evaluate how pacifier usage affects parasympathetic and sympathetic tonus in infants.
Main Methods:
- Polygraphic recordings were conducted on 34 healthy infants (17 pacifier users, 17 non-users) at a median age of 10 weeks.
- Heart rate (HR) spectral analysis was used to assess autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, specifically parasympathetic tonus and sympathovagal balance.
- Infants were categorized based on regular pacifier use during sleep; thumb-suckers and occasional users were excluded.
Main Results:
- Pacifier use was associated with increased cardiac sympathovagal balance during sucking periods.
- During non-sucking periods in both REM and NREM sleep, pacifier users exhibited lower sympathetic activity and higher parasympathetic tonus compared to non-users.
- A significant portion of infants (63.6%) lost their pacifiers within 30 minutes of falling asleep.
Conclusions:
- Pacifier use significantly alters cardiac autonomic control during both sucking and non-sucking sleep phases in infants.
- Non-nutritive sucking via pacifiers may play a role in regulating infant autonomic control.
- These findings offer insights into potential mechanisms underlying SIDS and the protective effects of pacifier use.
Objective:
The risk for sudden infant death (SIDS) was postulated to decrease with the use of a pacifier and by conditions increasing parasympathetic tonus during sleep. We evaluated the influence of a pacifier on cardiac autonomic controls in healthy infants.
Study Design:
Thirty-four healthy infants were studied polygraphically during one night: 17 infants regularly used a pacifier during sleep and 17 never used a pacifier. Thumb users or occasional pacifier users were not included in the study. The infants were recorded at a median age of 10 weeks (range 6-18 weeks). Autonomic nervous system (ANS) was evaluated by spectral analysis of the heart rate (HR). The high frequency component of HR spectral analysis reflected parasympathetic tonus and the low frequency on high frequency ratio corresponded to the sympathovagal balance.
Results:
Most infants (63.6%) lost their pacifier within 30 min of falling asleep. Sucking periods were associated with increases in cardiac sympathovagal balance. During non-sucking periods, in both REM and NREM sleep, infants using a pacifier were characterized by lower sympathetic activity and higher parasympathetic tonus compared with non-pacifier users.
Conclusions:
The use of pacifiers modifies cardiac autonomic controls during both sucking and non-sucking sleep periods. Non-nutritive sucking could regulate autonomic control in infants. These findings could be relevant to mechanisms implicated in the occurrence of sudden infant deaths during sleep.
