Is pacifier use a risk factor for acute otitis media? A dynamic cohort study

Recently, the use of a pacifier has been identified as a risk factor for acute otitis media (AOM). The studies performed so far, however, suffer from methodological limitations.

To study whether pacifier use increases the risk of AOM.

Four hundred and ninety-five children between the ages of 0 and 4 years followed from 2000 to 2005 in a dynamic population study in the Leidsche Rijn residential area in Utrecht, The Netherlands. At baseline, the parents of these children filled out a questionnaire regarding pacifier use and potential confounders. AOM was diagnosed by GPs according to the International Classification of Primary Care coding system. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Of the 216 children that used a pacifier at baseline, 76 (35%) developed at least one episode of AOM, and of the 260 children that did not use a pacifier, 82 (32%) developed at least one AOM episode; for recurrent AOM, these figures were 33 (16%) versus 27 (11%), respectively. The adjusted ORs for pacifier use and AOM and recurrent AOM were 1.3 (95% CI 0.9-1.9) and 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.2), respectively.

Pacifier use appears to be a risk factor for recurrent AOM. Parents should be informed about the possible negative effects of using a pacifier once their child has been diagnosed with AOM to avoid recurrent episodes.