Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development
06:19

Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development

Published on: April 19, 2024

1.5K

Prolonged pacifier usage in infancy does not cause eating behavior problem later

Nazan Kaymaz1, Şule Yıldırım, Sibel Cevizci

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine, Çanakkale, Turkey. drnazan_erdal@hotmail.com.

The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
|July 15, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Pacifier use in infancy does not appear to be linked to later eating problems in children. This study found no significant association between pacifier habits and the development of poor appetite in later childhood years.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Infant pacifier use is common, raising questions about potential long-term effects.
  • Understanding factors influencing childhood eating behaviors is crucial for pediatric health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between infant pacifier use and the occurrence of eating problems in children aged 3-7 years.
  • To determine if pacifier habits predict later appetite issues.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 85 children with eating problems and 97 healthy children.
  • Eating problems were classified, and data on pacifier use were collected via questionnaire.
  • Statistical analysis, including the chi-square test, was used to assess the association.

Main Results:

  • No significant difference in pacifier use was found between children with and without eating problems (p=0.707).
  • Pacifier use was not found to be related to poor appetite in the studied age group.

Conclusions:

  • Infant pacifier use is not associated with eating problems or poor appetite in later childhood.
  • Healthcare providers and parents can be reassured regarding this specific concern.

More Related Videos

A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity04:23

A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity

Published on: August 21, 2015

12.2K
A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect05:04

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

1.1K

Related Concept Videos

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Oral01:16

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Oral

The oral stage is the initial phase of Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development, occurring from birth to approximately 12 to 18 months. During this period, the infant's mouth serves as the primary source of pleasure, with actions such as sucking, chewing, biting, and drinking playing a crucial role in reducing tension. These activities are essential not only for nourishment but also for the infant's psychological and emotional satisfaction.
Weaning, typically occurring...
3.6K
Bulimia Nervosa01:30

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by a cyclical pattern of binge-and-purge eating pattern. It generally involves an episode of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting, to prevent weight gain. Despite often maintaining a normal weight, individuals with bulimia are intensely preoccupied with their body image and harbor an overwhelming fear of gaining weight. This can contribute to the...
955
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Anal01:26

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Anal

Sigmund Freud's theory of psychosexual development describes the anal stage as occurring between 18 months and three years of age. During this period, children derive pleasure from controlling and releasing their bowel movements. However, they quickly learn that societal expectations impose restrictions on when and where this can happen. This stage marks a critical point where children begin to develop a sense of control and mastery over their bodily functions, as well as their broader...
4.8K
Binge Eating Disorders01:23

Binge Eating Disorders

Binge eating disorder is a significant mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption within a short period, accompanied by a perceived loss of control over eating behavior. Unlike occasional overeating, binge eating disorder is marked by distressing emotions such as guilt, shame, and anxiety following binge episodes. The disorder affects individuals across different ages and backgrounds, with profound implications for physical and psychological...
697
Conditioned Taste Aversion01:14

Conditioned Taste Aversion

Conditioned taste aversion, also known as sauce béarnaise syndrome, is a phenomenon in which an individual develops an aversion to a certain food taste following a negative experience, typically illness. This form of aversion is a type of classical conditioning in which the taste of the food (conditioned stimulus, CS) is associated with the experience of illness (unconditioned stimulus, UCS).
A notable characteristic of conditioned taste aversion is that it often requires only a single...
1.5K
Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
598