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All day-long pacifier use and intelligence quotient in childhood: A birth cohort study

Elsa R J Giugliani1, Erissandra Gomes2, Iná S Santos3,4

  • 1Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
|February 11, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Prolonged pacifier use, especially all day long, is linked to lower intelligence quotient (IQ) in children. The longer the pacifier use, the greater the IQ deficit observed at age six.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Health Research

Background:

  • Pacifier use in children is a debated topic.
  • Existing literature suggests a potential inverse relationship between pacifier use and childhood intelligence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between pacifier use duration and intensity and intelligence quotient (IQ) in six-year-old children.
  • To analyze data from a Brazilian birth cohort to understand this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 3532 children in the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort.
  • Collected pacifier use data (duration, intensity) via maternal interviews at multiple follow-up visits (birth to 6 years).
  • Assessed IQ at age 6 using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.

Main Results:

  • An inverse association was found between all indicators of pacifier use and IQ.
  • Children using pacifiers all day long (ADL) at any follow-up had a lower IQ (0.18 SD) compared to non-users, adjusted for confounders.
  • A dose-response relationship was evident: increased duration and frequency of ADL pacifier use correlated with greater IQ reduction.

Conclusions:

  • Intense and prolonged pacifier use up to age four is strongly associated with lower IQ at age six.
  • A clear dose-response gradient indicates greater IQ deficits with longer pacifier use.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, with a hypothesis suggesting reduced stimulation in pacifier-using children.
Abstract

Keywords:
birth cohortschildrenhabitsintelligence testspacifier

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