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Conformity between Pacifier Design and Palate Shape in Preterm and Term Infants Considering Age-Specific Palate Size,
Gwendolin Sistenich1, Claudius Middelberg1, Thomas Stamm1
1Department of Orthodontics, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Insights
Pacifier sizes do not match infant palate growth, potentially impacting oral health. This study found pacifiers are undersized for infants aged 0-14 months, unlike natural palate development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric dentistry
- Craniofacial development
- Infant oral health
Background:
- Pacifier use is common in infants, but their physical dimensions relative to developing palates are not well understood.
- Previous research has not comprehensively assessed the spatial conformity between pacifier shapes and infant palates, considering facial soft tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spatial conformity between pacifier dimensions and infant palate structures in both preterm and term infants.
- To analyze whether the age-based sizing of pacifiers aligns with natural infant palate growth patterns.
- To evaluate the potential implications of pacifier-palate mismatch on infant oral health.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective case-control study involving 39 preterm and 34 term infants.
- Spatial matching of 74 pacifier shapes to infant palates using width, height, and length measurements.
- Consideration of facial soft-tissue profile and thickness in the analysis.
Main Results:
- Pacifier sizing is highly variable and does not follow the natural growth trajectory of infant palates.
- Pacifiers are consistently undersized in width, length, and height for infants aged 0-14 months.
- Minor exceptions for preterm palates lack clinical significance or relate to non-nutritive sucking, not growth.
Conclusions:
- The age-size concept of pacifiers does not correspond to infant palate growth patterns.
- Pacifiers do not achieve age-specific dimensions necessary for physiological alignment with palates.
- The purported effects of pacifiers on oral health in term infants are questionable due to this mismatch.
Abstract:
This retrospective case-control study is the first to examine the spatial conformity between pacifiers and palates in 39 preterm infants (12 females, 27 males) and 34 term infants (19 females, 15 males), taking into account the facial-soft-tissue profile and thickness. The shape of 74 available pacifiers was spatially matched to the palate, and conformity was examined using width, height, and length measurements. In summary, the size concept of pacifiers is highly variable and does not follow a growth pattern, like infant palates do. Pacifiers are too undersized in width, length, and height to physiologically fit the palate structures from 0 to 14 months of age. There are two exceptions, but only for premature palates: the palatal depth index at 9−11 months of age, which has no clinical meaning, and the nipple length at <37 weeks of age, which bears a resemblance to the maternal nipple during non-nutritive sucking. It can be concluded that the age-size concept of the studied pacifiers does not correspond to any natural growth pattern. Physiologically aligned, pacifiers do not achieve the age-specific dimensions of the palate. The effects attributed to the products on oral health in term infants cannot be supposed.
