Dummies & SIDS, a Q...

I didn't know that the recommendation was to put your baby to sleep with a dummy. It says here http://fsid.org.uk/Page.aspx?pid=406 that:

When it refers to ''establishing bfing'' at what stage would that be?

Who here does this?

 We introduced a dummy after abour 2 weeks, never interefered with bfding

I think the idea is not to introduce bottlles or dummies before roughly 4 weeks if you are BFing so as not to confuse the baby with breast and teats. However, N had had a dummy and EMB before 4 weeks and it never interfered with our BFing either.

L isn't BF and has had a dummy since he was 2 days old.

Thanks everyone x

We introduced the dummy at 2 weeks because he was using me as one and it was damaging my nipples. I know the rec is to wait until 4 weeks, but we couldn't wait that long. it didn't interfere with BF here.

Thanks DDL.

I had a look at dummies when we were in JL yesterday - how on earth do you know what type to buy? There seemed to be hundreds of choices?!

I thought there was something dubious about the link between dummies and SIDS, if I remember rightly the study that found that was funded by one of the companies that makes dummies? Hopefully someone more knowledgeble than me will know.

I think establishing  BF is something like 4-6 weeks. We used a dummy after 1 week as we were desparate and I was having a lot of BF problems.

futuremrslord:

Thanks DDL.

 

I had a look at dummies when we were in JL yesterday - how on earth do you know what type to buy? There seemed to be hundreds of choices?!

 

We've always just gone for the Avent ones, mainly because we use those bottles (and I like the ones that glow in the dark for nightimes) but I tried the MAM ones as she kept hooking her finger over the ring.  Didn't make any difference though, she can still pull it out!!

We went for the closer to nature ones, because we use the bottles and they're orthodontic.

Emma80:

I thought there was something dubious about the link between dummies and SIDS, if I remember rightly the study that found that was funded by one of the companies that makes dummies? Hopefully someone more knowledgeble than me will know.

 I think establishing  BF is something like 4-6 weeks. We used a dummy after 1 week as we were desparate and I was having a lot of BF problems.

I think it's Hazel that knows about this?  From memory of a post on here before, I believe the research showed that if you already used a dummy, then continuing to do so (in the early months) was correlated with a lower incidence of SIDS.  If you didn't use a dummy in the first place, there was no increased risk.  That's just from memory though, and I don't pretend to be an expert!

I think MAM had something to do with the research, a company that manufactures dummies, which doesn't necessarily mean it's definitely dubious, but ...

Also yes, I believe the study showed that a dummy for every sleep reduced the risk, but if a sleep/nap was missed, the risk went from being decreased to being increased.

MarineGirl:

Emma80:

I thought there was something dubious about the link between dummies and SIDS, if I remember rightly the study that found that was funded by one of the companies that makes dummies? Hopefully someone more knowledgeble than me will know.

 

 I think establishing  BF is something like 4-6 weeks. We used a dummy after 1 week as we were desparate and I was having a lot of BF problems.

I think it's Hazel that knows about this?  From memory of a post on here before, I believe the research showed that if you already used a dummy, then continuing to do so (in the early months) was correlated with a lower incidence of SIDS.  If you didn't use a dummy in the first place, there was no increased risk.  That's just from memory though, and I don't pretend to be an expert!

That's right. The original article was in an ABM magazine but I can't remember the Dr who wrote it...bah. Either way, if you don't use a dummy, no need to start purely for SIDs prevention.

Gone With The Whinge:

That's right. The original article was in an ABM magazine but I can't remember the Dr who wrote it...bah. Either way, if you don't use a dummy, no need to start purely for SIDs prevention.

I just had a quick scan through the BMJ article that discussed the study http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/332/7532/18.pdf and there's nothing that I could see (I was just scanning) about introducing a dummy if you don't already use one.  The BMJ is obviously a report though, not the study itself. It did say that there wasn't enough evidence to make a causal link, but it did appear to be well worth further investigation.

I think it's fair to say though, that other factors make a far greater statistical impact - e.g. a smoking mother who puts her 2-3 month old baby to bed on their front.  What's interesting in the BMJ study is a suggestion (not statistically significant, but still interesting) that the use of dummies might mitigate other environmental factors.  So (and I'm simplifying here, not having read the full study) it may be that if you smoke and your baby sleeps on it's stomach, then a dummy will reduce their risk.  But if you don't smoke and baby is on their back, a dummy will make no difference.  Or will make a difference far more slight than the likes of Avent would focus on! 

I hope there's more research though.

Thanks MG, that sounds familiar, think my BFC said something on those lines about reducing the risk if you continue using it once you've started.