Dummy/pacifier use and speech development

[Alcock, Katherine]

There has been a new recommendation out recently that infants be offered
pacifiers to put them to sleep, which is supposed to help prevent SIDS.
About the first thing mothers in the UK say to me when they hear I study
oral motor skills and speech is "oh, we never use a dummy" or "my sister
gave hers a dummy, it's very bad for their speech, isn't it?"  I expect
this to re-emerge with this new advice, and I've even heard from speech
therapists that they are supposed to be linked to lisps.  

I have heard this much less frequently from US parents than UK parents -
I think using a dummy is much more stigmatised over here, and this makes
me suspicious of un-referenced advice even from health professionals.
And I have been able to find absolutely no evidence one way or the other
- Medline and Psycinfo searches bring up nothing (some work on dental
problems - which don't seem to be linked).

Does anyone know of any studies?

thanks

Katie Alcock

Katie Alcock, DPhil
Lecturer
Department of Psychology
Lancaster University
Fylde College
Lancaster LA1 4YF

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