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<TITLE>Dummy/pacifier use and speech development</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">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. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">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).</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Does anyone know of any studies?</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">thanks</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Katie Alcock</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Katie Alcock, DPhil</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Lecturer</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Department of Psychology</FONT>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Lancaster University</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Fylde College</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Lancaster LA1 4YF</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN>
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