IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF PACIFIERS IN CHILDREN

Background: A pacifier is a rubber, plastic or silicone nipple given to the baby on sucking. In its standard appearance, it has a nipple, a mouth shield, and handle. Most children have a strong suction reaction. Some children, even suck thumb or fingers before their birth. Beyond nutrition, suction is often soothing, calming effect. There are many factors associated with using a pacifier such as; help to put the baby to sleep, calm the child when disturbed / irritable, wake up from nap / sleep, ride the car / transport, keep the child comfortable and calm, prevent the child from sucking thumb, school / social environment, calming the baby when teething, it reduces the risk of the sudden infant distress syndrome (SIDS), and cultural issue. Aim: To identify factors associated with the use of pacifiers in children. Methods: A descriptive design was used. Population & Setting: The target population of this study consisted of 52 mothers of children who coming at Emtidad Nasir primary health care center - Khartoum for vaccination during the study period. Tools: Structured Interviewing Questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The results: Most of studied sample were male children (80.8%) and their age less than 6 months (80.8) equally. Mothers level of education fewer of them  were university (21.1%), the majority  of mothers aged < 20 years old (59.6). Total factors related to the child (e.g. First born, breastfed infant, end of the pacifier, decreased weight, and breastfed in the first hour after birth) mean score and SD were 7. 64±2.377. While the total factors related to the mothers (e.g. primigravida, cultural issues, have uncertainty about ability to breastfeed and difficulty in breastfeeding, nervousness and impatience, the pacifier is convenient for the mother,  stop crying of a baby, didn't know believe that pacifier uses impacts speech production, mother not healthy) mean score and SD were 11.18±3.569. Conclusion: The current study concludes that the children using a pacifier were significantly correlated with child  if he/she is first born, breastfed infant, the child doesn't end the use of the pacifier, decrease  in child weight, the initial feeding is formula, mothers primigravida, mothers uncertainty about her ability to breastfeed and difficult in breast feeding, mother did not know the  effect of using a pacifier on her children, and whom advised the mother to give her child a pacifier. Recommendation: conduct of health education programs for mother in all health care facilities about benefit and risk regarding using a pacifier for their children.