Parents who suck child dummy's to clean it could pass on health benefits, study claims

Researchers said the habit may result in the transfer of healthy micro-organisms to children
Shutterstock / Elena Stepanova
Tom Powell16 November 2018

Parents who suck on their child's dummy to clean it could be passing them health benefits, new research claims.

Researchers said the unusual habit may result in the transfer of healthy micro-organisms to children.

The scientists said they found those children to have lower levels of Immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody related to allergic responses in the body.

High IgE levels typically indicate a greater risk of having allergies and allergic asthma, lead author Eliane Abou-Jaoude said.

The study, by Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, involved interviews with 128 mothers.

Of the 58 per cent who reported their child currently using a dummy, 12 per cent said the parents sucked the pacifier to clean it.

Co-author Edward Zoratti said: "We found that parental pacifier sucking was linked to suppressed IgE levels beginning around 10 months, and continued through 18 months.

"Further research is needed, but we believe the effect may be due to the transfer of health-promoting microbes from the parent's mouth.

"It is unclear whether the lower IgE production seen among these children continues into later years."

Dr Abou-Jaoude said that while it indicated an association between parental pacifier sucking and children with lower IgE levels, it does not necessarily mean the practice itself causes the lower levels.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT