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Parental pacifier sucking may prevent allergies in children
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Parents who sucked pacifiers to clean them had children with lower total IgE production, according to findings presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting.
“Microbial-related exposures in early life stimulate immune development and may protect against allergic disease manifestations later in life," Eliane Abou-Jaoude, MD, an allergy and immunology fellow at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, and colleagues wrote.
Researchers reviewed differences in serum total IgE three different times during a child’s first 18 months of life among 74 children whose mothers who reported current pacifier use.
Abou-Jaoude and colleagues found a significant time interaction for pacifier sucking (P = .079). The trajectory shape was different between children of the nine pacifier-sucking parents vs. the non–pacifier-sucking parents. Specifically, parental pacifier sucking appeared to hold back serum IgE levels at around 10 months (P = .048) and continued to diverge through 18 months (P = .014).
“These findings support a previous Swedish study reporting a protective effect of parental pacifier sucking on the risk of allergic diseases in children,” Abou-Jaoude and colleagues wrote.
They added that future studies should try to determine if the IgE differences are due to the transfer of parental oral microbes and, separately, if the diminished risk for allergic disease continues over time. – by Janel Miller
Reference:
Abou-Jaoude E, et al. Association between pacifier cleaning methods and child total IgE. Presented at: American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting; Nov. 15-19, 2018; Seattle.
Disclosures: Abou-Jaoude reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the meeting’s abstract book for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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Tonya Winders
Pacifiers can be a lifesaver to young parents in the midst of those early sleepless nights with a newborn. In fact, some research even suggests pacifiers reduce the risk for sudden infant death syndrome.
But new research raises the question of should patients should sterilize the pacifier routinely and if so, how. Abou-Jaoude and colleagues tested infants’ total IgE over the first 18 months of age and found an association with those who used a routinely sterilized pacifier vs. those who cleaned the pacifier by parental sucking. Surprisingly, the group who used sterilized pacifiers had higher total IgE counts beginning at 10 months and continuing to 18 months, compared with the group who used parental sucking to clean.
Pediatricians or primary care physicians often provide advice to sterilize a pacifier before initial use; however, few provide ongoing guidance regarding a preferred method of cleaning. Is there a parental protective factor in cleaning by sucking vs. sterilization in the dishwasher or sink? It is still too early to tell. More research is needed to determine if these children will go on to develop allergies and/or asthma. Until that time, patients should choose the pacifier cleaning method that is most convenient and comfortable for them.
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