Dummies may protect babies from Cot Death...

[fortyplus]

Was reading dh's copy of 'Durham First' - the mag for Alumni of Durham University and came across an article about Researchers from the Sleep Lab at Queen's Campus, Stockton, working on a study to help understand how dummies affect infant sleep behaviour.

'Recent research suggests that infant dummy use may protect babies from cot death/Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) but researchers don't yet understand the protective mechanisms that dummies trigger when babies are sleeping'

There's a link to a website if you're interested... Connect to Sleep Lab Website

I may be wrong but I think the way that the research was conducted actually came to the conclusion that if a baby has a dummy they are at increased risk of cot death if it is taken away. I don't think that giving a baby that has never had a dummy one is actually protective.

I am prepared to be corrected if this is different research/or an inaccurate interpretation.

I think you're right, SMS. There was a thread about this when the work was first published, quite lively - here .

That's interesting.
we're a non-smoking household and my boys are 11 & 13, so it's not relevant to me (at least I hope not!) but I thought it might interest others.

I know dummies are unfashionable, but both of mine had them and I thought they were great. Ds1 rejected his completely at 7 months. Ds2 had one at night till 21 months - he was a far more demanding child.

I can never understand why people let their kids walk round with one shoved in their mouth - in ds1's year a girl turned up for her first day at school with one!

People say 'I can't get it off him'. Really? You being a full grown adult? What's the child going to do - take his pocket money to the shops and buy a new one? Honestly!