title: [Use of pacifiers in children: patterns and determinants].
abstract: Although pacifiers are commonly used by Brazilian children and are potentially harmful, there are no studies about their patterns and determinants. These were investigated in a cross-sectional study of 354 children under two years of age living in two slum areas of Pelotas, southern Brazil. Most children (79%) were pacifiers users, 15% had never used them, and 6% had used them in the past. Among users, 38% spent most of the time sucking a pacifier. For two-thirds of the children, pacifiers were offered on the very first day of life. Pacifier use was most common among younger children,among those of low-schooling mothers and among non-breastfed infants.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Controle de Doenças Diarrécias da Organização Mundial da Saudé.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tomasi
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Victora
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Olint