Step 9: Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants. - Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding - The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust

Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:

Step 9: Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.

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Infants should not be fed using bottles with artificial teats (nipples) nor allowed to suck on pacifiers.

During the early weeks, the baby’s need to suckle should be satisfied at the breast. Using teats or pacifiers may interfere with suckling and the adjustment of the breast milk supply to the baby’s requirements.

The ninth step rightly prohibits the use of feeding bottles and pacifiers.

What You Can Do.

Step 9 : WABA Action Chart

What You or Your Organisation Can Do >> click here
World Breastfeeding Week 2010 Action Folders

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General
During the early weeks, the baby's need to suckle should be satisfied at the breast. Using teats or pacifiers may interfere with suckling and the adjustment of the breast milk supply to the baby's requirements.
Health System
Ask maternity staff not to allow use of teats and pacifiers in maternities, unless medically indicated for comfort if the mother is not available. In such cases, care should be taken to avoid spill over to other infants.

Teach cup feeding for infants who cannot breastfeed.
Community
Talk to families and community groups about the risks of using teats and pacifiers while breastfeeding is being established.
National / Global
Advocate with health authorities to ensure that hospital and health centre policies do not allow teats and pacifiers to be used routinely and that communication materials include appropriate messages.

Key Points:

Alternate feeding methods should be used if supplementation is necessary.

Expressed breastmilk should be the first choice if supplementation is necessary.

Mothers should not be given discharge packs that include formula or formula advertisements.

HIV Issues to Consider

Step 9: Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
Issues to consider while implementing this step in relation to feeding recommendations for children of HIV-infected mothers and for settings with high HIV prevalence.

This step is important regardless of mothers' HIV status and whether they are breastfeeding or replacement feeding.
Teats, bottles, and pacifiers can carry infections and are not needed, even for the non-breastfeeding infant. They should not be routinely used or provided by facilities.
If hungry babies are given pacifiers instead of feeds, they may not grow well.
HIV-positive mothers who are replacement feeding need to be shown ways of soothing other than giving pacifiers.
Mothers who have chosen to replacement feed should be given instructions on how to cup feed their infants and the fact that cup feeding has less risk of infection than bottle-feeding.