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9th December 2005 Dummies reduce cot death risk Giving a baby a dummy when they go to sleep may reduce their risk of cot death by 90 per cent according to US scientists. A study published in the British Medical Journal compared 185 cases of sudden infant death syndrome with 312 healthy babies and adjusted for known risk factors. It found that children in 'adverse' environments such as babies sleeping in a house where both parents smoked benefitted most from sleeping with a dummy. It is thought that dummies may help stop babies from cutting off their air supply. The researchers say the key may be the fact that dummies usually have a bulky external handle which may help to prevent a child from cutting off its air supply by burying its face into soft bedding, or an overlaying object such as a blanket. They also say sucking on a dummy may enhance the development of pathways in the brain that control how airways in the upper respiratory system work. Previous research has also suggested the use of dummies can cut the risk of cot death - but not to the same extent. UK experts welcomed the research, but stressed it was a small study. The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) recommends that if a baby is using a dummy regularly then it is best to carry on. In a statement, the charity said, "Our advice is that it there is no reason for parents not to use a dummy but if they do, they must use it every time the baby sleeps and never forget to give the baby the dummy." They also recommended:
Heather Neil, a post-natal tutor with the National Childbirth Trust, said, "This study may well add to what we will eventually know about sudden infant death syndrome, but case control studies trying to isolate single factors demand larger numbers than have been recruited here, and this study does not tell us why dummies appear to have the effect they found. "So while the NCT welcomes all research into this topic, on the basis of this study, we really can't say that parents should do anything different from the current 'reduce the risk' guidance." Cot death rates have fallen in recent years, but it still claims the lives of 300 babies aged under a year old in the UK every year. Where to next?
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