Objective: To evaluate the effect of sweet taste stimulation in augmenting the reported growth-enhancing effects of nonnutritive sucking in preterm infants who are gavage-fed. Design: Random assignment of preterm infants to receive stimulation by one of three methods during each feeding until totally orally fed. Setting: Hospital intensive-care and infant transitional units. Patients: Eligibili...

OBJECTIVE Despite governmental initiatives that control, discourage and even prohibit the divulgation of the usage of dummies and pacifiers in maternity wards, the frequency of pacifier use by Brazilian children is still high. In light of this phenomenon, the aim of the present study was to investigate the social representations of the pacifier constructed by mothers whose children used pacifie...

BACKGROUND The use of pacifiers is an ancient practice, but often becomes a point of debate when parents and professionals aim to protect and promote breastfeeding as most appropriately for nurturing infants. We discuss the current literature available on pacifier use to enable critical decision-making regarding justifiable use of pacifiers, especially in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative c...

This study aimed to identify factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding (AME) and the reasons mothers presented to introduce complementary feeding in the first four months of life. A total of 380 mothers (92.2%) of children under four months old vaccinated in a Multi-vaccination Campaign were interviewed. To identify factors associated to AME, univariate and multiple logistic regressions a...

OBJECTIVE To verify the prevalence and factors associated with nonnutritive sucking habits in preschool-aged children attending daycare centers and preschools in Natal, Brazil. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,190 children of both sexes, aged 3 to 5 years, enrolled in daycare centers and preschools in Natal, Brazil. Exclusion criteria were: children with cleft lip and pala...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess pacifier use as a risk factor for otitis media during the first year of life. METHODS A volunteer cohort of 1,375 infants was recruited from eight hospital postpartum units in Iowa. Parents were asked to provide detailed information on their child's health at 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Questions were posed concerning occurrence of sp...

The aim of the study was to verify the prevalence of anterior open bite (AOB) and posterior cross-bite (PC) in the primary dentition and the association with sociodemographic factors, presence and duration of nutritive and non-nutritive habits. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 732 preschoolers in Campina Grande, PB, Brazil. Clinical exams were performed by three calibrated examiners...