The Air Force Safety Center is a Field Operating Agency with headquarters at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
The Finnish researchers are unsure why the use of a pacifier might lead to an ear infection, but theorized it may have something to do with the change in pressure equilibrium inside the ear caused by the sucking.
Older children with recurrent infections may want to chew gum with a special sugar called xylitol; it can reduce the growth of bacteria in the middle ear and help prevent ear infections. You also might want to encourage your child to suck her thumb rather than a pacifier; research has shown that a baby picks up fewer germs if she sucks her thumb instead.