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.
When you feed your baby with a propped bottle, the liquid pools in the back of her mouth. The liquid can then back up into her ears through the Eustachian tube. This is bad because bacteria can then enter through the tube into the ear and cause an ear infection. Prolonged ear infections can cause hearing loss. Hearing loss in a baby can make it harder for her to speak and learn. Choking/aspirationâBottle propping makes it easier for your baby to choke. This is partly because she is not being watched. Liquid continues to come out of a propped bottle until it is empty and may cause your baby to choke.