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.
Ear infections are often termed otitis media (middle ear infection) or otitis interna (inner ear infection) and can be caused by the presence of bacteria containing particles, viruses and mucus becoming blocked or trapped in the ear cavities. An ear infection can also affect the eardrum which forms part of the outer ear canal.