The use of pacifiers by children: fecal contammination and the association with diarrhoea
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89101994000500011Keywords:
Pacifiers, Diarrhoea, infantile^i2^stransmiss, Enterobacteriaceae^i2^sisolatAbstract
A cross-sectional study of 354 children under two years of age was carried out in two periurban slums, with poor sanitary and socioeconomic conditions, located in Pelotas, southern Brazil. Most (79%) of the children studied were current users of pacifiers, 15% had never used one and the remaining 6% were ex-users. Among current users, 38% sucked a pacifier most of the time ("constant users"). Of the pacifiers in constant use, 93% were cultured for evidence of fecal contamination. Fecal coliforms were present in 49% of these. Diarrhoea was reported in 35% of all the children in the two weeks preceding the survey. Among constant pacifiers users, 40% had had diarrhoea in the preceding fortnight; this proportion was 32% for occasional users and 37% for non-users. These diferences were not statistically significant.Downloads
Published
1994-10-01
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Section
Original Articles
How to Cite
Tomasi, E., Victora, C. G., Post, P. R., Olinto, M. T. A., & Béhague, D. (1994). The use of pacifiers by children: fecal contammination and the association with diarrhoea . Revista De Saúde Pública, 28(5), 373-379. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89101994000500011