16 Nov Could Sucking the Pacifier Clean Lower Your Baby’s Allergy Antibodies?

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Eliane Abou-Jaoude, MD 
Allergy and Immunology Fellow
Henry Ford Health System
Detroit, Michigan

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Early life exposure to diverse types of microbes is necessary for healthy immune development and may impact the risk for developing allergic disorders.

Theoretically the transfer of parental microbes to their offspring during infancy can influence a child’s developing gut microbiome and subsequent immune response patterns.

We wished to investigate whether parental pacifier cleaning methods, reported at 6-months of age, were associated with altered serum IgE trajectory over the first 18 months of life. 

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? 

Response The main finding of the research is an association between parents that clean their infant’s pacifier by sucking on it and lower levels of serum IgE antibody.  We found that the IgE trajectory was significantly lower starting around 10 months of age and through 18 months of age. We do not have data past 18 months of age at this time.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Since no cause-effect relationship can be inferred, and there may be unknown potential detrimental effects of pacifier sucking we would not suggest any clinical relevance or promote this practice based on our findings.

Readers should understand that the microbes they are exposed to in early life can affect immune system development.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: We have plans to initiate a new larger birth cohort that may serve to validate this association in the context of many factors that assess the impact of the environment on the development of the microbiome during childhood. 

Citation: 2018 American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting 

Abstract Titles: Association Between Pacifier Cleaning Methods and Child Total IgE
Author: Eliane Abou-Jaoude, MD

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Last Updated on November 16, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD