How 1920s Doctors Declared War on Pacifiers Over Infant Deaths

A fierce debate over pacifiers erupted in the 1920s as doctors linked them to rising infant deaths. On 25 March 1926, the Neue Freie Presse published an article titled Checkmate to the Pacifier!, highlighting the dangers of these so-called comfort suckers. Leading pediatricians warned that rubber pacifiers spread infections and harmed children's health in ways few had previously considered. The use of soothing objects for babies stretches back to antiquity. In ancient times, clay figurines were given to infants to suck on. By the Middle Ages, pacifiers were used to wean children, sometimes filled with food. Yet it was not until the mid-19th century that they became fashionable as comfort suckers—often sweetened with sugary substances that rotted children's teeth.

In the 1920s, Professor Pinard, a respected French pediatrician, declared war on the pacifier. He argued that they suppressed babies' cries, which often signalled physical discomfort. More alarmingly, he identified rubber pacifiers as a leading cause of infant mortality. Many mothers wetted the pacifier with their own lips before giving it to their child, unknowingly passing on infections. Pinard called for the destruction of existing pacifier stocks. His warnings spread across Europe, with Dr. Karl Hochsinger, a Viennese pediatrician, echoing his concerns. Hochsinger condemned pacifiers as bacteria carriers, reinforcing fears about their role in France's declining birth rate and soaring infant deaths.

The 1926 campaign against pacifiers marked a turning point in medical attitudes. Doctors openly blamed them for spreading disease and worsening infant health. While no records detail how Germany and Austria responded, the debate forced parents and healthcare providers to reconsider a practice that had gone unchallenged for centuries.