Adult pacifier trend sparks efficacy debate

The sudden rise in popularity of adult pacifiers among Chinese adults has sparked debates and garnered significant attention on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform.

With over 68 million views as of Sunday, the trend has taken a curious turn as one of the top-selling adult pacifiers on Taobao, a popular e-commerce platform, surpassed 10,000 units sold at 15.90 yuan ($2.20) each.

Adult pacifiers are being touted for their potential benefits. Some users claim they aid in curbing habits such as smoking and snacking, improving sleep quality and reducing anxiety. Other buyers have cited various reasons for purchasing, from preventing teeth grinding at night to silencing a snoring spouse.

A user from Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, praised the pacifier for curbing her incessant snacking and chatter, attributing weight loss and emotional comfort to its use.

The top-selling adult pacifier measures 4.5 centimeters in length, longer than 2.5 cm, the size of their counterparts used by infants under 6 months. The products are priced between 8.90 and 85.90 yuan on Taobao.

Among comments on the topic that received the most likes on Weibo, one said: "It may be a marketing ploy to sell surplus infant products". Others include: "The world has finally gone mad in a way I don't recognize"; "Some people always want to treat themselves like babies and act cute. All the people have to grow up, just let things be natural".

Wang Xueling, director of the stomatology department with the Aerospace Center Hospital in Beijing, said that some adults, when faced with high-pressure situations beyond their coping abilities, may subconsciously wish to regress to the oral stage of infancy.

They seek relief from anxiety through the familiar and comforting act of sucking. The adult pacifier can indeed provide temporary relief, similar to how some adults rely on stuffed toys, she said.

"However, if this behavior persists for more than three months, it could delay the identification and intervention of the actual sources of anxiety and weaken the individual's ability to address real life issues. Professional treatment is necessary," she said.

"It is ill-advised to use a pacifier to prevent snoring or teeth grinding. While biting on a pacifier can temporarily prevent teeth grinding by separating the upper and lower teeth, its long-term use can lead to significant side effects, including anterior open bite, which means front teeth don't close together properly, and bad habits such as tongue thrusting, retruded chin and protruding teeth.

"Prolonged friction and pressure may result in oral mucosal ulcers. If a pacifier is used during sleep, there is also a risk of airway obstruction, disrupting normal breathing and exacerbating snoring," she added.

Fan Shaoqing, a master's graduate from Peking University's School of Stomatology, said that the efficacy of pacifiers is not definitive.

"Excessive and frequent sucking on a pacifier can potentially affect the alignment of teeth. If the pacifier is not designed with an anti-choking feature, there is a risk of accidental swallowing.

"There is likely no scientific basis for using pacifiers to relieve anxiety. Infants need pacifiers because they have a need to suck during infancy. However, adults no longer have this need instinctively," she said.

Wang Xiaoyu contributed to this story.