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Pacifiers Just Got a Major Upgrade

The ‘smart’ pacifier could replace twice daily blood draws to monitor dehydration in premature infants.

Smart Pacifier
Washington State University

The first pacifier, dubbed the “baby comforter,” was patented in 1901. It consisted of an India rubber nipple attached to a disc-shaped shield. Since then, not much innovation has been applied to the low-tech soothing device. However, a recent Medgadget article discussed a novel ‘smart’ pacifier that continuously monitors electrolyte levels in a baby’s saliva. The pacifier was developed by a team at Washington State University, and it could prevent daily blood draws that premature infants have to endure to monitor signs of dehydration, a hallmark risk for preemies.