Did you know?

• There are a lot of different words around the world for the substitute nipple made of plastic, rubber or silicone that we give to babies to suck on between feeds. Just a few that you might find in English-speaking countries are: soother, dummy, nunu, pacifier, comforter, nookie, binky, paci, piece, bobo and dodie.

• The first mention of this kind of object in medical writing dates back to 1473, where it appeared in a German text; a painting (also German) from 1506 appears to show a baby holding such an object. It wasn’t until around 1900 that the first rubber version with a handle appeared, including one patented by a pharmacist in Manhattan.