Does Going to Bed with a Bottle Cause Cavities?

Does Going to Bed with a Bottle Cause Cavities?

May 2nd, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

You’re tired, you just want to go to sleep, and you know that if you put baby down with a bottle, she will go to sleep easily so you can head off to bed yourself. Every mother has been there, doing whatever it takes to get some rest. Unfortunately, putting baby to bed with a bottle can do serious damage to her teeth.

Tooth Decay and Baby Bottles

Early childhood tooth decay can happen in a number of ways, but the most common and often the most severe of these is known as baby bottle tooth decay. It results when liquids containing natural sugars, such as formula, breast milk and juices, are left on the teeth while baby sleeps. This form of tooth decay can also occur in breast fed babies, even if they do not take a bottle, but breastfeed on demand during the night after the first tooth appears. Putting your baby to bed with a bottle is a major risk factor for baby bottle tooth decay.

Tooth decay in babies may start off mild, but can quickly progress to a very serious problem. It can result in infection and in your child losing one or more teeth.

The Importance of Baby Teeth

Although baby teeth are only temporary, they play a very important role in your child’s development. Your baby needs them not only to eat, but also to develop normal speech. Baby teeth are also place holders for adult teeth. If they are lost too soon, the adult teeth may come in crooked. The loss of baby teeth can not only harm your baby’s smile now, but her adult smile as well,

Preventing Tooth Decay in Babies

The American Dental Association offers some recommendations on how to avoid tooth decay in your baby. One of the major recommendations is that you avoid putting baby to bed with a bottle. That isn’t the only important precaution you should take, however.

Sugary drinks such as juices should be kept to a minimum during the day, and avoided entirely at night. In fact, unless your doctor has recommended juice for a problem such as dehydration or constipation, there is no real reason for a baby to have juice at all. Ensure that baby finishes his bottle entirely prior to a nap or bedtime, and gently wipe his teeth with a clean piece of gauze before you put him down.

Start a dental hygiene routine as soon as baby’s first tooth appears. Contrary to previous recommendations against using fluoride toothpaste, the ADA now recommends using a baby toothpaste containing fluoride right from the start to protect and strengthen teeth. You should get in the habit of brushing baby’s teeth at least twice a day, and wiping teeth after each feeding.

As soon as your baby is able to do so, you should tech him to start drinking from a cup and avoid trainer or “sippy” cups as much as possible. Consumption of sugary beverages throughout the day should be discouraged. If your child is thirsty, offer a drink of water.

The ADA recommends that you take your child to see a dentist as soon as his first tooth erupts. You can take him to your own dentist, or find a pediatric dentist who specializes in children.

Taking care of your baby’s teeth from the moment they first appear will ensure he has a healthy smile for a lifetime.

The First Days with Your New Baby

The First Days with Your New Baby

March 31st, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There is nothing like the magical moment when you see your long-awaited baby for the first time. The first few days of life with baby are both the most wonderful and some of the most challenging for new parents. Suddenly everything has changed, and your world revolves around this tiny little person whose health and well-being are entirely in your hands.

What Your Baby Looks Like

Years of seeing babies being “born” on television and in movies have ill prepared new parents for the reality of a newborn. Your baby might not be the perfect bundle of joy you were expecting. The process of birth can be difficult on a baby, especially with a long vaginal birth. You might see things like a cone-shaped head, squished nose, and red marks on baby’s face and body.

Babies often have blotchy skin and still have some of the waxy white coating on their skin known as vernix, which covers a baby’s skin in the uterus to protect it from the long exposure to amniotic fluid. It is not uncommon for babies to be born with a little extra hair on their bodies as well. Both of these will soon be gone.

Your baby will also have a piece of the umbilical cord still attached, which will be clamped off at first. This usually falls off within the first few weeks of life. You may notice that your baby’s genitals appear swollen – this is a normal reaction to hormones passed from the mother, and will recede over time.

What Your Baby Needs

In the first days of life, what your baby will do most is eat and sleep. It is not unusual for baby to fall asleep not long after birth; after all, it has been a long and trying day. While it is tempting to stay awake and watch this sleeping miracle you have waited so long to see, new moms should take advantage of their newborn’s naps to get some much needed rest as well. Sleep in the first days will be erratic, so get it while you can!

If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may put her to the breast immediately following birth, but don’t expect much. She may be tired and has not yet mastered latching on, although the sucking reflex is well developed in full-term infants. When she is awake, you can try again. The first few days are a time for mom and baby to learn the ropes of nursing. Don’t be concerned if your baby doesn’t seem to be eating a lot at first. She is still being sustained by nutrients passed through the umbilical cord, and her appetite will soon grow.

It is entirely normal for a newborn to lose up to 10% of her birth weight within the first few days of life. Your doctor will monitor her weight to ensure it starts to climb again.

Bringing Baby Home

Depending on whether you had a vaginal birth or a caesarean section, you will likely be in the hospital for the first 2-4 days of your baby’s life. During this time you will have the assistance of the nurses in caring for your baby. Don’t be surprised if going home, that much anticipated event, feels a bit overwhelming or even frightening. This is a normal reaction to the realization of the monumental task before you.

In these early days, focus on caring for your new baby and yourself. Don’t worry about the housework, and if you have offers of help don’t be afraid to accept. The first days with a newborn are exhausting and challenging, especially for moms recovering from a difficult birth or from a c-section.

Remember that both you and your newborn are making a major adjustment to a whole new life, and there are bound to be some bumps in the road. You will soon settle into a new routine, and things will smooth out again.