Attachment Parenting
ReeceFamily
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Night nursing and tooth decay?
ReeceFamily
member
DD is 13.5 months and still nurses frequently at night (we bedshare). She definitely has trouble soothing herself back to sleep and relies on nursing to do so most of the time. I, as mom, am ready to cut back on the night nursing and help her with the self-soothing, but have been putting it off because she has other developmental stuff going on (just started walking, transitioning to older toddler group at daycare, dealing with constipation, etc.) and don't want to overwhelm her.
But, here's my question: I was reading up on baby/toddler sleep on the Aha Parenting website and she said that it is important to wean from night-nursing after 12 months because of the risk of tooth decay. This was a surprise to me -- I thought that the potential for tooth decay was related to having bottles at night, versus breastfeeding. And I've had trouble finding other sources to confirm this.
What have others heard? Should I be weaning DD off night nursing sooner rather than later for dental health reasons?
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Re: Night nursing and tooth decay?
i brush DS's teeth 2x a day, once when he gets up, and once after his bath. he still nurses to sleep most nights (after his teeth get brushed). he has all his teeth except his 2 year molars. at his 18 month checkup a couple of weeks ago, our pediatrician said his teeth look great. so i am not too concerned about it.
However, I remember reading somewhere it's less of a concern with nursing because of the way nursing physically works - the nipple is behind the teeth, so the milk isn't "hitting" them or sitting in the mouth.
I also know some parents that will wipe with a washcloth after night nursing sessions, so there's always that. I never did it. My son dropped his night nursing on his own around 14 months, so it wasn't a huge concern of mine. And I feel like it wouldn't have been (for me) even it had gone on longer.
dr. jack newman, a breastfeeding expert, also addressed the subject on his facebook page recently, mentioning a review of studies on breastfeeding and cavities that found no evidence that the two are related. here's the link
so yeah, i would not worry about it!
Breastfeeding Counselor with Breastfeeding USA
Babywearing Guide ** Newborn Carriers
Cloth Diaper Guide
Safe Bed Sharing Info
https://www.ada.org/3143.aspx
1. When your child sleeps latched, your nipple is so far back in her mouth that if any milk leaks (and not much does) it goes down her throat and doesn't pool around the teeth.
2. Breastmilk contains cavity-fighting and enamel-strengthening properties.
3. Sleeping latched does not impact oral development.
4. Cavities in toddlers is more likely due to genetics, poor oral hygiene, and/or a diet too heavy in carbs/sugars.
Bottle nipples, on the other hand, leak, do not go far back into baby's mouth and allow pooling of milk around the teeth, and sleeping latched onto a bottle can negatively impact oral development. So sleeping with a bottle is not recommended.
Many dentists and pediatricians do not note the big differences between sleeping latched onto the breast and latched onto a bottle. It's really disappointing.
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