 Are you worried that your baby may develop tooth decay? If
you're breastfeeding, that alone may help prevent cavities. A new
report suggests that breastfeeding may help protect infants and
toddlers from early childhood caries (often referred to as ECC).
"ECC is generally considered a significant and devastating
disease in a child, and it targets the individual for decay throughout
their life," Dr. Mary Hayes recently told Reuters Health. Hayes
is a pediatric dentist and spokeswoman for the American Dental
Association.
Researchers from the University of Athens surveyed 260 children
between the ages of 3 and 5 living in Greece. The children were
divided into two groups - children with multiple cavities and children
with few or no cavities.
Children that were breastfed for more than 40 days were less likely to
develop cavities than those who were breastfed for a shorter time, the
researchers found. Because of that, the researchers suggest that breastmilk may contain antibodies that inhibit the bacteria that
causes tooth decay.
The children who were at the highest risk of developing tooth decay
were those who fell asleep with a bottle in their mouth.
The researchers also found some children did not develop cavities,
even though they often fell asleep with a bottle, leading the
researchers to suggest that there may be a genetic factor linked to
the risk of tooth decay.
A separate study published in the journal "Pediatric
Dentistry" in the spring of 1999 concluded that human breast milk
is not cariogenic, meaning it does not cause dental caries.
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