Do you put your baby to bed with a bottle?

Unfortunately, many parents do. Not only does sucking on a bottle when propped or lying down increase the possibility of ear infections, but sugars in juice, milk or sodas deposit on teeth, causing a reaction that leads to the erosion of the delicate coating of protective enamel and thus to the destruction of the tooth. This is sometimes called 'baby bottle tooth decay'.


Not only can your baby's existing teeth be damaged, but some babies with 'bottle decay' have had teeth emerge that are already decayed.  This is the result of prolonged exposure from the bottle being left with an child.

Hold your baby during feedings

Hold your baby during feedings in the cradle of your arm, partially upright. This makes your baby feel secure, helps you to read baby’s cues, and helps to prevent the baby from choking during feeding. When the baby’s head is a little higher than the rest of the body this prevents milk from backing up in the inner ear and causing an ear infection. Having the baby's head a little higher than the rest of the body can also help with reflux. Tip the bottle so that milk fills the nipple and air does not get in - to avoid your baby sucking in air and getting gas.

Baby drink tips:

• Avoid putting juice, soda or other sweet drinks into your baby's bottle. Only water between meals.
• As mentioned above - do not let your baby go to bed with a bottle and especially do not let them fall asleep with the bottle still in their mouth.
• Encourage older babies to use a cup.
• Do not let your baby walk or crawl around with the bottle - this is not only unhygienic, but the constant 'sucking' can also cause tooth decay. Having constant access to the bottle can also cause your baby to drink too much, causing them to become overweight and/or less likely to eat other foods.

By Dr. Olson Huff