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Baby Formulas Place Infants at Risk for Tooth Decay
CHICAGO An analysis of several infant formulas shows that some
have significant potential to cause tooth decay in babies if parents allow the
child to sleep with a bottle of formula in their mouth.
Researchers at the University of Rochester Caries Research Center published this
study of cariogenic potential of infant formulas, milk, water and sugar water in
the July issue of the The Journal of
the American Dental Association (JADA)
The researchers fed one group of laboratory rats sugar water and laboratory
food; one group several commercially available infant formulas with sugar water
as a control; and another group milk with 2 percent fat.
After the diets were concluded, the teeth were analyzed and scored according to
the number of carious lesions (areas on teeth with decay) and severity of these
lesions.
The results revealed that the rats that consumed a diet of sugar
water had the highest score (1)
while those that drank milk had the lowest (0.05). Rats that were fed infant
formula with low iron had the highest (0.36 and 0.34) among all infant formulas
tested, while those that consumed infant formulas with lactose had the lowest
scores in the formula group (0.08).
The researchers theorized that the lactose in milk metabolizes more slowly than
the sucrose and corn syrup, thus slowing the decay process. They also explained
that formulas with low iron had high scores because iron has been shown to be
cariostatic, neither promoting nor preventing tooth decay.
| The authors point out that because their analysis strongly suggests that many infant formulas and sugar containing liquids have cariogenic potential, an infant should not be allowed to sleep with a bottle containing such a substance. |
| Plain water remains the most harmless liquid if sleeping with a bottle is necessary. |
Parents who wish to reduce their infant's risk of tooth decay should take their
child to the dentist by the child's first birthday for an initial oral exam. At
the exam, the parents will learn feeding practces that reduce decay risk