Babies' teeth that is...
At our pediatrician visit last Friday the doctor warned me away from letting Oliver nurse during the night. She says the milk coats their teeth and causes decay, which is why one of her little patients needs crowns put on her tiny teeth! What an awful awful thing.
As I have an overdeveloped respect for authority I didn't tell her this poor baby probably already had dental caries as early as in the womb. Deficiencies in vitamin D during early crucial development can actually lead to teeth decaying BEFORE they even erupt from the gums. Tooth decay happens from the inside out. Forget fluoride (which is poisonous) and depriving your hungry baby of milk during the night. Don't give up the ol' brush & floss yet, but it's really good nutrition that equals good dental health. I will talk more about this in a later post as this is a much larger topic.
*Note added 5/15: just spoke with local breastfeeding specialist for the Bay Ridge chapter of La Leche League. She says as some babies are born with teeth (!) the argument against nighttime feedings is preposterous. What is a baby supposed to do -- starve? As she said on the phone, next thing you know the baby isn't gaining weight, the mother's milk supply is drying up, and the pediatrician is telling you to supplement with formula! She will be sending along some scientific studies showing that breastmilk does not harm babies' teeth, and I will link to them later.
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