When to introduce sippy cups

I just saw an article that advised parents to start switching their babies over to sippy cups at 9 months.  As babies learn to feed themselves, it’s important not only to help them gain independence, but as it turns out, too much time with a bottle can lead to tooth decay.  Though there’s nothing better than a sleeping baby, babies who fall asleep with a bottle or a breast in their mouths are getting a milk mouthwash. In other words, their developing teeth are bathed in sweet milk which can promote overgrowth of the bacteria that can lead to tooth decay.

Maybe you’ve heard of baby bottle mouth syndrome? It’s when a baby is given a bottle, sometimes propped and then allowed to fall asleep with a mouthful of un-swallowed milk.  Don’t fret if this happens once in a while, but it’s not good if this happens regularly. Likewise, falling asleep at the breast after the teeth make their appearance can also lead to tooth decay.

Here’s what you can do: The pediatrician in the article wasn’t a big fan of sippy cups, but as long as you’re not using it as a bottle substitute when the baby is sleepy, I say it’s impractical, and I used a sippy cup with my son.  It saved my sanity.  Better yet,  Try to only use covered sippy cups or bottles while the baby is fully awake and you’ll avoid the problem of possible tooth decay.