Breastfeeding Does Not Increase Tooth Decay Risk

By Nancy Volkers InteliHealth News Service INTELIHEALTH - Breastfeeding is not associated with tooth decay in young children, new research concludes. The study looked at information from a national survey. The survey was done in the United States between 1999 and 2002. The researchers examined information from 1,576 children. They were all between ages 2 and 5. They found that children who were breastfed were not more likely to have tooth decay. Tooth decay was more likely in older children, poorer children, Mexican-American children, and children whose mothers smoked. Tooth decay in children under 6 is called early childhood caries. It is the most common long-term disease of childhood. The first sign is white spots or lines on the upper two front teeth. In general, research has not found that breastfeeding increases the risk for early tooth decay. A few studies have found that breastfeeding for more than a year, and breastfeeding at night after a child’s teeth start to come in, may be linked with decay. The strongest predictors of early tooth decay include: Eating a lot of sugar or carbohydrates Not getting regular tooth brushing Having a mother with a lot of cavities (even if they have been filled) Living in poverty Being born prematurely The study appears in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics.