$Unique_ID{BRK00188}
$Pretitle{Digestive System}
$Title{Can Breast Feeding Cause Crooked Teeth?}
$Subject{teeth nursing motherhood}
$Volume{I-11}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Can Breast Feeding Cause Crooked Teeth?


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QUESTION:  We are developing a dangerous generation-gap between my mother and
myself concerning the hazards of breast feeding to developing teeth.  She has
a whole list of abnormalities which she claims are due to the effort my baby
seems to be putting out during feedings.  Can this really cause crooked teeth
later on, or am I developing maternal anxieties uneccessarily?

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ANSWER:  Put your worries aside, and let mother read this.  My authority is no
less than the Academy of General Dentistry, and they are all for breast
feeding and the nutritional and psychological benefits it provides new-borns
and infants, but now feel there may be definite advantages to tooth
developement as well.  A study conducted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public
Health wihich reviewed the dental history of more than 9000 children, to see
if teeth were crooked, and then with history of breast feeding, indicates that
children bottle fed, or breast fed for less than a year, had a 40% greater
chance of misaligned teeth than breast fed babies.  It seems that during
breast feeding the babies develop stronger mouth muscles as they work at
suckling, as your child does, and that the result is proper growth and
alignment of teeth. As this, and other advantages of this natural nutrition
become more and more apparent, the numbers of mothers breast feeding their
babies has increased 31% to 56% from the low of 25% in 1970.  Its time your
mother caught up with you, and the millions of mothers providing their babies
with the best nutrition possible, mother's milk.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
