A 2012 Brazilian study revealed that moms who breastfeed may decrease the likelihood that their babies have bite problems when they are young children. The research involved looking at 153 infants and their moms. Scientists asked the moms of the newborns various questions ranging from various subject matters like thumbsucking tendencies to pacifier use. When the tiny tots were between three and five years old, the analysts asked the same moms whether their son or daughters had bite problems.
The conclusions of this studyshowed that boys and girls who were breastfed for more than 12 months had a 56 percent lower chance of experiencing bite problems, often referred to in the dental world as malocclusions, than mothers who breastfed for less than one year. One of the most common bite issues that scientists found in formula-fed infants was distocclusion. This occurs when the lower teeth hide behind the upper teeth when the mouth is shut. The findings were published in the Journal of Breastfeeding Medicine.
Another similar study from two years ago also showed that bottle-fed babies may be more prone to malocclusions, a condition that prevents the upper and lower front teeth from making contact when the oral cavity is closed.
In addition to preventing bite problems, breastfeeding has also been found to aid mother-baby bonding and strengthen the immune systems of newborns.
If you want to learn more about how feeding your baby using this method is beneficial to his or her oral health, then consider scheduling an appointment with a reputable family dentist like Dr. Thomas Cooke. He and his experienced staff can answer any questions you have and give you more advice on how to jumpstart a good oral healthcare routine for your peanut.
