NUK recommends stopping BF at 6 months to prevent tooth decay - anyone else find this disturbing??

[theboobmeister]

NUK (yes, that's the teat manufacturer which likes to promote itself as "breastfeeding-friendly") has sponsored a British Dental Health Foundation leaflet on dental health for mother and baby. The leaflet recommends early cessation of breastfeeding (ie at 6 months) to prevent tooth decay!

I've scanned the leaflet, you can see it here ... it's being handed out in primary schools and is apparently also available in dentists surgeries.

Now we all know the stuff about extended BF causing tooth decay is a myth - recent studies have shown there is no link, and exposed the poor quality of earlier research. So it's shocking to see this myth reinstated by an authority, especially when the bigger problem is caused by sweet drinks in babies' bottles.

But what's really appalling is that the British Dental Health Foundation, an independent charity promoting dental health, seems to have been seriously compromised by NUK's sponsorship.

See here - it's the same leaflet on the BDHF's own website, not sponsored by NUK this time, which doesn't recommend early cessation of breastfeeding, is generally more positive towards breastfeeding and less positive towards bottle-feeding. So you get different advice, depending on whether you happened to read the sponsored or the non-sponsored version!

Any else think this is totally out of order?

sorry, i can't see thst advice in the 1st one??

oh i see sorry - it's so small
yes, early weaning quickly followed by use a cup from 6 months

Where is this research they allude to?

God, get LLL onto that one.

Also (lawyer in me can't let this go) that they don't actually say that breastfeeding causes decay. They say that early weaning from breast and bottle can stop decay problems caused by the bottle - i.e. suggest that continuing to breastfeed means that you are also using a bottle.

Totally, totally shocking.

It says to prevent decay from a bottle, to stop bfing?

How absurd.

and what about babies who don't have any teeth until 12 months or more?

I was told by my dentist that night time bfing causes decay in my dd1, despite the fact that I had stopped night time feeding before she got the teeth that had (very slight) decay.

I am at that leaflet it is worded extremely badly. The clear implication is to stop BF at 6 months. Whether that message is intentional or not, well given the sponsorship you've got to wonder haven't you.

I have emailed and asked for a source.

In fact looking at it again, it also seems yo suggest feeding water or "milk" which I would read to be cows milk if you are using a bottle. Which is clearly bollocks for children under 1 as well.

I think it is just appallingly worded.

That is absolutely DREADFUL.

Especially as the first bullet says that "breast-feeding [...] can in some cases cause tooth decay" and then the second bullet states "What about bottlefeeding? Bottle feeding is fine"

The clear implication is that bottlefeeding is better for the teeth than breast feeding which is simply untrue.

It also states explicitly that breast-milk contains natural sugar but doesn't explain that the same is also true for formula and cow's milk.

The leaflet is copyright 2007 so perhaps there is a more recent version - I guess that might explain the differences between the website advice and the leaflet.

Boobmeister - were you given the leaflet recently?

OK I'm glad it's not just me throwing a wobbly about the leaflet then!!

Yes, seems likely it was written in 2007 so perhaps the BDHF's website simply reflects recent changes. But the leaflet I have was being handed out in London primary schools about a month ago. Also it is widely available for dentists to order via the web - I know it's the same one (with same recommendations) because I ordered a copy myself!

I emailed the BDHF but haven't had a reply yet. I think they should withdraw the leaflet from circulation and issue a public statement on breastfeeding to clarify.

OMG!

WordsFailMeTiggaxx

I emailed them too.

It says that the WHO recommend stopping at 6 months, even in 2007 they were saying to feed longer.
really ed at that.

Oh BTW - here are some links to studies ...

"These data provide no evidence to suggest that breastfeeding or its duration are independent risk factors for early childhood caries, severe early childhood caries, or decayed and filled surfaces on primary teeth." link

"Our results, based on the largest randomized trial ever conducted in the area of human lactation, provide no evidence of beneficial or harmful effects of prolonged and exclusive breast-feeding on dental caries at early school age." link

"There is no scientific evidence proving that human milk can be associated with the development of caries." link

no evidence it's harmful or beneficial??
Surely it's as beneficial as cows' milk?

Basically what they're saying is that there's no link between BF and tooth decay - ie breastfeeding neither causes nor prevents it.

yes but wouldn't calcium help prevent it? anyway i mean

Oh I see what you mean, stealth. No, basically there's no link - appears that nothing in breastmilk causes or prevents decay. As I understand it calcium is necessary to help formation of teeth and bones, but doesn't prevent tooth decay (which is caused by bacteria).

Now on a more fighting note. Who else should we contact about this? There are so many breastfeeding-unfriendly myths about, it winds me up to see yet more bad science being propagated by organisations who should know better. Any ideas?

This is TERRIBLE. It is intentionally misleading as pointed out by theyoungvisitor and does suggest that bottlefeeding is better for teeth than breastfeeding.

Also- I thought all babies naturally crave sweet things- it is survival instinct designed to attract them to breastmilk so how can they say that giving babies sweet things gives the "a sweet tooth" ? RUBBBISH!

i thought that might be the case theboob, thanks for clarifying it. so calcium helps with formation but isn't protective against decay.

Monday morning. Let's see if they bother replying to my email.

How irritating. What an interesting way to sell more teats.

I hope they answer the email.