Every loving mother finds it adorable to see her little toddler sleeping with a baby bottle in her tiny hands. Though it lulls the child to sleep comfortably and is extremely cute to watch, but is it safe?
RBut, regardless of the cuteness overload, do you know the consequences of giving your loved one the bedtime bottle? If not, put an end to it right away because nighttime feeding of milk is harmful to your child.
Rotten teeth
Allowing your toddler to sleep with a bottle of milk in the mouth before bed is not okay for her teeth. It causes cavities and enamel erosion or tooth decay. This is because milk or milk powder contains sugar. When your sweetheart sinks into slumber with the milk, it collects around its teeth, leading to the build-up of sugar. The sugar gets stuck either between or to the surface of her teeth, causing teeth-related problems.
Choking
Sleeping with a bottle of any drink, whether milk or water, is unsafe and can cause choking. The liquid can enter the lungs and can make the kid feel uneasy with coughing. The human body is not built to consume anything while lying flat on the back, so it should not be tried either.
Ear Problems
Snoozing with a bottle can also cause ear infections in your toddler. The liquid enters the ear canal through the Eustachian tubes and carries germs from the mouth to the ears, causing ear diseases. Even pure, filtered and distilled water can transfer germs to the ears.
Negative Sleep Associations
When a child dozes off with a feeding of milk every time she sleeps, she gets accustomed to it. There might even come a point that she will not be able to sleep without the bottle in her mouth.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Related to choking, when a toddler inhales with liquid in its mouth while lying in the crib, it enters the windpipe and leads to suffocation. It may cause just more than discomfort and coughing like respiratory and gastrointestinal problems.
Tips for Toddler falling asleep with the bottle in her mouth:
- Give your child some cookies or cheese to snack on instead of bottled drinks. Try to soothe your toddler in something else than a bottle of drink, like a lullaby or stuffed toy.
- If the child is too attached to the bottle, slowly dilute the milk or formula with water, and gradually give only water during bedtime – Anything other than water in the bottle is a strict no.
- Start brushing your baby’s teeth with just the baby brush (no toothpaste until few teeth show up) and gently massage the gums every day.
- Don’t ignore signs of Cavity thinking that these teeth are temporary – this might affect the child’s food habits and cause infections at later stages.
- Pep talk the child, buy new cups of her choice and make her drink through them, applaud her and let her try drinking on her own.
