Breast-Feeding Can Prevent Misaligned Teeth in Babies
Breast-Feeding Can Prevent Misaligned Teeth in Babies – Breast-feeding is known to provide many health benefits for growing babies, such as protection from illnesses, allergies, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and obesity. A new study shows another benefit to breast-feeding.
Australian researchers found that not just breast milk, but the physical act of breast-feeding can help the developing teeth properly align in babies. The researchers, led by Karen Peres at the University of Adelaide in Australia, tracked over 1,400 children for 5 years, at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years of age. They focused on how often the kids were breast-fed. They also asked how much the kids used pacifiers at 3 months and 1, 2, and 4 years of age. They found that 40% of the kids used a pacifier daily for 4 years.
When the kids reached the age of 5, researchers examined them to see if they had any teeth problems, such as misaligned teeth or jaw conditions, including open bite, crossbite, overbite or a moderate to severe misalignment.
The study showed that babies who were exclusively breast-fed had a 41% reduced risk of moderate to severe dental malocclusion or misalignment than those who were not breast-fed or even predominantly breast-fed. Babies who were breast-fed for 6 months or longer had a 71% reduced risk of misaligned teeth. The research also showed the impact of the use of bottle-feeding breast milk and the use of pacifiers on the developing teeth. Those who were exclusively breast-fed for 3 to 6 months had a lower risk of overbite problems. The risk dropped to 44% in kids who were breast-fed for 6 months or longer.
Open bite, overbite and moderate to severe misalignment were generally less common overall among the children who mostly or exclusively breast-fed.
Peres attributes the reduced risk of dental malocclusion to “the adequate development of the orofacial structures in children who are breast-fed, such as proper muscular tone and nasal breathing.”
Researchers also noted that overusing pacifiers can put pressure on the developing jaw and lead to more problems in older children with dental malocclusion.
The results of the study were published in journal Pediatrics.
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