National Ledger

By Wendy Cook
Jul 26, 2007

The baby bottle debate has hit TomKat. Take away the baby bottle- right now!


That’s the advice child experts have for Tom Cruise and the fabulous Katie Holmes, concerning their 15-month-old daughter Suri. Recent photos of the adorable toddler show her happily clutching her bottle. By allowing this seemingly minor indulgence, Tom and Katie could cause their precious daughter to suffer both tooth decay and emotional stress, doctors tell the national Enquirer.
Pediatricians generally want toddlers to drink from a cup by their first birthday. Exposing a baby’s teeth to sweet liquids over long periods of time can result in “baby bottle tooth decay,” warn experts.

“Liquids containing sugar- including milk, formula and fruit juice- if left in a baby’s mouth, can acidify and become corrosive to the teeth,” pediatrician Dr. John Sterling, who practices in Vancouver, Wash., told The Enquirer.

“If the baby lies in bed or sucks on a bottle for long periods of time, both the upper and lower teeth can be subject to decay,” said Dr.Sterling, who does not treat Suri. Dental health is important even in toddlers because children need strong teeth to chew their food, speak properly and have a nice smile.

And it can be harmful to children’s emotional well-being to keep them on a bottle too long, says West Hollywood-based psychiatrist Nathan Kuemmerle. “Toddlers can become dependent on it and on the ’sucking impulse,’ which is often difficult for them to control and to wean themselves off of,” Dr.Kuemmerle, who does not treat Suri, told The Enquirer.

I’m thinking baby Suri is going to be okay with her two very involved and loving parents.

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