A new study is out in Pediatrics, and the media has jumped all over it. The headlines would be ridiculous if they weren't so inflammatory: "Study Finds Breastmilk Can Promote Tooth Decay" - "Cow Milk Beats Breast Milk for Healthy Teeth" - "Breastfeeding May Cause Cavities for Some Babies at Night."
From the study itself: "The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the cariogenicity of various fluids that are frequently fed to infants and toddlers. We chose to examine sucrose, cola drink, honey, human milk, cow milk, and water because some of these have been associated with development of early childhood caries, although direct experimental evidence is lacking." The fluids were fed to desalivated rats via a nipple.
Now, here's the key sentence in the conclusions which everyone is apparently choosing to ignore: "Although human milk is more cariogenic than cow milk, it is no more cariogenic than are common infant formulas."
(I'd also point out that breastfed babies feeding at the breast should not be compared to babies being fed breastmilk or artificial baby milk via an artificial nipple, as the former are taking the milk much deeper in, closer towards the back of the throat - but that's another tangent I don't have time to go off on this morning.)
Check out the study abstract yourself:
Comparison of the Cariogenicity of Cola, Honey, Cow Milk, Human Milk, and Sucrose -- Bowen and Lawrence 116 (4): 921 -- Pediatrics
And thanks for letting me rant a little. ~Ali
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