A COMMON hack for getting toddlers to sleep could double their risk of becoming overweight, researchers warn.
Your tot may also have a higher risk of rotting teeth because of the trick, the study showed.
Bottle feeding toddlers at the age of two increases their risk of obesity and teeth problems[/caption]
Australian researchers told parents to avoid bottle-feeding their toddlers to put them to sleep.
Giving kids milk before bed could seem them battling dental cavities and weight gain in early childhood due to excess sugar in milk and overfeeding, they warned.
The research, led by the University of Sydney and published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, used data from over 700 toddlers.
The kids were involved Western Sydney University’s Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids (HSHK) study, which surveyed mums on the health of their tots from birth and kept track of dental checks and body measurements.
Authors found that more than 30 per cent of the children were still bottle fed to sleep at two years old.
These kids were almost twice as likely to be overweight by the time they were three to four years old.
They were also nearly twice as likely to suffer from tooth decay compared to non-bottle-fed kids.
Children who struggle with their weight as kids are more likely to become overweight as adults, which can lead to long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes, the NHS warns.
It recommends that “feeding from a bottle should be discouraged” once babies reach a year of age and begin eating more solid foods.
Lead author Heilok Cheng acknowledged that parents and carers want to do the right thing by bottle feeding their kids before naps and at bedtime, but may not be aware of the health risks.
“Common toddler drinks, including cow’s milk and formula, often contain either natural or added sugars, increasing the risk of tooth decay.
“When a bottle is offered at bedtime it’s often being used by carers to calm an unsettled child or encourage the child to drift off to sleep.
“Because the bottle isn’t being offered in response to hunger, it can lead to overfeeding, putting children at risk of unhealthy weight gain.”
Prolonged bottle feeding could also put children at risk of deficiencies, researchers added.
They said “excessive milk or formula intake can displace regular meals or food groups and increase the risk of iron depletion and deficiency.”
Dr Cheng added: “Australian recommendations advise parents to start introducing cups at six months of age and stop using baby bottles at 12 months.
“Bottle feeding in bed is not recommended at any age.
“Our research now provides a much more robust evidence base for that advice.
“We need to do more to support families and help them avoid getting into the habit of putting a child or baby to bed with a bottle, so that our future generations are set up with a healthy future from the start.”
Recent reports have raised the alarm over surging levels of childhood obesity in the UK.
Meanwhile, areas in England are seeing increasing rates of rotting teeth in children, with experts warning of a dental health crisis.
As many as six in 10 children in some areas are at risk of needing fillings, and in some cases tooth loss, by the age of five.
Dental problems are the main cause of hospital admissions for primary school children.
In response, the government is rolling out national tooth brushing program in schools and pre-schools, starting next month.
Three, four and five-year-olds will get free brushes and paste donated by Colgate for supervised sessions under the plan, which will be rolled out in the most deprived parts of England.
Ministers say 600,000 children each year will benefit from the plan, and rates of decay will start to reduce within two years.
Tips to get your child to sleep
Lots of young children find it difficult to settle down to sleep and will wake up during the night.
If your little one is struggling with this, here are some tips you can try:
- Decide what time you want your child to go to bed.
- Start a “winding down” bedtime routine around 30 minutes before the time that your child usually falls asleep. Bring this forward by five to 10 minutes each week – or 15 minutes if your child is in the habit of going to bed very late – until you get to the bedtime you want.
- Set a limit on how much time you spend with your child when you put them to bed. For example, read only one story, then tuck your child in and say goodnight.
- Give your child their favourite toy, dummy (if they use one) or comforter before settling into bed.
- Leave a dim light on if necessary.
- If your child gets up, keep taking them back to bed again with as little fuss as possible.
- Try to be consistent.
- You may have to repeat this routine for several nights.
Sleep tips for children under five
- Make sure you have a calming, predictable bedtime routine that happens at the same time and includes the same things every night.
- If your child complains that they’re hungry at night, try giving them a bowl of cereal and milk before bed (make sure you brush their teeth afterwards).
- If your child is afraid of the dark, consider using a nightlight or leaving a landing light on.
- Do not let your child look at laptops, tablets or phones in the 30 to 60 minutes before bed – the light from screens can interfere with sleep.
- If your child wakes up during the night, be as boring as possible to avoid exciting them and leave lights off.
- Avoid long naps in the afternoon.
Source: NHS
