Oral health effects of breastfeeding

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that breastfeeding be initiated immediately upon a child's birth and continue exclusively for up to age 6 months, then be complementary for up to 2 years or beyond. WHO also recommends that it be delivered ‘on demand’. Many countries fall short of these targets, and breastfeeding practices vary widely between countries (Figure 1). Breastfeeding is associated with profound health effects that influence an individual's entire life. Breastfeeding has been found to be helpful in preventing malocclusi on, but dental caries appears to be unfavorably influenced by breastfeeding.
Source: Dental Abstracts - Category: Dentistry Tags: Inquiry Source Type: research