When is the best time to encourage drinking from a cup?.

A It is good practice to start introducing a cup when you start weaning you baby at around 6 months old. This is because bottles are thought to delay speech development and as teeth start to come through the pooling of liquid from a bottle can increase bacteria in the mouth which can make the mouth contents acidic, which results in tooth decay. The trick is to start gradually as it is often difficult to wean your baby from comfort sucking. It is best to choose a cup that is open or has a free flow without a valve. This will help you baby learn how to sip rather than the sucking reflex they have learned. It also helps with dental health as a cup is better than a bottle for baby's teeth. It may also help to start with a cup with a soft spout as this will help with the transition from bottle to cup. Remember the aim is to have your baby using a cup to solely drink from by 1 year of age, so always use your baby as your guide and go at their pace rather than trying to rush things. There is a wealth of cups on the market to chose, so a good idea is to take your baby with you when shopping for a cup. That way they pick the one that they like and are most likely to drink from.

health visitor

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