Feeding baby and moving on to solids

Key messages:

Tooth decay is caused by sugars which you eat and drink. The food and drink you give your child can affect their teeth.  

• You can keep your child’s teeth healthy as soon as they arrive by:

1. Reducing the total amount of sugar that you consume.
2. Reducing the number of times a day you eat sugar, having food and drinks which contain sugar at a mealtime only, maximum three times daily.
3. Avoid sugar containing foods and drinks at bedtime. 
4. Only milk or water should be drunk between meals.
5. Do not add sugar to any weaning foods. 

• Teach your child to drink from an open (free flow) cup from 6 months old. Move completely from a bottle to a free-flow cup by 12 months.
• You may see sugar written on food packaging using different words. Sucrose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, fructose and hydrolysed starch, invert sugar, syrup, honey, raw sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, muscovado sugar and concentrated fruit juices are all sugars.  Note: Many food and drinks aimed at children contain sugar while claiming to be “no added sugar”, “natural” and “organic”.
• At bedtime or during the night, only give your child breast milk, formula or cooled boiled water.
• If your child needs medicine, ask your pharmacist or GP if there's a sugar-free option.

Hounslow Health Visiting

Introducing solid food workshop

When: First Thursday of every month 9:30-11:00

Starting from: Thurs 1^st August 2024

Click here to download the leaflet.

Where: virtual, please scan the QR code or follow the link below.

  Join the meeting now