Feeding baby and moving on to solids

Key messages:

Tooth decay is caused by sugars that 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 they consume
2. Reducing the number of times a day they eat sugar, having food and drinks that contain sugar at mealtimes only - a maximum of three times a day
3. Avoiding sugar-containing foods and drinks at bedtime
4. Only allowing them to drink milk or water should be drunk between meals
5. Not adding 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 our 'Solid Food Workshop'

When: The first Thursday of every month from 9.30am to 11am.

Where: Online on Microsoft Teams

How to join:

Please scan the QR code below or click this Microsoft Teams joining link.

You can download the leaflet here.