Taking care of babies isn't easy. Sometimes, even the most seemingly harmless habits can potentially harm your baby. One example is that whenever you blow on your baby's food, you might cause them to develop cavities. Sounds strange right? Well, let us explain.
Blow on your baby's food: A no-no
You might be wondering, "How can blowing on my baby's food cause cavities?" That's because newborn babies haven't been exposed to Streptococcus mutans, a type of bacteria that causes cavities. Streptococcus mutans leaves behind acid while feeding on the leftover food in your child's teeth. In turn, this acid can erode your baby's teeth and cause cavities.
Blowing on your baby's food can potentially carry bacteria along with your breath, and into your child's food. Once your child eats the food, they can then pick up the bacteria. What's more worrying is that even if your little one doesn't have any teeth yet, as soon as their first baby teeth starts to grow, the Streptococcus mutans can immediately start working and cause your little one to develop plaque and cavities in their teeth.
Aside from blowing on food, the bacteria can also spread if you kiss your child on the mouth, or if you share a glass of water or share the same utensils when eating.
What should parents do?
In order to avoid infecting your child with the Streptococcus mutans bacteria, it's important to try and avoid sharing your saliva with your baby. Instead of blowing on their food to cool it down, you can place it for a few minutes in the fridge, or let it cool down a while before your child's mealtime.
It's also important to make sure and wipe your child's mouth with clean water and a clean cloth frequently. This helps keep their mouths clean and keeps any cavity-causing bacteria away from growing inside your child's mouth.