If you must give the baby a bottle in bed, be sure to fill it only with plain water. Many parents give their babies a bottle in bed to pacify them and enable them to fall asleep. Most people fill the bottle with milk, fruit juice or water mixed with a sweetening agent such as Karo syrup. Unfortunately, as your baby falls asleep, the tongue and nipple on the bottle pool the liquid around certain teeth. The acidic and/or sugar content of these liquids can cause severe tooth decay. This is called nursing bottle or baby bottle syndrome. Visit our website: teethandgums.org
