I recently wrote about my 4-year old who only drinks milk from her straw sippy cup wondering when to give them up. A number of you mentioned you had no idea either. So I asked around, did some investigative work and discovered 5 important things parents need to know about starting, using and stopping sippy cups.
1. Start them early: Babies usually start solids by the time they’re 6 months. This is also the time it is okay to introduce water and (diluted) juice. It’s a good idea to get a few starter sippy cups, with handles, lids and a hard spout, to get your child used to the idea that liquids (including milk) can come in something other than a bottle or breast.
While babies will have fun throwing these cups for a while, by 9 months many will start drinking from it. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children stop the bottle and drink from sippy cups by one year of age.
2. Use sippy cups wisely: Once your child is using a sippy cup you need to use them wisely. According Healthy Children, a website powered by the AAP, avoid using sippy cups as a pacifier or allowing kids to sip on them throughout the day unless its filled with water. Sprout sippy cups filled with milk, juice or juice drinks, allow sugar (even natural sources) to stay in the mouth longer and increase the risk of tooth decay.
This may be why cavities have increased by 15 percent from 1994 to 2002 in children 2-5 years old according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3. Drop the sprout cups ASAP: Traditional sippy cups are only supposed to be used as a short transition to real cups. Overuse of sippy cups can cause more than dental caries, they can also contribute to speech difficulties.
Because children suck on sippy cups the way they do bottles, if used too long, it can change the position of the tongue and teeth, potentially causing lisps and articulation problems. According to this Web MD article, the traditional sippy should only be used for about a month. Using cups with a straw are much better for speech development and dental health.
Bottom line: switch to a straw cup as soon as you can.
4. Encourage kids to drink from regular cups: The AAP recommends teaching children to start drinking from regular cups between 12 and 15 months. Once children master this, you might want to use regular cups at meals and straw cups for water on the go.
Another drawback to young children sucking for too long is something called Oral Myofunctional Disorder (OMD). According to the International Association of Orofacial Myology’s website, the symptoms include one of the following:
1. abnormal thumb, finger, lip, and tongue sucking habits
2. an inappropriate mouth-open lips-open resting posture problem
3. a forward interdental rest posture of the tongue problem
4. a forward rest position of the tongue against the maxillary incisors problem
5. a lateral, posterior interdental tongue rest posture problem
6. inappropriate thrusting of the tongue in speaking and/or swallowing.
These abnormal habit patterns, functional activities, and postures can open the dental bite beyond the normal rest position. This can result in a disruption of dental development in children and over-eruption of selected teeth in adults.
A prime example of an OMD, familiar to all pediatricians and dentists, is a retained sucking habit or use of a sippy cup. While it is tempting to ignore such habits since some children do outgrow them, many children do not spontaneously discontinue noxious habits and will need help in eliminating the habits.
5. Part with sippy cups between 2 and 3 years: According to the AAP Pediatric Nutrition Manual, children are developmentally ready to give up sippy cups by 2 to 3 years of age. Will it hurt to use them to prevent spills once and awhile? Probably not. If your child uses an open cup and some sippy cups with straws it is probably okay.
But just like we advance textures with our babies and let toddlers use utensils, we have to do the same with drinking. It’s an important and overlooked part of development.
Anyone having trouble getting your child to give up the sippy cup habit?
Resources/References
AAP Pediatric Nutrition Handbook — 2008
Preventing Tooth Decay in Children
So long Sippy Cups Hello Straws
IAOM — Dentists and Physicians
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My 2 1/2 year old went straight to straw cups, because she didn’t like the sippy/spouted ones. My 4 1/2 year old uses the straw ones sometimes, but also still uses regular sippy cups all day/every day and has no dental problems or speech problems. The doctor was even impressed with how well he inunciates his words when he speaks and is VERY easy to understand. I think these things are honestly to scare people, like most things. Do what you think is best for your child. Only you know best.
My 21 months daughter still uses the bottle when drinking her milk. I’d started and tried these sippy cups and the spouted one when she was 18 months but she doesn’t want it at all. She’d refused it! But with drinking water, it not a problem at all, she even drinks it in the glass, open cup and the straw cup. I even tried to alternate the regular bottle to an open cup, but still no luck. ( I wanna throw this bottle now).hahha. Need an expert advice from you guys…thank u!!!
As long as your daughter know she will get milk from a bottle, she’s probably won’t take it any other way. I would discontinue the bottle (gradually or whatever you think is best) and keep offering milk other ways. Is she doesn’t drink milk you can meet her calcium needs through yogurt and cheese and a vitamin D supplement.
My 14 month old won’t drink out of normal sippy cups (only straw cups) so I was pleased. But wondering why am I still allowing my 3 1/2 year old to drink out of sippy cups then. I first tried to limit the use just to certain times but realized he would not drink through out the day waiting for the sippy cup. So I took them all away. He has always been able to use regular and straw cups but he loves sippy cups. I just wanted to remark that my 3 1/2 year old has no speech / teeth / tongue issues what-so-ever. But the longer they use a sippy cup, the more they will become attached to it.
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