The Surprisingly Common Habit Health Experts Wish Parents Would Stop Doing With Their Kids

Paediatric health experts reveal the alarming reasons why you should stop or reduce this behaviour immediately.

Some parenting habits are so routine, you probably don’t give them a second thought. Maybe you taste your child’s food with a spoon before handing that same spoon to them, blow on a too-hot bite before giving it to them or take a sip from the same cup before handing it over.

While these moments may seem completely harmless, sharing food in this way involves something you might not have considered: saliva transfer.

There’s no need to panic over every shared bite or sip, but paediatric health experts say it’s worth understanding how saliva-sharing can affect your family’s health, and how simple changes can help reduce unnecessary exposure.

What saliva sharing could mean for your child’s health

One concern health experts have about saliva transfer is that it can introduce Streptococcus mutans, the primary bacteria responsible for tooth decay, into a child’s mouth.

These bacteria feed on sugars and produce acids that can wear away tooth enamel. “Babies are not born with the main cavity-causing bacteria, so these germs are usually passed to children from a parent or carer through saliva,” said Dr. Soha Sharif, children’s dentist at Pure Dentistry.

“If a child’s mouth is colonised by these microbes early on, there’s a greater risk of them developing early childhood tooth decay.”

The caregiver’s oral health can make a difference, too. If they don’t have untreated decay, active gum disease or a mouth infection, any saliva that reaches the child........

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