Encourage your children to drink milk or water

New guidelines have suggested that milk and water are really the only things that children under five should be drinking. The nutritional guidelines announced by a panel of scientists suggest children should not be given drinks which contain sugar or other sweeteners.

The research found that what children drink at a young age can have a significant impact on their oral health, general health and overall well-being.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, said: “Water and milk have the benefit of providing everything a growing child needs, without so many of the harmful things that so many other drinks contain.

“Milk is a great source of calcium, protein and several other vitamins and minerals that are essential for growth and development.

“Water is perfect, not just for youngsters, because it isn’t acidic, it has no calories and contains no sugar that can cause so much unnecessary damage to children’s teeth.

“Children absolutely do not need to drink products that are packed with sugar. The damage it can cause to oral health alone is extreme and avoidable. It is the main culprit behind thousands of children in the UK having rotten teeth removed in hospital every year, not to mention high levels of obesity across the country.

“We welcome these new guidelines and hope that as many parents as possible follow them.”

A recent report from Public Health England showed that nine out of ten extractions which take place in hospital are actually due to preventable tooth decay. The report also shows that one in five children are overweight or obese when they start primary school, raising to one in three when they start secondary education.

https://www.dentalhealth.org/news/children-should-stick-to-drinking-milk-and-water-according-to-new-guidelines