Raise your hand if you've been scared by something you saw on the internet into thinking your child's favorite cup is harmful. Let me reassure you that much like pacifiers, what matters in terms of developmental impact is not the type of cup being used but the frequency, intensity, and duration of its use. Offering a variety of cups is the key.
You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.
Check out the article by The Informed SLP called What's Up With Cups for a summary of the evidence surrounding sippy cup use, the impact on swallow pattern, and facial development. It'll ease your mind.
In my household, there are only two types of cups I avoid:
1. Anything that uses a firm straw (metal or plastic).
2. Anything with a hard spout.
My reason isn't due to developmental concerns but TRAUMA risk. Children are busy, they stand up or slip out of their chairs, and if a hard straw or spout is in their mouth at that moment, severe dental or soft tissue injury can occur.
Around six months of age I began to offer my littles water to drink from a cup at mealtime.
In the end, the best cup is the one that your child likes and can use successfully! Don't stress or waste hundreds of dollars trying to get them to use the “best” one – because there isn't a “best” one as far as evidence goes. You can find more options of cups that I love as a pediatric dentist and mom of three here.
Regarding their dental health, the most important factor is WHAT is inside the cup. The cup your child has access to all day should be filled with water. Reserve sweet/acidic drinks for meal times. And please, don't let your child take a bottle or sippy cup into bed with them that contains anything but water!
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As a pediatric dentist, I get a lot of questions about sippy cups and which one I prefer. And I do not blame parents! How are you to know? Hard tip, soft tip, 360, straw… the options go on and on.
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AAPD recommendations:
I like to follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) because I feel like the information they provide has the most research supporting it. The AAPD recommends a cup with a snap or screw-on lid with no valve to allow the child to sip and not suck on the liquid. They recommend a cup with handles so children can hold on to the cup easier. And lastly, it is recommended that the cup have a weighted bottom to prevent spills.
The AAPD website quotes Dr. Burton Edelstein regarding sippy cups. “Limit bottles and sippy cups. If your child totes around a sippy cup all day or sleeps with a bottle at night, the sugars in formula, milk, or juice will pool around his teeth and allow cavity-causing bacteria to flourish, says Parents advisor Burton Edelstein, D.D.S., M.P.H., founding director of the Children’s Dental Health Project.”
AAP recommendations:
It is not recommended that children carry around sippy cups throughout the day or be put to bed with a sippy cup at nap and nighttime. The American Academy of Pediatrics changed its recommendations a few years back stating that fruit juices are not recommended for children. Due to their high sugar content, juices do not benefit the child’s diet, and they make children more prone to cavities.
My recommendations:
I wish children came with an all-inclusive handbook, but unfortunately, that is not the case. Many parents feel an overwhelming amount of stress about making a mistake when it comes to raising their children. To be honest, there are a lot of things to worry about in this world, and sippy cups should not fall anywhere on that list!
Resources:
https://www.aapd.org/assets/news/upload/2009/3696.pdf
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/babies-and-kids/training-cups
For more information, please visit Dental-Care Sippy Cup.