Introducing a Cup to Your Baby

You may have read about a recent study that found that children who are still drinking their milk from a bottle at age 2 have higher obesity rates.  I wonder what the association is with this finding, and if the bottle is more comforting than using a sippy cup?  No matter what the association is, there are few things to remember.

It's important for infants and toddlers to learn to hold their own cup. It helps develop eye hand coordination as well as helping them develop their fine motor skills.

Babies are very motivated to put things into their mouth after about 4 months and want to start eating whatever the rest of the family is eating.  While I recommend that you hold off on the chips and salsa until after the first birthday, it is a good idea to give them a bagel to gnaw on or put some cereal in front of them so that they can develop the pincer grasp as they try to pick them up off the table. When it comes to what babies need to drink, ask your pediatrician about what to fill the sippy cup with. Unless your child needs extra calories, I recommend against giving juice to babies. Fruit juice is loaded with lots of extra calories. 

Breastmilk, formula and cows milk have protein, calcium and other important nutrients essential for normal growth and development.

It's also a good idea to give your baby plenty of water especially in hot weather.  Ask your pediatric nurse practitioner or pediatrician about the amount of water that's recommended.  In any case, please don't delay the introduction of a cup to your baby, because it may have long term implications for your baby's health.  I wrote an award winning guide to breastfeeding and you can download it.