§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice she has given to dentists on milk substitutes and tooth decay;
(2) what research her Department has undertaken into the link between milk substitutes and tooth decay.
§ Mr. SackvilleOnly infant formula provides a substitute for breast milk in ensuring a sole source of nutrition for the newborn. The Government published the report from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food "Dietary Sugars and Human Disease" in 1989, copies of which are available in the Library, which concluded that lactose in milk and milk products is a negligible cause of tooth decay. Lactose is the carbohydrate in the majority of infant formulas retailed in this country.
Infant formulas based on soya protein are available for infants allergic to cow's milk. Some soya-based products are formulated with carbohydrates other than lactose, which are more cariogenic. These products are suitable for infants who cannot digest lactose or for those being reared on a vegan diet.
The proper use of infant formulas is a central feature of long-running programmes of education about feeding babies. These are directed both at parents and at health professionals including dentists. The importance of supervised bottle feeding and the change from bottle to cup feeding are all stressed as part of satisfactory weaning practices which contribute to dental health.
The Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, through the national diet and nutrition survey programme commissioned a survey of children aged one and a half to four and a half years which has included a dental component. Results from this work will be available later this year.