Babies love to suck; it's instinctive, pleasurable and comforting. British childcare author Penelope Leach points to two approaches to bottles: happy to have them used as comfort objects well into preschool, or as a necessary evil.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. If you wean a baby too soon she may suck her thumb or be difficult to settle at night. Many psychologists feel that the need to suck is natural and there is little point preventing it in a child under 4.

But too many milk bottles at toddler stage may lead to fussy eating habits and obesity. Another big problem is tooth decay with the night-time bottle being the worst culprit. Oral bacteria create acid that attacks tooth enamel and some babies may need to have all their rotten baby teeth extracted.

The tooth factor
Johannesburg dentist Dr Bruce Deane says that there is no harm in bottles per se; it depends what's put into them and how long they are sucked. "Very sticky, sweet juices are bad for the teeth night or day," he says "Milk is fine as long as the baby doesn't suck a bottle all day. I would advise children to have only plain water in the bottle at night." And though Dean doesn't have a problem with bottle use, he says when he sees 4 year olds at shopping centres with bottles hanging out of their mouths, he feels that they're being misused as pacifiers.

Cups are good
Paediatrician Dr Simon Strachan says children having a long dependence on bottles is often a non- issue. He is asked by parents of 2 year olds who have a bottle at bedtime and rising how they should get rid of these bottles. "Bedtime and morning bottles are acceptable," he says. "What's not good is when children have bottles in their mouths all day long, which are bad for teeth, social interaction and speech development. It's also a great way to pick up germs. As soon as babies can hold something in their hands, they should be taught to hold a cup during the day."

Start early
By introducing a cup from an early stage, you're making life easier for both of you when it comes to letting go of the bottle: