Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Sippy Cups and Speech | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
I am just starting to wean my one-year-old from a bottle to a cup. My daycare provider said that sippy cups interfere with speech development. Is this true?
— Pcope in Los Angeles | | | ANSWER |
April 22, 2002 | | | Dear Pcope,
I actually have never heard this before, nor have I read it in any of the books or journal articles I have read on speech development over the years. Finally, I can't think of any reasonable way in which sippy cups could interfere with speech development.
Of course, the fact that I don't know something doesn't mean it isn't so! Although, in this case, I'd be quite surprised (please, if you find out that your daycare provider was right, let me know!)
In any case, this seems like one of those issues that's interesting, but not terribly important. If your daycare provider doesn't want to use a sippy cup, or if you don't, then you can certainly wean your baby to a regular cup. It will just take a bit more supervision on your part. If you decide to go the sippy cup route, I think you can do that with a clear conscience, knowing that sippy cups are certainly not widely known to cause speech problems. — by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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