> The bacteria that cause dental caries ("cavities") are transmitted
mother-to-child...

What are the implications here for moms who, having discovered that they
have breast pumps at the end of their arms, now realize they have a baby
food grinder in their head?  (Apologies to any who find this too
gross!)  How many of you, like me, sometimes pre-chew adult table food
before feeding it to your baby?  Although I don't do it in public (!),
this is a good way to moisten food and get it to just the texture the
baby needs, while making sure it's not too hot or spicy.  And there are
no grinder parts to wash.  I have always laughed it off by saying, "It's
no different than a big kiss on the mouth!"  And I've always assumed
that pre-chewing was done in cultures that lacked fancy grinding gizmos
or commercial baby foods.

So is this a disgusting and unhygienic thing to do, or is it worth the
health risks involved, or are there actually health benefits?  What
happens when mom & baby share saliva?  While we wait for Dr Zimmer's
research results, I'd like to hear what the rest of you think.

OK, I know this isn't directly lactation-related, but it impacts on
introduction of first semi-solid foods, and the larger question of
sharing body fluids between mom & baby...

~ Nancy Penney
Houston, TX
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