Re:  Pre-mastication, saliva, and caries
The wonderful PBS series on the Five Senses had a brief but fascinating
segment on "kiss feeding."  Mothers in several areas of the world (Africa and
Asia as I recall) were shown pre-masticating food and pushing it into their
infant's mouths with their tongues.  This brings the lips in close proximity,
and the commentary remarked that the ubiquitousness of kissing as a
cross-cultural phenomena may stem from this practice of infant feeding.  It
makes perfect sense to me even from a hygiene standpoint.  Premasticated
food, being handled less, has less chance to pick up pathogens.  Baby is
already exposed to mom's germs.

An an aside on saliva.  I asked my pedi once why adults don't normally get
thrush.  He told me its because adults have antibody in their saliva.  I was,
at the time battling a long-running thrush episode in baby #2.  Now I hope
this doesn't gross anyone out, but I went home and put some of my saliva into
baby's mouth.  I also kept treating with meds etc. but thrush cleared up
promptly.

I too have read of studies which looked at colonization of the mouth at birth
with parental organizims.  I can share that the first non-gloved person to
touch my 1st born was her dad.  He cut cord, and embraced and kissed Emily
and then put her on my chest.  He has never had a cavity.  His mother (who
birthed him at home in Appalachia in 1943) has never had a cavity.  Emily has
never had a cavity.  My second kids, home birthed and handed immed. to me to
be smothered with kisses have had numerous cavities -- just like me!  I think
we should contract out my husband to kiss newborns.  I also think it is
reasonable to consider neonatal oral colonization as at least a possibility.
 It's absurd to say this means we shouldn't breastfeed.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE, IBCLC
priv. pract. in Austin, Tx