It is true that most people in the world do not consume any non-human milk.
There are many dietary sources of calcium other than dairy products (though
you would never know that if you live in the US and listen to the dairy
industry ads).  I think it is a good idea for pregnant and lactating women
to avoid dairy if there are any problems with dairy allergies in the family.
But then she has to be sure to get calcium in another way.  You can't just
eliminate dairy without paying attention to other dietary sources of
calcium, or you can run into trouble.  Likewise, if you are becoming a
vegetarian, you can't just eliminate meat from your diet and eat only the
baked potato and the green beans -- you won't get enough protein.

I remain somewhat skeptical that calcium levels in the mother's diet during
pregnancy can contribute to tooth decay in the child.  Has this been
confirmed by other studies?

Kathy D.

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