The most likely explanation is that early mechanical stimulation of the gums and teeth leads to more optimal dental and jaw development. This goes along with Dr. Corrucinni’s work showing that eating softer foods is associated with a higher risk of malocclusion and dental crowding. Dental crowding, by definition, increases your risk of obstructive sleep apnea by crowding your breathing passageways. Bottle-feeding can also aggravate dental crowding as well. 

Dr. Brian Palmer is an internationally recognized expert on dental malocclusion, infant feeding habits, and its’ relation to obstructive sleep apnea.

Topic: The Evolution of Malocclusion & Sleep Apnea

Guest: Dr. Brian Palmer

Length: 2  hours

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1. There’s definitely more awareness of these two conditions (ADHD and autism), as well as more inclusive criteria for diagnosis
2. Implementation of the back to sleep campaign about 20 years ago
3. Worsened diet
4. Bottle-feeding
5. Environmental endocrine disruptors
6. Less total sleep time
7. increased incidence of allergies and food sensitivities.

There’s even evidence showing that common motor-skill milestones are often coming in delayed, since infants are not spending as much time on their tummies, even during the day. As expected, skull deformities (flat head) are much more common since the back to sleep campaign.

What does this have to do with obstructive sleep apnea? Here are 3 important reasons:

1. Factors 2 to 6 all significantly increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea, through either poor jaw development or inflammation of the upper airway.
2. Obstructive sleep apnea can predispose to obesity, which narrows your airway even further
   
3. Sleep-breathing problems begin during infancy, and the lack of deep, efficient sleep, not to mention frank hypoxia from apneas, can be detrimental to the infant’s brain development and biochemical pathways.

I realize that there are a number of other possible reasons for ADHD or autism (probably a combination of many factors), but not getting deep sleep can be a major barrier to proper brain development. Studies are definitely needed in this matter. Unfortunately, the medical/pharmaceutical industry is unlikely to change the status quo.

What do you think about this study? It is from over-reporting or more awareness, or is it for real?

Researchers from Oxford University in the UK found that infants who were breast-fed for at least 4 months had a 33% less chance of having behavioral problems by age 5. They speculate that breast milk has higher amounts of healthy fatty acids, growth factors and hormones that contribute to healthier brain development.

The one thing that all these studies fail to address is that bottle-feeding can cause malocclusion and jaw narrowing. The smaller your jaws, the less room there is for your tongue, which can cause breathing problems when the infant is placed on his back. Add muscle relaxation from deep sleep, and you’re going to deprive infants of quality deep sleep which is vital for proper brain development. With the addition of back sleeping in infants to bottle-feeding, it’s likely that this combination is a major reason for the significant rise in pediatric developmental problems that are so rampant these days.

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, were you breast or bottle-fed as an infant?

One major omission from the conclusion of this study is the fact that breast-feeding protects against developing obstructive sleep apnea. Dentists have long said that bottle-feeding promotes malocclusion and dental crowding. The smaller the jaws, the less room there is for the tongue, and the more often you’ll stop breathing at night.

Another important point is that pumped breast milk is not the same as breast-feeding. Unfortunately, our society and modern time don’t make it easy to exclusively breastfeed.

What are your thoughts on this? If you have sleep apnea, do you remember if you were breast or bottle-fed?

This brings up a very sensitive issue, which implies that infants should be breast fed by using the natural breast, rather than pumping and using a bottle. Most modern women don’t have the luxury, time, or the resources to breast feed exclusively for 6 months or longer. Work schedules, caring for other children, and other demands of modern society makes breast-feeding difficult.

My feeling is that women (with spousal support) should do everything possible to breast feed, but shouldn’t feel guilty for not being able to do so. Everyone has unique circumstances, and ultimately, not everything we want to do is under our control.

What are your thoughts on this issue?

 In this hour long interview, Dr. Park talks to Dr. Brian Palmer, a former dentist who has done extensive research in the field of infant oral cavity and airway development.  In this discussion, Dr. Palmer shares shocking information as to why parents who bottle feed their children are putting them at higher risk for ADHD, obesity, not to mention sleep breathing disorders and what parents can do NOW to prevent these problems from developing later on.

Learn:

• Why bottle feeding can make your child more prone to sleep problems as adults
• How bottle fed children are more likely to perform poorly in school
• Why bottle fed children are more at risk for sleep apnea,obesity, ADHD, bed wetting and more
• What you can do NOW to prevent health problems for your bottle fed child

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Traditional cultures in certain parts of the world practice contraception by breast-feeding. Most doctors will tell you that breast-feeding is not a reliable form of birth control. However, the way a woman breast-feeds is vastly different in the developed areas versus underdeveloped parts of Africa. 

In the US, most women who breast-feed on demand begin to taper off to intermittent feedings after a few months or at most 1-2 years, either supplementing with solid foods, or pumping and giving the milk through a bottle. I’ve written about how bottle-feeding is thought to aggravate dental crowding and malocclusion. 

In certain parts of Africa (such as in Batswana), women breast-feed on demand, with the child strapped in slings to the mother’s chest, feeding on demand until he or she becomes too heavy or becomes more independent. Typically, this lasts about 2-3 years. My patient confirmed that women would typically have 3-4 children evenly spaced over a span of 10-12 years. Repeated, short bursts of breast-feeding promotes prolactin release, which is an effective form of contraception. In developed countries, the interval between feedings lengthen over the first year, increasing the odds that pregnancy may occur.

He also noted that for the most part, the natives are very healthy, with few stresses, and they generally eat off the land, without too much processed foods or refined sugars. He even feels stronger and healthier when he lives and eats there. The main health problems that he sees are mainly infectious: malaria and HIV. 

Dr. Brian Palmer, a dentist that has spent his entire career researching the link between bottle-feeding and obstructive sleep apnea, has stated that in some areas of the world, people can’t afford infant formula, let alone regular food. The only source of nutrition for infants and toddlers is breast milk. Notice that despite the fact that the children are stick thin, they all have nice smiles and bright teeth.

Compare this with pictures of young children (in Dr. Weston Price’s book) who eat lots of sweets and processed foods—you’ll see crooked, stained teeth with lots of cavities, along with narrowed jaws and faces.

Take note of a native rural African’s jaw structure, and compare the facial width and jaw structures against multiple generation African-American faces. It’s a pretty stark difference.