Here’s your tid bit about Sippy Cups from our sassy SLP, Deann Hollander:

Sippy Cups are designed for short-term transitional use, but culturally, we’ve bought into the idea that sippy cups are the best way to keep kids from making messes all through childhood The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be weaned from the sippy cup by age 2.  Offer instead an open cup with a little liquid or offer a straw. If you can’t quite wean from a sippy cup by age two, try using the sippy cup sparingly in situations where it’s absolutely necessary and focus on trying to wean completely by age 3.

Though sippy cups are convenient, improper use and overuse are associated with illness, injury, and developmental delays including:

  • Illness due to mold and mildew growth inside the spout or valve.
  • Mouth injury from falling while using a sippy.
  • Tooth decay and cavities.
  • Damage to developing permanent teeth.
  • Speech problems.
  • Improper development of the airway.
  • Increased need for orthodontia.
  • Change in facial appearance.
  • An unhealthy relationship with food, developing “comfort feeding” habits.
  • Child and adult obesity.

Our Mission at Performance Pediatrics

Performance Pediatrics strives to assure a positive, child-friendly, family-based center servicing Sussex, Morris, Warren, and Passaic counties in NJ. Our mission is to give each child that comes through Performance Pediatrics doors the best of our experience and attitude that will help maximize their function and independence in school and home. We work at giving the parents empathy, understanding, and the knowledge to help their kids, believe in their abilities, and achieve goals.

At Performance Pediatrics, we believe in treating the whole child to individually meet each child’s unique and special needs.  We strongly believe that ALL children have the ability to grow, learn, and develop and it is just a matter of tapping and discovering “how” they learn “best,” believing in them, and providing the “just right” guidance along the way.

Our goal is to provide the highest quality of therapy to children and their families, with new and current evidence-based research and clinical experience.  We strive to be on top of the latest programs available that will help children with and without special needs, as well as, to maintain the highest level of education and professionalism in our field.