Amother brings a 15-month-old child to the well-baby clinic. she states the child has been taking approximately 18 to 20 oz (540 to 600 ml) of whole milk per day from a bottle with meals and at bedtime. the nurse should suggest that she begin weaning the child from the bottle to avoid risking:

A 15-month-old child, equivalent to a child of 1 year and 3 months of age, should have began weaning from bottle feeding from 6 months of age. Tooth decay or dental caries are commonly associated with prolonged bottle feeding as the sugars and other substances in milk; when drank from a teat from a bottle; prolongs the exposure of teeth to the milk, leading to overgrowth of bacteria causing dental caries.