Baby bottle

A decorated, transparent plastic feeding bottle with blue cap and silicone teat, anti-leakage plate and screw mounting from 2007

A baby bottle, nursing bottle, or feeding bottle is a bottle with a teat (also called a nipple in the US) attached to it, which creates the ability to drink via suckling. It is typically used by infants and young children, or if someone cannot (without difficulty) drink from a cup, for feeding oneself or being fed. It can also be used to feed non-human mammals.

Hard plastic is the most common material used, being transparent, light-weight, and resistant to breakage. Glass bottles have been recommended as being easier to clean, less likely to retain formula residues,[1] and relatively chemically inert.[2] Hybrid bottles using plastic on the outside and glass inside have also been developed.[3] Other materials used for baby bottles include food-grade stainless steel and silicone rubber.[4][5][6]

Baby bottles can be used to feed expressed breast milk, infant formula,[7] or pediatric electrolyte solution. A 2020 review reports that healthy term infants, when breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, "use similar tongue and jaw movements, can create suction and sequentially use teat compression to obtain milk, with minimal differences in oxygen saturation and SSB patterns" (suck–swallow–breath patterns).[8] Sick or pre-term babies may not be able to breastfeed or take a bottle effectively and may need specialized care.[9][7]

The design characteristics of the bottle and teat have been found to affect infant feeding and milk intake. Interactions between the infant and the caregiver feeding them affect the infant's milk intake during feeding. Whether the caregiver or the infant controls the feeding appears to affect the infant's ability to learn to self-regulate their milk intake.[8]

Proper cleaning and sterilization of bottles are recommended to avoid bacterial contamination and illness, particularly in areas where water quality and sanitary conditions are not good.

  1. ^ Chen, YL; Kuan, WH (December 2014). "Is a Plastic or Glass Feeding Bottle Easier to Be Cleaned?". Iranian Journal of Public Health. 43 (12): 1716–7. PMC 4499096. PMID 26171367.
  2. ^ Everts, Sarah (August 31, 2009). "Chemicals Leach From Packaging Food and drugs just can't leave their wrappings behind". Chemical & Engineering News. 87 (35). doi:10.1021/cen-v087n035.p011. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Glass vs. Plastic Baby Bottles". WebMD. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  4. ^ Risk Assessment Studies Report No. 47 Safety Issues of Baby Bottles and Children's Tableware (PDF). Centre for Food Safety, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. January 2012. pp. 43–51. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Non-toxic Baby Bottles:: Plastic, Glass, Stainless Steel, or Silicone?". Gimme the Good Stuff. 8 February 2018. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  6. ^ "The Best Plastic-Free Bottles For Babies". www.thetot.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b More, Judy (2021). "Chapter 11: Preterm Infants". Infant, child and adolescent nutrition : a practical handbook (Second ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press. pp. 147–161. ISBN 9781000369748. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  8. ^ a b Kotowski, Judith; Fowler, Cathrine; Hourigan, Christina; Orr, Fiona (April 2020). "Bottle-feeding an infant feeding modality: An integrative literature review". Maternal & Child Nutrition. 16 (2): e12939. doi:10.1111/mcn.12939. PMC 7083444. PMID 31908144.
  9. ^ "Nutrition and Fluids for Your Baby in the NICU". The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 23 August 2014. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.