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Continuity Clinic Notebook:

Chapter 1: The Prenatal and Well Child Visit


Chapter 1 Index

A. General Information about the well child examination

B. Nutrition Issues
--Breastfeeding – Advantages and Disadvantages

--Breastfeeding: Resources and Frequently Asked Questions
--Formulas – Which Gets Used When?

 

Nipples, Bottles, Feeding
Drs. Leggio, Pullin, Moore, Bartley, Lee

Introduction: There are many new and different methods of feeding babies available to parents today; parents will expect the pediatrician to know all about these.

Nipples: Nipples can be made from rubber (disposable after one use), plastic and silicone.  Silicone nipples can be used with disposable and reusable bottles. The nipple holes are staged: stage 1, stage 2, stage 3: dependent on the size of the nipple hole (3=big).  Nipple holes can be pinpoint or have more than one hole per nipple. The shape of nipples is quite variable; Nuk nipples “reduce swallowed air”.

Special nipples exist for certain circumstances: e.g. cleft palate: nipples are softer on one side, harder on the other: allows easier compression to get proper negative pressure. These nipples are wider than the normal nipples. Caution: make sure that milk can flow from the nipple before offering it to the baby.

Bottles: There are also many different types of bottles available.  Always need to sterilize bottle before the initial use but not after that:

Standard bottles: Brands include Playtex, Healthtex, Evenflo, Advent, Gerber J and J. Bottles can be firm or soft, angled or not, with or without handles; inserts are popular because they require no clean-up and air entering nipple is less.

Recent Examples of Other types of Bottles:

  1. Avent: has up to 4 holes, some say better for colic; available with disposable bottle bags.(Stage 1: 2 holes; Stage 2: 3 holes; Stage 3: 4 holes)  Can also fit directly into the breast pump where bags can be put in freezer.
  2. Dr. Brown’s “Natural flow feeding system”: a “patented internal vent which reduces air bubbles and helps to prevent fluid in your baby’s ears”
  3. Medibottle: “the pediatric medication delivery system”
  4. Adiri: breastbottle nurser: breast like shape: “a bottle like breastfeeding alternative for feeding breastmilk, formula or juice.”
  5. The Pacifeeder: “feed while on the go: designed for car seats, strollers, carriers”
  6. Waterford Crystal bottle: $95.00 

Accessories to bottles:

  1. The Bottle Bundle: “a soft cuddly U shaped pillow with a fabric covered elastic bottle holder: secures your baby’s bottle at the correct angle”
  2. The Bottle Bunny: “feeding times are meant for bonding so hold your baby, not the bottle: holds bottle in a number of positions.

Cleft palate: different varieties of bottles - most soft and can be squeezed as child sucks

  1. Haberman feeder: adjustable slit valve in nipple to control flow; has a reservoir
  2. Mead Johnson: soft squeezable bottle
  3. Pigeon nurser: nipple firm on one side to provide support; also flow regulator
  4. Keys in feeding: burp often, feed upright, cheek support, may need to spoon feed

Auctions of baby bottles: http://auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/

Updated 8/2001

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Department of Pediatrics  |  Medical College of Georgia
Please email comments, suggestions or questions to:
John T.  Benjamin M.D., 
jbenj@mcg.edu

February 27, 2004