Giving breast milk, formula milk, or plain water to babies using a bottle is actually okay. However, you need to know that this habit can be dangerous for the baby, you know. Come on, identify what the dangers are and how to safely give baby food using a bottle.
Milk bottles are widely used because they are more practical, can be used to provide breast milk (breast milk) to babies even if the mother is at work or cannot breastfeed directly, and can measure breastfeeding or formula milk. Even so, the use of milk bottles is considered to be dangerous for babies, if not done carefully.
Various Dangers of Giving Baby Food Using a Milk Bottle
Here are some of the dangers that may occur to babies as a result of consuming their food through a bottle:
Overeating
Instinctively, babies who feed directly at the breast are better able to gauge their hunger and satiety. Babies who feed directly at the breast will usually stop suckling when they feel full. However, the case is different if the baby is breastfeeding with a bottle.
Breastfeeding via a bottle can make your little one insensitive to feelings of fullness and hunger, especially if you often force him to finish the milk in the bottle. This habit can make babies overeat and trigger obesity in babies.
rotten teeth
Babies who already have teeth and have a habit of drinking milk or sugary drinks with a bottle of milk until they fall asleep are at risk of tooth decay. The reason is the remaining milk or sweet drinks on the teeth and mouth that can trigger the growth of bacteria. These bacteria will then cause tooth decay and decay.
Maybe you think that rotten baby milk teeth will also fall out and be replaced by adult teeth. Eits, make no mistake, bud. Disorders of the teeth of infants and children, even if only milk teeth, can cause eating disorders and speech disorders, you know. So, it will indirectly affect the growth and development of children.
Choking and ear infections
Giving milk using a bottle until the baby falls asleep is also dangerous you know, Mother. Besides being able to make him choke, this habit can also cause breast milk or formula to flow into the eustachian tube which is the channel that connects the ear, nose, and throat. This can increase the baby's risk of developing ear infections.
Safe Tips for Giving Baby Food Using a Milk Bottle
If you still want to use a bottle to give breast milk, formula, or other drinks to your little one, there are a few things you need to pay attention to:
- Make sure the bottle to be used has been washed clean.
- If you want to give expressed breast milk, make sure the mother warms the milk first by soaking the bottle filled with breast milk in a container filled with warm water.
- Make sure the position when giving breast milk or formula using a milk bottle is the same as breastfeeding through the breast, namely holding your little one with his head and shoulders resting on the curve of your mother's arm.
- If your little one is less than 6 months old, don't give him water or other sweet drinks, because it can interfere with your little one's growth and cause indigestion. Remember, until the age of 6 months, the baby's main food is breast milk.
- Watch for signs that the baby is full, to prevent excessive breastfeeding or formula feeding.
- After giving your little one breast milk or formula with a milk bottle, don't forget to clean his tongue and mouth so that no milk residue is still attached.
- Don't let the milk bottle stay in your little one's mouth when he looks sleepy.
In addition, mothers also need to know how to choose safe milk bottles for babies, how to clean and sterilize milk bottles properly, and how to store milk bottles to avoid contamination with viruses or bacteria that cause infection.
By doing the methods above, you can avoid the various dangers of feeding your baby using a milk bottle, so that the bottle is still safe to use if you can't breastfeed directly. If you are worried that your little one has health problems due to the use of a milk bottle, don't hesitate to check with the doctor, okay?
