Baby bottle

Baby bottle is a bottle with a teat (also called a nipple in the US) to drink directly from. 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.

Design

Baby bottles are typically made of glass or plastic. The bottle itself contains the milk or other liquid, which is sucked out through the nipple. The nipple is usually topped by a ring to fasten the nipple to the neck of the bottle. The nipple itself is generally designed to be slimmer than the base of the bottle. The top of the bottle is often threaded, allowing a cap to be screwed on, which prevents spillage, and also secures the teat or nipple in place.

Usage

Baby bottles are often used to feed infants formula or expressed breast milk. They can also be used to feed infants water or diluted fruit juice, although this is not recommended for babies under six months old. The use of baby bottles allows for the caregiver to see how much the baby has consumed and is especially useful for measuring the amount of milk to give to the baby.

Health concerns

There are some health concerns associated with the use of baby bottles. Prolonged use of bottles can lead to tooth decay, particularly if the baby is allowed to use the bottle as a pacifier. There is also a risk of injury if a baby is allowed to walk around with a bottle, particularly a glass bottle, which can break and cause injury.

Alternatives

Alternatives to baby bottles include breastfeeding, cup feeding, and spoon feeding. In particular, the World Health Organization recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and then be given complementary foods along with continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.

See also

• Breastfeeding
• Infant formula
• Cup feeding
• Spoon feeding

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