Does your child love the feeding bottle and would use it more as a comfort than any other toy? Do you want them to get rid of this habit? Well, this article is for you. It can be harmful if your kid is still bottle feeding above the age of one year.
Yes, most kids prefer it and it is an easy way of catching up on your child’s nourishment. But doing this often may cause some long-term problems that we are unaware of. This doctor explains why you shouldn’t.
What Happens If They Bottle Feed After They’re Over One Year:
Dr Nihar Parekh very sternly explains, that your child drinks milk not because of the milk itself, but the bottle. If you try and give them milk in a sippy cup or anything else, they’ll instantly make a fuss. He explains breastfeeding is completely fine even if your child is over 2 years of age. But not the bottle.
If you bottle-feed over 1 year of age, here are 3 major concerns:
Infection:
The chances of infection are 10 times more. And yes, no matter how well you sterilise it or how many times you wash it… this number remains the same. There are chances of tummy bugs, throat infections, ear infections, chest infections, recurring cough, persistent cough… yes a lot.
Excessive Milk Consumption:
How many of us have given a child a bottle of milk, when they didn’t want to eat food? Milk is really good, especially for a growing child. But everything has a certain limit. They might even consume the milk, not for the milk, but because of the bottle.
Dental Problems:
It might cause a lot of dental problems, especially the front two teeth. They may start to decay, cavities, mal-positions, alignment issues… This is a seed cause of dental issues.
How To Stop This Habit?
This is what Dr. Nihar suggests- Get rid of the bottle. This is not going to be easy. Your kid will throw tantrums and milk consumption will be at an all-time low. So, substitute it in your diet with various dairy products. Start giving them milk in hard spout sippy cups, where they have to sit straight and drink milk. In this way, you will be avoiding all the above-mentioned risks and your child will be healthier.
Share this with any other parent who is struggling with this or any of your friends who still bottle-feed their kid. They need to read this.
KSP Team
Vaishnavi Venkatraman
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