Paced Bottle Feeding
At what age do we start obesity prevention interventions? Two? Five? Ten? Wrong! The correct answer is right after birth. In my concentration rotation at the Breastfeeding Resource Center, I often find myself explaining paced bottle feeding to new parents. What is that you ask? It’s a method of feeding the baby that allows them to regulate their own intake, as they would at the breast.
Research shows us that breastfeeding is correlated with lower rates of obesity. This is probably because babies fed at the breast take natural pauses that allow them to regulate intake, whereas babies that are fed from a bottle, whether it contains expressed breast milk or formula, don’t have this opportunity to regulate intake. This lack of self-regulation can lead to obesity later in life.
So how can we prevent overfeeding in the infant? The answer in simple - paced bottle feeding. Below is a list of tips that dietitians can discuss with new parents to help them help their baby regulate his or her intake, thus preventing obesity later in life.
Tip #1 – Feed the baby whenever he or she is hungry! Don’t set a schedule for feeding. Often times babies will fall into their own pattern of eating, but they’ll also go through growth spurts when they may want to eat more often. Your baby knows exactly how much nourishment he needs, so don’t deny him the opportunity to eat. These frequent feeds will not contribute to obesity later in life. You don’t want to force feedings on your baby, either. So keep it simple – offer food any time your baby is showing hunger cues, and stop feeding when he shows satiety cues.
Tip #2 – Help your baby regulate his or her intake. Position the baby as upright as possible, and hold the bottle at a horizontal angle. This positioning will help prevent the baby from guzzling the bottle and taking more than he or she actually needs. Take breaks every few swallows to allow your infant to show you when her or she is full, and stop the feeding when he does. It may help to start with a only small amount of breast milk or formula in the bottle. You can always add more, but don’t pressure the baby to finish what’s left in the bottle if he shows that he is full. Let him regulate his intake.
Tip #3 – Hold your baby often. Babies like to be held, and they’re very smart. If your baby is only held when he is being fed, he might start to elicit more feedings than necessary, just so someone will pick him up. Baby-weaning is a great way to keep your hands free and your baby close. Who would have thought that lots of snuggle time could help prevent obesity?
References:
At what age do we start obesity prevention interventions? Two? Five? Ten? Wrong! The correct answer is right after birth. In my concentration rotation at the Breastfeeding Resource Center, I often find myself explaining paced bottle feeding to new parents. What is that you ask? It’s a method of feeding the baby that allows them to regulate their own intake, as they would at the breast.
Research shows us that breastfeeding is correlated with lower rates of obesity. This is probably because babies fed at the breast take natural pauses that allow them to regulate intake, whereas babies that are fed from a bottle, whether it contains expressed breast milk or formula, don’t have this opportunity to regulate intake. This lack of self-regulation can lead to obesity later in life.
So how can we prevent overfeeding in the infant? The answer in simple - paced bottle feeding. Below is a list of tips that dietitians can discuss with new parents to help them help their baby regulate his or her intake, thus preventing obesity later in life.
Tip #1 – Feed the baby whenever he or she is hungry! Don’t set a schedule for feeding. Often times babies will fall into their own pattern of eating, but they’ll also go through growth spurts when they may want to eat more often. Your baby knows exactly how much nourishment he needs, so don’t deny him the opportunity to eat. These frequent feeds will not contribute to obesity later in life. You don’t want to force feedings on your baby, either. So keep it simple – offer food any time your baby is showing hunger cues, and stop feeding when he shows satiety cues.
Tip #2 – Help your baby regulate his or her intake. Position the baby as upright as possible, and hold the bottle at a horizontal angle. This positioning will help prevent the baby from guzzling the bottle and taking more than he or she actually needs. Take breaks every few swallows to allow your infant to show you when her or she is full, and stop the feeding when he does. It may help to start with a only small amount of breast milk or formula in the bottle. You can always add more, but don’t pressure the baby to finish what’s left in the bottle if he shows that he is full. Let him regulate his intake.
Tip #3 – Hold your baby often. Babies like to be held, and they’re very smart. If your baby is only held when he is being fed, he might start to elicit more feedings than necessary, just so someone will pick him up. Baby-weaning is a great way to keep your hands free and your baby close. Who would have thought that lots of snuggle time could help prevent obesity?
References:
- Arenz S, Rückerl R, Koletzko B, von Kries R. Breast-feeding and childhood obesity-a systematic review. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 2004; 28(10):1247-56.
- Li R, Fein SB, Grummer-Strawn LM. Do Infants Fed From Bottles Lack Self-regulation of Milk Intake Compared With Directly Breastfed Infants? Pediatrics. 2010;125(6).
