Babies in the first months of life are often tormented by painful colic and regurgitation. As pediatricians explain, the reason for this is the ingestion of crumbs of air during sucking. This problem is especially acute for babies who are breast-fed, as standard containers do not protect the baby from involuntary ingress of air with food into the esophagus.
Bottles "Dr. Brown", developed and manufactured in the United States, are designed to correct the current state of things. And they successfully deal with it.
What is included in the set of bottles "Dr. Brown"
The described containers can be bought in all children's stores. They are available in two forms - glass or plastic. And each of them can have both a narrow and a wide neck. Volumes range from 60 ml (for the tiniest and premature babies) to 300 ml (for one-year-old babies). The grid also includes dishes for 120, 125, 205, 240 and 250 ml.
The bottles “Dr. Brown” from colic are disassembled into the following details:
- container for liquid;
- a ventilation tube inserted into it;
- a ventilation sleeve on which said tube is attached;
- a special valve that protects the neck of the bottle from leaking;
- clamp for nipples.
The kit also includes a lid that protects the nipple from contamination, and a brush for cleaning the ventilation system. By the way, it must be mentioned that it is patented by the manufacturers of these bottles.
Optional accessories
In their reviews, many mothers complain that it is impossible to mix the mixture in the described containers, since it is sprayed through the holes. But this flaw can be corrected, as for Dr. Brown bottles, photos of which you can see in the article, caps and lids are sold separately. They perfectly help to keep the contents from splashing, not only during mixing, but also during travel. They are also convenient for storing expressed milk in the refrigerator.
And in order to keep your bottle always clean, you can additionally purchase a set of thin brushes for washing the ventilation sleeve, duct, nipple and the bottle itself.
Now let's look at how the system patented by the manufacturer works.
Doctor Brown baby bottles: how the ventilation system works
During sucking in any bottle, the air pressure reaches negative values, which causes the nipple to stick together, as a vacuum forms in it. Because of this, the baby with difficulty, and even can not continue to suck. Usually, for this, mothers slightly release the nipple, allowing air to enter, which entails not only its expansion, but also the ingestion of tiny air bubbles.
The ventilation system, with which Dr. Brown bottles are equipped, allows him to immediately enter the tank. This does not allow the nipple to stick together, while feeding, the air remains above the liquid, which means it will not cause colic in the baby. His contact with the liquid in the bottle is generally minimized, which is especially important when feeding the baby with expressed milk from the breast, since when exposed to air, vitamins A, E and C are quickly destroyed in it.
Branded bottles suitable for babies with sucking problems
As the reviews of parents available on the Dr. Brown bottles confirm, they come to the aid even of children with a weak sucking reflex or pathologies of the oral cavity, facilitating the feeding process. Moms, however, note that the flow of fluid into the nipple is always uniform and depends only on the efforts of the baby. And this allows him to eat, not looking up, until he gets enough.
By the way, with these bottles you can use not only the special nipples included in the kit, but also standard ones.
Dr. Brown bottles also have flaws
But this whole wonderful system, according to the parents, still has some drawbacks. So, after each feeding, the ventilation sleeve and duct must be washed thoroughly, which is very difficult to do without special small brushes (which are also included in the kit). Moreover, the smaller your baby, the more thorough this washing should be, because a mixture dried up somewhere in narrow openings can cause serious consequences in a newborn.
In addition, mothers complain that the scale marked on the Dr. Brown bottles is not very legible and small, which makes it difficult to prepare prescription mixtures. To do this, you have to specifically look closely or put the bottle so that it is exactly at eye level.
Although this drawback is also explainable, since in the manufacture of this tableware, the manufacturer uses paint that is safe for children. And it just has the named drawback - it is erased from frequent boiling or sterilization. In America and Europe, mothers, as a rule, use from 6 to 12 containers for mixtures or water at the same time, which is why this problem is not so urgent for them.
But, of course, there are more pluses
As confirmed by the reviews available on Dr. Brown baby bottles, their important advantage is the quality of the silicone nipples. They are characterized by high strength (although, according to hygienic requirements, you need to change the nipples every three months) and softness.
In addition, the size and shape of the holes in the nipples is as close as possible to the natural ones found in the mother's breast. This is especially good if breast milk is not enough, which is why the baby has to be fed. In such cases, the child will not need to specially adapt to food from the bottle.
Which bottles are better - plastic or glass?
Since Dr. Brown bottles, reviews of which you can see in our article, can be either plastic or glass, mothers often ask themselves: “Which ones are better?” Let's compare.
The plastic for these bottles does not contain PVC, lead, phthalates and bisphenol A, which proves its safety in use for newborns. But even with the highest quality plastic, repeated heating and cooling causes a change in structure, which makes it porous. And this, as it turns out, leads to the threat of the development of pathogens.
In addition, as the mothers confirm, if the bottles are not made of glass, then from the heat treatment they get a dull shade, which makes them seem insufficiently washed. Glass in this respect is more resistant, in addition, the inscriptions on such a bottle are “cast” and not painted, and therefore do not disappear with time.
But plastic is much lighter in weight, and it is, of course, easier for a kid to hold such a capacity. In addition, the glass breaks - and this, you see, is very dangerous (though, special protective covers are sold for glassware of this company).
Of course, only the baby's mother will make the choice, but plastic containers still deserve much more positive reviews than glass ones.
Now to summarize
So, if the child is on artificial feeding, then the Dr. Brown bottles described in the article will help you avoid the problems that are inevitable when using containers from other manufacturers.
A balanced droplet fluid supply will allow the baby to suck in its rhythm, not afraid to choke, as soon as he decides to take a break. A well-thought-out ventilation system will save the mixture from getting air bubbles in it, and your baby - from colic and profuse regurgitation. All these advantages make these bottles indispensable for mixed and artificial feeding.
The main thing to remember is that this dishware requires careful care. To prolong the service life and convenience, experienced mothers are advised to have several bottles in use. For example, up to six months - 3 pieces of 60 ml and one per 120 ml, and for older children - 3-4 pieces of 120 ml and one per 60 ml.