Possible bottle-feeding problems - birth to 1 year
Overfeeding
© DK
Fat cells are produced by an infant in response to the amount of fat that is taken in with the food. Once produced these cells can't be removed, so if your baby develops an excessively large number they will still be present when he's an adult and can lead to health problems.
If you overfeed your baby he will become fat; unfortunately, it is easier to overfeed a bottle-fed baby. There are two major reasons for this: first, it is tempting to put extra formula into the bottle. You should always follow the instructions to the letter (see Making up a powder formula), otherwise you'll be giving the baby unseen (and unnecessary) calories. Second, because you can see the amount of formula he's taking it may be hard to resist encouraging him to finish the last drop. You should always let your baby decide whether he's had enough or not. Other causes of over-feeding include giving sweet, syrupy drinks and introducing solids to your baby too early.
Underfeeding
This is rare in bottle-fed babies, but it can happen. Your baby should be fed on demand and not according to the clock. Although most babies will be ready for a feed every four hours by the time that they are two to three months old, their individual appetites may vary from day to day. Say, for example, your baby's at the age when he can take five 180ml (6floz) bottles a day, but at one feed he only takes 115ml (4floz) out of the bottle. If you insist on feeding to a schedule, don't give any extra milk in these scheduled bottles and don't allow any of the interim feeds that your baby will be crying for, he won't be able to catch up with the total volume of milk that he needs, and won't gain weight.
You should also be flexible about how much feed you make up. The figures on the packages are given as a general estimate but, for example, if your child consistently drains each bottle you give and also seems fretful and upset, he may well be hungry. Make up an extra 60ml (2floz) of formula and see if he wants it. If he takes it then he needs it and he won't put on extra weight.
If you find that your baby is demanding frequent feeds but doesn't take much and remains fretful, check that the teat hole isn't too small. It may well be that he's having a hard time actually sucking the milk out of the bottles and is therefore not getting enough nourishment.
Winding
The point of winding is to bring up any wind that has been swallowed during feeding or crying prior to feeding. The reason for bringing up wind is to prevent it from causing your baby discomfort. Babies vary a great deal in their reaction to wind, and in my experience the majority of them aren't noticeably happier or more contented for having been burped.
Babies also vary a great deal in the amount of air that they swallow during feeding. Some, including all breast-fed babies, swallow very little. Swallowing air is much more common in bottle-fed babies but even then it doesn't seem to be a problem. If very small quantities of air are swallowed during feeding they form small bubbles in the stomach that cannot be burped up until they have coalesced into a large bubble, and this can take a great deal of time. Small bubbles in the stomach are very unlikely to give rise to discomfort. The one point in favour of winding is that it makes you pause, relax, take things slowly, hold your baby gently and stroke or pat him in a reassuring way. This is very good for your baby and very good for you, too.
My attitude towards winding, therefore, is that by all means do it, even if it is just for your peace of mind, but don't become fanatical about it. And don't pat or rub your baby too hard while you're winding as you may jerk your baby as this may make him bring up some of the feed. A gentle upward stroking movement is usually preferable to firm pats.
Some experts advise that you stop the feeding halfway through to wind your baby. I don't think there is any need to do that. Wait until your baby pauses naturally in the feed and take advantage of this little rest to try winding. As your baby gets older you will probably find that he finishes his whole bottle quite comfortably without needing to burp.
Possetting
Some babies never posset at all. Others do so with surprising ease, and this can be a cause of concern to parents. My youngest son had a tendency to posset, and I worried in case he wasn't getting enough to eat. I simply followed my own instinct, which was to offer him more food. If he didn't take it, I assumed that he had possetted an excess that he didn't need. In very young babies, the commonest cause of possetting is overfeeding. This is another reason why you should never insist that your bottle-fed baby finishes his feed.
If your bottle-fed baby shows a tendency to posset, check the hole in the teat. If it is too large he may be taking too much, too quickly. If it is too small he may be sucking in a lot of air because he has to suck very hard.
Forcible (projectile) vomiting, especially if it happens after consecutive feeds or goes on for more than a day, should be reported immediately to your doctor. Vomiting in a very small baby can quickly lead to dehydration, and you need to get medical advice as soon as possible.
New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard
Posted 30.06.2010
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