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I plan to bottle feed my baby, can you give me some tips on bottle-feeding?

Last Updated: April 05, 2007

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One of the most important parts of feeding is the warmth and pleasure your baby feels while being held and fed. Don't prop the bottle in your baby's mouth and leave him alone. Propping a bottle in a baby's mouth can cause serious health problems later on like ear infections or tooth decay. Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle. There is a small opening or tube between your baby's throat and her ear. If your baby is lying down and sucking on his bottle, a small amount of formula may travel from the throat to the ear and cause an ear infection. The formula that stays in his mouth when he falls asleep with a bottle can cause tooth decay. Keep extra containers of formula or breast milk cold. Bacteria grow rapidly in infant
formula or breast milk that is not refrigerated. When you go out, take a bottle of formula or breast milk with you. Keep the bottle cold until your baby drinks it. Pack the bottle in an insulated cooler with some ice.

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