How old is the baby to stop feeding the bottle? What are the harms of not stopping feeding the bottle?

There are many things that new mothers need to learn. Many mothers think that as long as their children are willing to use the bottle, they will use it, whether for drinking water or milk, for fear that other children will not be willing to use it. In fact, bottles need to be stopped at the appropriate age for children, otherwise it will affect the child's physical health and development.

How old is it to stop feeding your baby with a bottle?

How old is the best age for babies to stop using bottles? Babies over 2 years old or even 3 years old are still drinking water from bottles. Some children in kindergarten are still drinking milk and water from bottles. Early childhood education experts tell you that this not only has a negative impact, but also hinders the growth of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies should gradually stop using bottles when they are 1 year old and stop using bottles before 15 months. This has made a lot of parents anxious, especially parents of babies who have just learned to drink milk from bottles after they were 1 year old.

The impact of not letting your baby wean off the bottle

1. Long-term use of baby bottles leads to tooth decay

Frequent use of baby bottles over a long period of time can cause tooth decay. When the sugar in milk, juice and other drinks reacts with the bacteria in the mouth, it is easy to form acid that corrodes the teeth.

2. Hindering the development of lip function

The change of a child from sucking milk from a bottle to sipping milk from a cup indicates that the child has developed from relying on the oral pump to drinking milk from the lips, which greatly promotes the child's oral function, especially the ability of the lips. Otherwise, it will hinder the development of this process.

3. Affect the baby's independence

The biggest benefit of letting your child give up the bottle and use a cup to drink milk is that it marks the transformation of the child from a baby to a child, no longer a little baby who holds a bottle in his mouth and lies in his mother's arms to drink milk. This signal gives the baby great encouragement, and he will be more eager for further independence.

4. The benefits of letting your baby use a drinking cup as early as possible

Maybe you think drinking water is such a simple thing, so what can you do? Adults drink water simply to quench their thirst, but drinking water for babies is more important for exercise! When babies drink water from a cup, they can train their small hand muscles, develop their hand-eye coordination, and exercise the coordinated development of limbs, eyes, hands, and brain. Using a baby water cup can play a key role in the baby's physical development and cognitive ability. This is very important for the baby's growth and development!

How to wean yourself off the bottle

1. Let your baby practice drinking water from a training cup, but be prepared for his mouth to leak and spill water. In fact, this will also make him feel fun. After a few weeks, your baby should learn how to drink. Then, before you know it, he will be willing to drink everything he can from a cup.

2. Don’t wait until the baby is two years old to start weaning from the bottle. It is relatively easy to wean the baby from the bottle between 12 and 18 months old.

3. Don’t let your baby drink from the bottle while walking. Doing so will not only dirty the floor, but also be harmful to their teeth, and it will be difficult to break this bad habit.

If your baby starts to drink milk powder at the age of one, you can use an open cup with scales to prepare the milk powder, and it is not necessary to use a bottle. Of course, if the baby must use a bottle to accept milk powder, you can satisfy the baby, and after accepting milk powder, you can gradually change this habit, or switch to a bottle that uses a straw to drink.

How to Care for Your Baby's Teeth

1. Each feeding time is limited to about 15 minutes. Because the longer the feeding time, the longer the baby's teeth will be corroded. In addition, when the baby is older and can drink milk from the bottle by himself, do not let the child develop the habit of holding the bottle while drinking, as this will easily extend the feeding time.

2. Many babies have the habit of drinking milk before going to bed. It is very likely that the baby will fall asleep while drinking with the bottle in his mouth. In this case, the teeth will be soaked in milk for a long time, and bacteria will multiply rapidly. Therefore, try not to let the baby sleep with the bottle in his mouth.

3. After the baby finishes drinking milk, let the baby drink some boiled water to rinse his mouth. Before going to bed, brush the baby's teeth with a small soft toothbrush. The newly grown deciduous teeth can be cleaned with sterilized gauze dipped in clean water.

4. After the baby's deciduous teeth grow, he or she should go to the dental department for regular check-ups so that problems can be detected early and treated immediately.