At a certain age, children should quit using baby bottles. This not only helps them establish the right direction in life, but also confirms that they are gradually growing up and no longer need the comfort of a bottle. At this point, adults need to be patient and attentive in helping children, so the question is, at what age should the child give up bottle feeding
At what age should children quit using baby bottles
Usually, it is necessary to quit before the age of two. It is natural for babies to hold a bottle before the age of 2. If a baby still holds onto their mother's bottle after the age of 2-3, it may be due to psychological problems. You can use a cup to hold his favorite drinks and juice, gradually inducing him to develop the habit of making cups.
Whenever a child takes the initiative to make a cup, immediately encourage them by kissing and hugging them, and even praise them in front of others, making them feel that using the cup is a sign of competence.
The harm of children not quitting bottle feeding in a timely manner
1. Bottle caries: This is the most common problem that occurs when using a bottle for a long time. Unlike breastfeeding or drinking from a cup, drinking from a bottle can keep the baby's teeth immersed in high sugar liquids such as milk, which can easily cause dental caries.
If a child keeps sleeping or breastfeeding with a bottle, or simply drinks milk from a bottle for a long time as a comfort, the risk will be even higher.
2. Obesity: Long term bottle feeding of formula milk can actually lead to imbalanced nutrient intake and high calorie intake. Meanwhile, babies who are accustomed to using bottles often drink milk for longer periods of time and in larger quantities, which also allows them to obtain excessive calories beyond their own needs.
3. Otitis media: It is important to note that the baby should always be lying down and drinking milk from a bottle. But one of the important differences between bottle feeding and mother feeding is that it increases the risk of the baby developing otitis media. In addition to causing dental caries, milk may also flow into the ear canal along the Eustachian tube, leading to otitis media.
4. Tooth deformities: Frequent sucking movements may cause problems with baby teeth deformities. Many parents tend to overly worry about the impact of pacifiers, but forget about the same bottle factor.
At what age should a child quit using baby bottles, as mentioned earlier. If a child still holds a bottle at a certain age, they will definitely be ridiculed by peers, leading to feelings of inferiority and reluctance to interact with others. So, if a child has resistance at the beginning, parents should not indulge them and should pay attention to the methods and decisively quit.
