There are a few things you need to consider before purchasing a baby bottle, such as the materials used to make the bottle as well as the nipple shape and size. Less important decisions such as style and color may also need to be considered. Either way, deciding on the best bottle for your baby is more than a matter of mere preference.
A few decades ago, there wasn’t much of a variety in baby bottles, and thus the decision was hardly worth blinking at. Now there are a large range of bottles made of different materials and some designed with specific purposes.
Glass Bottles or Plastic Bottles?
Although plastic bottles are not as delicate and breakable as those made of glass, they do tend to deteriorate and need to be replaced regularly. Aside from this, plastic bottles made of polycarbonate have been found to leech a certain chemical (bisphenol-A or BPA) into the milk when heated to a certain temperature.
Even though baby bottle manufacturers claim that babies have been fed from these bottles for decades without any obvious evidence of harm, many parents opt for the “better safe than sorry” belief and have opted for glass bottles instead. Others have begun to make use of disposable nursers with disposable liners that do not contain the harmful chemical. Some parents may still stick to plastic bottles, but they make it a point to purchase only BPA-free plastics.
For those of you who have no issues using a polycarbonate bottle for your baby, try to minimize the risks of chemical leakage. Follow these simple guidelines to do so.
- Never store breast milk or baby formula in these plastic bottles.
- Dispose of any leftovers in the bottle after each feeding.
- Don’t overheat the bottles when warming breast milk or baby formula.
- Replace the bottles when they begin to appear cloudy or scratched.
- Avoid microwaving as a form of warming (this destroys the nutrients found in breast milk or baby formula anyway).
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