Larger bottles may start infant weight issues

Feeding babies form a larger bottle may put them at higher risk for greater-than-normal weight gain and weight-for-length size, according to a study published in Pediatrics. In the study, 298 babies were assessed and it was found that bottle size in early infancy was an important factor when measuring for unhealthy weight gain and obesity risk at 6 months of age.

The infants were fed exclusively from bottles containing formula, and almost half of parents used a ‘large’ bottle which is defined as one that holds 6 ounces (approximately 170ml) or more of formula. The study found that infants fed from the ‘large’ bottles gained about 7 ounces more and had larger weigh-for-length size at the 6-month mark.

Dr Charles Wood, co-author of the study and a paediatrician, hypothesised that “potentially, they (the infants) were being overfed”. The study concluded that reducing bottle size may be one way that early onset obesity could be reduced.