How the right baby bottle can help reduce colic

The backstory on colic

Before we get into the world of baby bottles, let’s put the spotlight on colic for a moment. Here’s what we know: Colic is a temporary phase of inconsolable crying in healthy babies that tends to happen from 2 weeks to around 3-4 months of age. And here’s the clincher: it’s actually normal.

Anti-colic bottle feeding

So why does the correct baby bottle is one of the colic remedies? Well, even though inconsolable crying is a well-known phase of a baby’s early development, the cause of it can vary from baby to baby. One of the things that can aggravate colic is an immature digestive system (everything is so new!), and air in the tummy. This is particularly important to keep in mind if you’re bottle feeding because bottle-fed babies can experience colic a little earlier than breastfed babies. The reason? Excess air can accidentally sneak in as your baby suckles on the nipple, causing discomfort.

Baby colic remedies

So which baby colic remedies can you help your little one if you suspect they’re inhaling extra air while bottle feeding?

While you can’t change the way a baby naturally drinks from a bottle, you can improve the way a baby bottle is designed. So we built a unique valve into the Avent anti-colic nipples that flexes as your baby feeds to prevent vacuum build up, and vents air towards the back of the bottle. It keeps air in the bottle and away from baby’s tummy to help reduce gas, spit-up and burping.

Research about anti-colic design baby bottles

Research shows that this anti-colic design can really make a difference to your baby’s comfort during and after feeds. An observational study of 145 healthy, full- term babies studied at 2 and 6 weeks of age by the Childhood Nutrition Research Centre in London found that babies at 2 weeks of age who were fed with a Philips Avent anti-colic baby bottle experienced less colic than those who were fed with a conventional bottle.

Advantage anti-colic baby bottles

What’s more, at 2 weeks of age, babies who were fed with the Philips Avent anti-colic baby bottle also spent significantly less time fussing, especially at night, as compared to those who were fed with a regular bottle design.

Reduce symptoms of baby colic

So although you might not be able to get rid of colic completely (it’s a normal and temporary phase), you can help reduce symptoms by using a baby bottle that is especially designed to reduce colic. Here’s to fewer hiccups at mealtime.