Bottles at 24 months

Just read an interesting article about bottle feeding toddlers. Here is the bottom line:


Bottle use at 24 months predicted body-mass index 95th percentile at age 5.5 years.

Since I am preparing to be a father, these type of articles are starting to catch my attention. I'm sure all the parents out there already know this stuff and it may seem common sense, but I'm still posting it because I find it interesting. Here are a few other tidbits from the article:

-children who are bottle users at 24 months have a 1.3 times higher risk of being obese than non bottle users of the same age(confidence interval 95%)
-No significant difference found in risk for obesity in daytime and bedtime users
-early experience with a cup at 6 months will make it easier to wean off bottle or nursing
-parents should be encouraged use other soothing methods for bedtime other than nursing or drinking from bottle
-parents should be advised to stop using a bottle after 12 months, especially if there are concerns for child to be overweight.

citation: Gooze RA et al. Prolonged bottle use and obesity at 5.5 years of age in US Children. J Pediatr 2011 Sep; 159:431.