What Kind of Bottle Nipples Do Hospitals Give?

Pediatricians recommend breastfeeding your baby for the first year, but sometimes that isn't an option for moms. Hospitals use a variety of bottle nipples to provide mother's milk or formula to infants. The medical staff selects the nipple that best fits the child's likes, health and physical conditions. Caregivers in the hospital change nipples when baby isn't getting enough milk or has physical problems that make feeding from one type of nipple easier than other nipple types.

  1. Bottle Nipple Materials

    • Manufacturers make baby bottle nipples using different kinds of materials. A newborn typically selects a favorite based on the texture and milk flow created by the nipple, and his tastes can change over his time in the hospital. Nipple choices include silicone, latex and rubber. Newborns develop a preference for different materials, but some babies have allergies to some materials such as rubber or latex that force hospital staff to select other types.

    Different Shapes

    • Hospitals match the shape of the nipple used with baby's mouth size and his ability to suck from the nipple. Manufacturers make four main types of nipples, including regular and small, according to registered dietitian Roberta Duyff writing for the Kids Eat Right website. Regular nipples are available in fast, medium and slow flow with different sizes and holes to regulate milk, according to Duyff. Studies done by medical researchers C.E. Scheel, Richard J. Scahanler and Chantal Lau reported in 2005 in the journal "Acta Paediatrica" show that newborns, including low-birth weight babies, typically adapt to different nipple styles and designs. The researchers determined that infants regulate the flow of the milk by learning to coordinate the suck-swallow-breath pattern need to pull the milk from the bottle.

    Special Conditions

    • Babies born with health conditions use bottle nipples in the hospital designed specifically for the special needs. Registered dietitian Roberta Duyff notes that babies born with orthodontic problems and cleft-palate, a deformity of the mouth palate, use nipples during hospital stays designed specifically for the condition. Both conditions cause problems for the infant in regulating the milk flow due to difficulties in either sucking, swallowing or coordinating the breathing pattern. Orthodontic nipples, for example, have a bulb shape that sits on the newborn's tongue to help in feeding.

    Nipple Care

    • The Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital recommends hospital staff and parents take specific steps to keep the bottle nipples safe for use. Throw away the nipple when the color changes after frequent cleanings or when the material begin to fall apart or disintegrate from cleaning and use. An old nipple risks choking baby when pieces of the nipple break off during feeding. The opening in the nipple also changes with use, and an enlarged opening allows too much milk into baby's mouth, while pinched openings restrict the flow and baby might not receive enough milk.

    2. Previous:No

    Next:

    • How to Change Infant Formulas
      There may be times during your newborns development when you feel you need to change formulas. Your baby may be colicky, throwing up frequently, experiencing diarrhea or may not be gaining weight. Most doctors agree breast milk is best for growing ch
    • How Much Should Newborns & Infants Be Eating?
      During the first few days of life, your little one probably isnt eating much at all. Breastfed newborns may consume small amounts of colostrum, the nutrient-dense initial milk, during the first days after birth. As your little ones appetite picks up
    • Why was baby formula invented?
      Baby formula wasnt invented with the sole purpose of replacing breastfeeding. The invention of baby formula was driven by several factors:* The need to feed infants when breastfeeding was impossible: Historically, infant mortality rates were high, a