Situation of Baby Bottle Use: Is It Suitable to Recommend Weaning by the Age of One Year?
Siraporn Sawasdivorn MD*, Piriya Wanthanaphuti RN*, Somluk Pue-arun MS*, Suvisa Juansang MD*
Affiliation : * Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health (QSNICH), Bangkok
Background : Inappropriate baby bottle use is associated with many adversely health affects such as dental
caries, refuse to eat etc. International pediatric institutes suggest weaning by the age of 1 year. To establish a
practical recommendation for Thai children, needs situation analysis.
Objective : To determine the percentage of baby bottle use including late night feeding, behavior contributing
to baby bottle addiction and chance of adverse health affects.
Material and Method: A cross sectional descriptive study was performed in well child clinic at QSNICH
during November 2003-December 2007. One thousand thirty-eight caretakers from 13 groups of children age
1 month-4 years were randomly included. Questionnaires were used and analyzed by SPSS program.
Results : A total of 1,038 caretakers were interviewed. Parents comprised 70% of the caretakers. Children
aged 1-2 years, 2-3 years, and 3-4 years, are found to remain on the bottle feeding constituted 92%, 70% and
42% respectively and remain on the night feeding comprised 70%, 50%, and 37% respectively. And more
specifically, children at the age of six month have night feeding up to 85%.
The weaning ages from the bottle were widely distributed, the earliest was one year (1%), the mean
age was 2.5 years (SD = 0.612), the mode was at the age of two years (13%). Forty-six percent of children age
6 month-4 years received a bottle to sleep with 34% of caretakers offering bottle feeding when the child just
moved the body. After bedtime mouth care, 48% of children were back to bottle-feeding. Eighteen percent
of children age 2-4 year who were bottle fed were getting more milk volume than recommended with the
maximum amount of 56 ounces a day. Fifty-six percent of children at 2 years and 70% at 4 years, received
bottle-feeding more frequently than recommended with the maximum of 11 times a day. Eighty-eight percent of
the caretakers did not know the recommended age of weaning.
Conclusion : The children in this study still use baby bottle and have night feeding far beyond the recommended
age including the practice of bottle to sleep, returning to bottle after dental care which will lead to addiction
and adverse health affect. The age at which the children can quit and the realization of caretakers of when to
quit are scattered.
Suggestion: Recommendation should be at the age of one year but be flexible to more half a year to the age of
1Ω year, with encourage appropriate using and preparation to the weaning process.
Funding Support: Thai Health Fund. Project number 45-01000.
Keywords : Prolong baby bottle use, Night feeding, Adverse health effects, Weaning recommendation
