Why Spoon-Feeding Should be Preferred than Bottle Feeding, if required.

In Neonatal Division of some hospitals in India, bottle feeding has been totally stopped as a policy to encourage breastfeeding because of its far reaching benefits of reducing infection, especially gastroenteritis. Babies with the gestation of above 32 to 34 weeks are given spoon feeds of expressed breast milk as opposed to bottle feed.

When and why to take up spoon feed?

1. Babies with low birth weight or preterm babies with at least 32 to 34 weeks of gestation, or babies who have not been able to establish good suckling reflex are given spoon feed of expressed breast milk alternating with breastfeed eventually to exclusive breast feed.
2. Mother is sick or having breast abscess or a Cesarean Section mother who is not able to breast feed immediately.
3. Birth defects in infants like cleft palate, birth asphyxia etc.

How to use a spoon?

Expressed breast milk should be taken in a sterile steel bowl and measured with a sterile disposable plastic syringe. After the baby is placed and positioned properly, 3/4^th filled spoon of milk is taken into the spoon or palada.

The lower lip of the baby is pressed with the spoon without tilting it. Then the milk is poured inside the mouth on the sides, while the tongue is kept pressed. The spoon is not taken out till the baby swallows the milk offered from the spoon. The baby should be burped after about half the feed has been consumed. To compensate for the slight spilling of milk while feeding, an extra 2-3 ml of milk should be taken than the actual amount required. Steel or silver “Palada” with a specific capacity of 5 ml or more, can be used with great success especially in babies with poor sucking reflex as in those with birth asphyxia, cleft palate and septicemia.

What are the advantages of spoon feeding as opposed to bottle-feed?

1. Its an age old traditional practice and hence socially acceptable.
2. It can be easily learnt even by a new mother.
3. It more hygienic than the bottle; and can be sterilized easily
4. It helps in early weight gain and early discharge from hospital of preterm or low birth weight babies and the practice can be continued at home till the baby attains good suckling reflex and sufficient weight.
5. Preterm babies initially on breastfeed cannot suck well and easily get tired which leads to lack of weight gain and anxiety in the family. In such a situation, use of alternate spoon feeds of expressed breast milk can help to quickly gain weight.

Why avoid bottle feed?

Recent studies have shown and many pediatricians believe that…

1. Bottle feeds are one of the major causes of diarrhea in infants.
2. The risk of infection is high as, microorganisms may stick on the neck and teat of the bottle and transmit to the infant with reuse of the bottle.
3. The vacuum that is created by bottle-feeding can result in fluid buildup within the ear’s inner auditory tube resulting in frequent ear infections.

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