NURSHING BOTTLE WEANING: MATERNAL PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented the deleterious effects of prolonged bottle feeding in children. Little information exists regarding the optimal age for terminating bottle feedings, what advice pediatricians provide to parents, and what methods parents employ for bottle weaning. Information about bottle weaning practices was gathered from 172 mothers with bottle-fed children between the ages of 2 and 5 years (x = 42 mos.) scheduled for pediatric clinic visits. SES ranged from lower to upper middle, with 75% falling in the lower middle and lower categories. Forty percent of mothers reported pediatricians as the primary care provider. Although the mean recommended age for weaning was 7 months, the average age for attainment of daytime bottle weaning was 14 months. Seventy-one percent of mothers reported that bedtime bottle feeding practices were not discussed by their physicians. Forty-five percent of children were allowed to sleep with the bottle, which contained milk in 27% of the cases. Two weaning methods were commonly reported: (1) gradual reduction of the number of bottles (42%) and (2) abrupt termination (38%). Only 11% of mothers cited physicians as the primary source of information on nursing bottle weaning, with 36% relying on instinctual judgement. Data suggest pediatricians need to include explicit information on the timing of and methods for cessation of bottle feeding as part of anticipatory guidance interventions.

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