Anti-Reflux Bottle: Protecting Your Baby’s Comfort

ARTICLE SUMMARY:

• Symptoms of regurgitation
• Regurgitation: should you be concerned?
• Anti-regurgitation bottle: the ideal solution to combat this problem
• Complementary solutions to anti-regurgitation bottles
• Élhée serving babies

Symptoms of regurgitation 

• Clenched fists
• Tense belly
• Intense cries and tears
• Red, tense face

Regurgitation: should you be concerned?

Regurgitation should not be a major cause for concern for parents. If the expelled contents do not look suspicious (blood, mucus, abnormal color) and do not persist over time, you can rest easy once your baby is comforted. 

Regurgitation affects 25 to 40% of newborns. So chances are your little one is among them. 

If in doubt, do not completely rely on what you read online, and consult a healthcare professional. A diagnosis helps confirm that vomiting is due to the reason we describe in this article. 

Regurgitation can actually be confused with GERD, which is painful for babies and requires a prompt medical consultation.

However, regurgitation in babies can affect sleep quality and make them irritable. It’s important to take the issue seriously to relieve your baby's discomfort, but there’s no need to panic.

Anti-regurgitation bottle: the ideal solution to combat this problem

Even though regurgitation is not a serious phenomenon, it remains unpleasant for your baby and worrying for new parents. 

Choosing an anti-regurgitation bottle greatly reduces the symptoms of gastric reflux. These bottles are designed to limit the intake of air while your baby sucks. 

Some bottles use a valve placed at the bottom. Although this system can be entirely disassembled, it may become tiresome to clean over time due to the number of parts to reassemble. 

The texture of the bottle also plays a key role. A bottle with a soft silicone texture allows for better airflow, making it twice as effective as a rigid plastic or glass bottle.

The nipple is also important, as the flow rate must match the thickness of the liquid in the bottle so as not to "overwhelm" your child during feeding. A flow that is too fast increases air intake and should be regulated with a nipple—preferably a physiological one—of a slower flow.

Complementary solutions to anti-regurgitation bottles

We have listed 3 other easy solutions to help reduce the risk of regurgitation after each nursing or bottle feed: 

1. Hold baby upright immediately after feeding

“Uprighting” baby is often recommended by pediatric teams even in the maternity ward. This helps release swallowed air and also reduces the risk of infant colic and abdominal pain.

Carrying baby in a carrier or wrap makes carrying easier; it should last at least 20 minutes for optimal effectiveness! To perfect your wrapping techniques, don’t hesitate to work with a perinatal or postnatal consultant, or a doula. At night, have your child sleep on a slightly inclined mattress.

2. Wait between bath time and feeding

Giving your child a bath right after a meal increases the risk of regurgitation. Being handled and put too quickly in a semi-reclining position encourages food to flow back up from the stomach to the esophagus. It is better to wait at least 1 hour. 

Similarly, excessive activity or play—like tickling or bouncing your child on your knees—should be avoided right after feeding. Even if your bottle is anti-regurgitation, some basic rules should always be followed!

3. Thicken the bottle milk

To help reduce regurgitation, you can thicken standard commercial formula as well as your breast milk. Thickening these meals may also help your baby last longer between feeds. 

Don’t forget to switch to a nipple with a faster flow to allow thickened liquid through. 

Be careful: a thickener should never be added to formula that is already thickened. Ask your pediatrician before switching to thickened preparations. They may not be suitable for very young babies, those with low weight, or those born prematurely.

Several types of thickeners are possible: 

Commercial baby cereals : Very sweet, they have the merit of being easily absorbed by children. Handy when feeding is difficult.

They provide all the important nutritional requirements for your child (vitamins, minerals, etc.) You'll find them in chocolate, vanilla, biscuit flavor, and by every brand!

However, be careful not to make this a habit. Adding cereal to your baby’s meals should be an occasional thing.

Carob flour: Made from seeds of the carob tree, native to Crete, carob flour is less well known than its alternatives but ensures an equally effective result.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a starch made from processed corn, hence the nickname “cornflower.” When heated in milk, it produces a thicker drink.

An excellent alternative to wheat flour and regularly used in gluten-free diets, cornstarch yields a very light, airy, or even creamy texture. Again, don’t overdo it as mild constipation has been reported in some cases.

Starch: From wheat or corn, starch thickens directly in your baby’s stomach. Unlike cornstarch and flours, which thicken directly in the anti-regurgitation bottle. For children who prefer liquid textures, this is a major advantage!