Do bottles cause problems with successful breastfeeding as premature infants transition to full feedings at the breast? Premature infants who are too young to effectively suck at birth need gradual transition to full breastfeeding. Because mothers are not always present in the neonatal intensive care (NICU) at the time of feeding, and because premature infants need weeks or months to gain the strength and endurance for full breastfeeding, bottles are often used to supplement expressed breast milk. Should NICU staff use something other than a bottle?
A review by Cochrane Library reviewed seven studies that evaluated the use of the following devices: gavage tubes, cups, paladai, bottles, droppers, spoons, and finger feeders, to determine if the use of any of these devices was associated with a greater likelihood of breastfeeding at hospital discharge, or at 3 or 6 months after discharge. The review included a total of 1152 infants who were on average 32 weeks gestation.