Bless you, Karen, the testing of a number of teats done by you and your
colleague is useful to know about, as it was objective. It confirms what I
have observed - gulping and look of sheer panic using a "slow" teat, even
with a big baby of a few months old. "Slow" doesn't mean a thing - except
more sales. Parents often don't realise this, as they believe that, if the
level says "slow", it must be true or some regulator wouldn't allow it. So
it can't be the teat, they think!
I've studied advertising for teats that appeared in periodicals over a
period of about 60 years. The claims were great marketing, homing in on
mothers' concerns, but they were lousy science. A case in point is the
different designs, over time, for "anti-colic" teats and bottle systems.
I've seen it all and I'm very cynical about claims. As long as they don't
have to support their claims, manufacturers will continue to make claims
that are untrue. My concern it that some will start promoting the idea that
claims about products are "research-based", using company Research &
Development, or heavily funded work.
Thank you for sharing that information, Karen.
Virginia
Karen Gromada wrote:
Re: Choking while using Calma teat
Jennifer, I'm really not sure whether you are serious or being sarcastic
when you write, "According to the advertisements, baby is supposed to be
able to control the flow." If you are being serious, please know that there
are NO guidelines for advertising claims on feeding-bottle teat packaging or
related info, and there are NO standards when it comes to bottle teat flow
rates! Anyone can put anything they choose on these advertisements! For
instance, the term "slow flow" means absolutely nothing -- slow flow as
compared to what? When an SLP-IBCLC colleague and I tested a number of
feeding-bottle teats all labeled as "slow flow" via a breast pump and under
comparable conditions of newborn suction, as measured by mmHg, we found a
variation of from transfer of about 5 ml/min to almost 20 ml/min -- yet ALL
were labeled "slow flow"! Medela's advertising for the Calma includes a
number of claims (
http://www.medela.com/IW/en/breastfeeding/products/breastmilk-feeding/calma-
feeding-device.html),
but provides no research citations to back them up (
http://justwestofcrunchy.com/2011/02/12/medela-calma-nipple-marketing-that-u
ndermines-moms/
).
It's basically the hole in any teat that determines the size of the bolus
coming through it. Many/most teats take very little oral suction or
compression (e.g. Haberman) for passage of a bolus. Many/most full-term
babies can quickly develop (mal)adaptive oral behaviors to handle a larger
bolus, but they do so at the expense of normal physiological suck(l)ing
behaviors. There is a reason bottle-feeding is associated with greater use
of different oral muscles and why bottle-fed babies are at greater risk for
dentition issues. If baby can't handle the bolus, baby is telling everyone
something -- "This isn't working for me!" Whether it isn't working because
baby has an underlying physiological issue, the bolus amount is ridiculously
large for baby's level of maturity, etc, it doesn't matter. It isn't working
for this baby
I don't remember whether this baby was full term or how much laid-back
breastfeeding has been tried. Also don't remember if there was any deviation
noted in baby's oral space. I think a thin silicone nipple shield may be
worth trying if the right size and applied correctly (and probably used with
laid-back breastfeeding positioning). I do that know one can't believe what
one reads on packaging or related ads. Hope no one falls for such hype...
but I know people do based on some of the info mothers tell me they received
from health professionals, including LCs re: rationale for bottle teat
purchases.
With all respect,
Karen G
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