Is there anyone out there who knows what research supports the claims by
Avent that their feeding bottles will not cause problems for babies who are
both breast and bottle fed?  I am not interested in anecdotal reports of
individual babies; I want to know what systematically gathered knowledge
they are basing this claim on  - authors, methods, results, and preferably a
publication date.
Avent are marketing their bottles (and a lot of attendant accessories) very
actively here, the ones that are 'clinically proven to reduce colic', -
compared to other bottles used for artificially fed babies, but "naturally"
they don't mention that in the bright pink highlighted text on the package.
They are saying mothers can combine breast and bottle from the start with
the use of the Avent bottle because the nipple 'imitates the form and
function of the breast' thus eliminating any potential for confusion or
air-swallowing.

I wish this were TIC, but it ain't.

I heard an Avent representative speak yesterday to a group of employees at a
chain of drugstores.  He said that the Most Important Thing when using
nipple shields, and the thing they felt was essential to tell every mother,
was that they should be used for as short a time as possible.  That's when I
spoiled the nice, friendly pep-rally-with-good-tapas atmosphere, because I
suggested that if that information indeed is the most important thing the
user should know, perhaps they should consider including it, along with
instructions for application, on the package, or in the brochure about all
their products which they encourage the cashier to place in every single bag
that contains an Avent product -- 'Because these are tomorrow's customers,
and with the right treatment you will keep them coming back, again and again
and again.'  The representative's answer to my comment was that if someone
is buying a nipple shield you have to assume a certain minimum level of
prior knowledge about how to use them and it isn't up to Avent to tell them.

After seeing the way Avent markets itself and its products I am concerned.
In a place where mothers have up to one year of maternity leave, it really
isn't necessary for every new mother to buy a steam sterilizer and a whole
stockpile of infant feeding bottles *before she has even given birth*.  Yet
they encourage people to buy these for new mothers, with no information
about how bottle feeding can jeopardize BF.

Argh.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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