Studies show reusable bottles and teats improve feeding outcomes for infants and offer cost and environmental benefits for healthcare providers. Central Medical Supplies (CMS) can provide hospital trusts with the Dr Brown’s® range of reusable bottles and teats. Studies show the Dr Brown’s® bottle system provides a consistent flow rate and improved feeding experience. Being a reusable bottle system, Dr Brown’s® also helps eliminate waste, is better for the environment and can help trusts achieve the net-zero target the NHS is committed to.
For preterm and medically fragile infants, learning to feed orally is challenging and the flow rate of a teat can influence feeding success in bottle-fed infants. Successful feeding is important, as fragile hospitalised infants require repetition of the task in order to acquire the skill. The overarching practice of neuroprotection and developmental care in NICUs recognises that inconsistent caregiving patterns are implicated in poor neurobehavioural and developmental outcomes (Thoyre et al., 2015). These infants are learning to eat during the most sensitive period of neural plasticity and consistency in the feeding experience, including what the infant’s mouth and brainstem receive with every suck, directly shapes that development.
Disposable bottles and teats, historically used in hospitals, result in poor feeding outcomes and present many challenges, such as inconsistent teat flow rates, negative pressure and increased waste. While disposables are often treated as a ‘free’ line item, a recently published study in Pediatric Nursing reveals the cumulative impact extends well beyond supply costs; touching clinical outcomes, length of stay and the transition home.1
For the study, researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of preterm infants at a 24-bed Level III NICU, comparing outcomes before and after the unit transitioned from disposable to reusable bottles/teats at the initiation of oral feeding, not just before discharge. The findings show a length of hospital stay 3.6 days shorter with reusable bottles/teats from feed initiation. This is in comparison with infants who experienced any bottle brand change during their stay, who went home an average of 2.4 days later. Infants who had a bottle brand switch were also 75 per cent more likely to have a lower feeding stability score following the change. The study showed average savings per patient from a shorter NICU stay of between $10K and $18K.
The study found the per-patient costs between disposable and reusable bottles/teats to be nearly identical at ~$22.77 per patient versus ~$22.66 per patient. The study’s authors recommend a consultation with parents to select a home bottle brand before oral feeding begins, not at discharge, to promote consistency throughout the hospital stay and into the transition home.
The figures from the study show the transition to reusable bottles and teats requires no additional investment, while resulting in meaningful cost savings, along with improved feeding outcomes and environmental benefits.
In addition to improved patient outcomes and savings on care costs, the use of reusable bottle and teats also has a positive environmental impact. The use of single-use bottles and teats was calculated in the study to result in 1139 pounds of waste. Based on industry calculations, removing or managing 1139 pounds of plastic waste is roughly equivalent to avoiding the emissions associated with producing and incinerating approximately one ton of plastic, which contributes to carbon neutrality goals.
Findings from a separate investigation, carried out by CMS, show that over a one month period maternity units could save £237 per bottle fed infant each month, by using a reusable Dr Brown’s® bottle and teat. Switching to the reusable option would also reduce the amount of plastic being disposed of by 7kg per month.2
The Dr Brown’s range includes Dr Brown’s Options+ 150ml Anti Colic Bottle with Level 1 Teat. This bottle is designed to reduce colic symptoms by using a 100 per cent vacuum-free vent system that minimises air intake during feeding. Dr Brown’s Preemie Bottle is designed specifically for premature infants with underdeveloped sucking reflexes. The bottle has a 60ml capacity, which is ideal for small feeds. Each bottle includes a Preemie teat that delivers a flow rate 47 per cent slower than a standard level 1 teat, allowing for more controlled feeding.
Developed with medical professionals, Dr Brown’s Speciality Feeding System is designed to assist infants and children with severe oral feeding difficulties. It uses an Infant-Paced Feeding Valve®, which allows the person to control milk flow safely and efficiently with their own tongue and jaw movements.
For more information on products in the Dr Brown’s range, contact Sarah Ward, Brand and Product Manager at Central Medical Supplies, on 07985 425 397, email sarah.ward@centralmedical.co.uk or visit www.centralmedical.co.uk
Studies show reusable bottles and teats improve feeding outcomes for infants and offer cost and environmental benefits for healthcare providers. Central Medical Supplies (CMS) can provide hospital trusts with the Dr Brown’s® range of reusable bottles and teats. Studies show the Dr Brown’s® bottle system provides a consistent flow rate and improved feeding experience. Being a reusable bottle system, Dr Brown’s® also helps eliminate waste, is better for the environment and can help trusts achieve the net-zero target the NHS is committed to.
For preterm and medically fragile infants, learning to feed orally is challenging and the flow rate of a teat can influence feeding success in bottle-fed infants. Successful feeding is important, as fragile hospitalised infants require repetition of the task in order to acquire the skill. The overarching practice of neuroprotection and developmental care in NICUs recognises that inconsistent caregiving patterns are implicated in poor neurobehavioural and developmental outcomes (Thoyre et al., 2015). These infants are learning to eat during the most sensitive period of neural plasticity and consistency in the feeding experience, including what the infant’s mouth and brainstem receive with every suck, directly shapes that development.
Disposable bottles and teats, historically used in hospitals, result in poor feeding outcomes and present many challenges, such as inconsistent teat flow rates, negative pressure and increased waste. While disposables are often treated as a ‘free’ line item, a recently published study in Pediatric Nursing reveals the cumulative impact extends well beyond supply costs; touching clinical outcomes, length of stay and the transition home.1
For the study, researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of preterm infants at a 24-bed Level III NICU, comparing outcomes before and after the unit transitioned from disposable to reusable bottles/teats at the initiation of oral feeding, not just before discharge. The findings show a length of hospital stay 3.6 days shorter with reusable bottles/teats from feed initiation. This is in comparison with infants who experienced any bottle brand change during their stay, who went home an average of 2.4 days later. Infants who had a bottle brand switch were also 75 per cent more likely to have a lower feeding stability score following the change. The study showed average savings per patient from a shorter NICU stay of between $10K and $18K.
The study found the per-patient costs between disposable and reusable bottles/teats to be nearly identical at ~$22.77 per patient versus ~$22.66 per patient. The study’s authors recommend a consultation with parents to select a home bottle brand before oral feeding begins, not at discharge, to promote consistency throughout the hospital stay and into the transition home.
The figures from the study show the transition to reusable bottles and teats requires no additional investment, while resulting in meaningful cost savings, along with improved feeding outcomes and environmental benefits.
In addition to improved patient outcomes and savings on care costs, the use of reusable bottle and teats also has a positive environmental impact. The use of single-use bottles and teats was calculated in the study to result in 1139 pounds of waste. Based on industry calculations, removing or managing 1139 pounds of plastic waste is roughly equivalent to avoiding the emissions associated with producing and incinerating approximately one ton of plastic, which contributes to carbon neutrality goals.
Findings from a separate investigation, carried out by CMS, show that over a one month period maternity units could save £237 per bottle fed infant each month, by using a reusable Dr Brown’s® bottle and teat. Switching to the reusable option would also reduce the amount of plastic being disposed of by 7kg per month.2
The Dr Brown’s range includes Dr Brown’s Options+ 150ml Anti Colic Bottle with Level 1 Teat. This bottle is designed to reduce colic symptoms by using a 100 per cent vacuum-free vent system that minimises air intake during feeding. Dr Brown’s Preemie Bottle is designed specifically for premature infants with underdeveloped sucking reflexes. The bottle has a 60ml capacity, which is ideal for small feeds. Each bottle includes a Preemie teat that delivers a flow rate 47 per cent slower than a standard level 1 teat, allowing for more controlled feeding.
Developed with medical professionals, Dr Brown’s Speciality Feeding System is designed to assist infants and children with severe oral feeding difficulties. It uses an Infant-Paced Feeding Valve®, which allows the person to control milk flow safely and efficiently with their own tongue and jaw movements.
For more information on products in the Dr Brown’s range, contact Sarah Ward, Brand and Product Manager at Central Medical Supplies, on 07985 425 397, email sarah.ward@centralmedical.co.uk or visit www.centralmedical.co.uk
