A study recently published in The Journal of Pediatrics found that children who drink from a bottle past 18 months of age have an increased risk of obesity. But weaning your child from bottle usage can be easier said than done. We asked Le Bonheur Lactation Consultant Ruth Munday, BSN, RN-BC, IBCLC, RLC, for some practical tips parents can use to help ease the transition. Here’s what she had to say:

While it is important for a baby or toddler to have plenty to drink, an older baby or toddler already takes in a lot of nutrients from the foods that he or she eats. Regularly drinking whole milk or juice in a bottle during the day will add too many calories and, thus, put the child at risk for being overweight.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends beginning to wean from bottle usage to cup feeds at age 1, with the goal of the baby being totally weaned by 18 months old.  Here’s what you can do to help:

• Gradually introduce sippy cups beginning at 6-8 months. Babies can physically handle drinking from a cup around this age. Parents should continue offering cup feeds as the baby grows and matures from 8-12 months.
• At age 1, begin to wean your baby off of the bottle. Replace one bottle feeding with a cup feed once every few days.
• It is usually easier to begin the weaning process with daytime feedings first and then work toward swapping out a bottle for a cup at naps and bedtime. 
• Remember that neither bottles nor cups should be used as a means of comfort – only regular feedings.  When it is time to wean that last nighttime bottle or cup feed, be thinking of another bedtime ritual to replace it, such as reading a book or listening to soft music.

As a parent you can make a difference in your child’s future health.  The decisions you make today will impact many tomorrows.  Make wise choices and set the goal of weaning your baby off the bottle by 18 months at the latest to reduce the risk of obesity.