What is a Vented Baby Bottle?

A vented baby bottle (also called an anti-colic bottle) helps to soothe your baby’s tummy. Its design reduces the amount of air your baby ingests, which helps with common feeding issues such as colic, gas, and reflux.

Colic and gas are common for babies. Although some claim they are more common in formula-fed infants, that’s not entirely true. Colics affect 1 in 5 babies, regardless of whether they are breast or formula-fed.

Colics usually start when a baby is a few weeks old and stops around six months of age. Inconsolable, endless crying is exhausting for babies and parents, so they are desperately looking for a solution.

Unfortunately, there is no cure, but there are methods, items, and techniques that can significantly reduce them. And a vented baby bottle is one of the best ones for bottle-fed babies.

Vented baby bottles prevent colic and gas

If your baby experiences colics and gasses, and she is bottle feed, there is a high chance that they are caused by the way she is feeding.

The baby’s sucking creates a vacuum in the feeding bottle. That is particularly common for babies who can’t hold the bottle’s nipple correctly. In this way, the baby introduces air in the milk and swallows it with the milk. The swallowed air later causes her discomfort, gas, and colics.

If that is the case with your baby, you will notice little air bubbles traveling up the bottle. With a unique design, vented baby bottles reduce such air bubble formation and consequently prevent colics and gas.

How can you recognize a vented bottle?

We’ve made our research and tones of baby bottle reviews. But experiences are those who count the most! So, with the help of numerous parents, we think that the best anti-colic baby bottle is the Philips Avent.

Our favorite anti-colic baby bottle is:

Philips Avent Anti-colic Baby Bottle with AirFree vent

Why we love it:

1. In addition to the fact that it prevents colic, it is also a high-quality baby bottle, with a range of flow rates for your growing baby.
2. You can use it with or without the vent. So when your baby gets older, you can remove the vent and use it as a regular baby bottle.
3. Its nipple has a ribbed texture, which prevents the nipple’s collapse, and enables comfortable feeding.
4. Vented baby bottles are because of the additional parts, usually harder to clean. That’s not the case here! The bottle has a wide neck and fewer parts than most similar bottles, so it is easy to assemble and clean.
5. The feature, which I find very useful is also its compatibility with other Philips Avent products. The Philips Avent Anti-colic bottle with AirFree vent matches with Avent breast pump, other bottle and cup parts, Sterilizer and Bottle Warmer.

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Choosing the Right Bottle Nipple can also Relieve Colic and Gas

As this is a common problem that no one wants to undergo, bottle manufacturers developed various features that help eliminate the air entering your baby’s digestive system. And besides vented bottles are specially designed nipples those who may help the most!

Every baby is different, so if a vented bottle doesn’t suit your little one, try with one of the following features that might help.

The Nipple Shape:

Nipples come in various shapes and sizes. Some are more suitable for babies who also breastfeed, others for those who are exclusively bottle-fed. But there is no general rule. You have to observe your baby and figure out which one suits your baby’s needs the most.

The Nipple Flow:

We all know that eating fast causes us discomfort in the stomach. The same goes for babies. Most babies with colics and gas prefer a slow flow, yet again, that’s not a rule.
If the milk flow is too slow for the baby, she will try too hard to such enough of it and might ingest more air. Your job is finding the balance between sufficient milk intake, which is, at the same time, not too fast to upset the baby’s tummy.

The Nipple Valve:

Nipples with a valve are also called anti-vacuum or vented nipples. They have a small hole or vent, which prevents the vacuum in the bottle. They let the air out of the bottle, and as such, prevent air bubble formation. Basically, they work in the same principle as vented baby bottles.

The Bottom Line

There are many baby bottles, of different shapes, sizes …. then there are so many nipples … I know it can be overwhelming. Try the vented baby bottle if you notice little bubbles when the baby is feeding, especially if she struggles with gas or cholic.

If it doesn’t work, don’t give up! Instead, try vented nipples, other bottle shapes, etc. My best advice is, to observe your baby, try at least three to four models, and don’t panic. Sooner or later, you will find the one that suits your baby!

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