Press Release

CHANGE BABY’S BOTTLE TO EASE COLIC SYMPTOMS SAYS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
The debate about giving young babies medicine to ease their colicky symptoms continues amongst professionals. A recent survey carried out by Consumer Analysis Ltd revealed that 64% of health professionals are very concerned about giving medicines to young babies to ease colic symptoms. In fact, 56% of them prefer to suggest that parents switch feeding bottles instead, with 70% naming Dr Brown’s Natural Flow as their favourite brand. Amazingly 9 out of 10 health visitors had no reservations whatsoever in recommending this brand to their suffering mums and babies.

With almost half of all babies in the UK developing colic at some point, it is a familiar complaint and causes parents enormous frustration and upset. In this survey conducted in May 2010, 253 health professionals working closely with new babies and their mums were interviewed in depth. Midwives were the most concerned when it came to giving small babies medicine, with 11% compared to the national average of 7% claiming that small babies should never be given any medicine for colic. A staggering three quarters (73%) of GPs were found to turn straight to a medicinal solution after first ensuring that feeding techniques were correct.

Student and trainee midwives and nurses were the least concerned (48%) of all health professions about giving medicine to young babies to ease colicky symptoms, adopting an ‘if it helps, then it’s worth it’ attitude. Over a quarter of health visitors suggested alternative multiple different ‘cures’. Some of the more obscure remedies noted included, boiling cumin seeds and giving the baby the water, while some breast-feeding mums had tried drinking fennel tea to solve the problem.

From their own personal view, 78% of health professionals felt that digestive and feeding problems were most often the cause of colic in young babies including swallowing air. Therefore it is no surprise that health visitors in great numbers have no qualms about recommending the Dr Brown’s feeding system, a fully vented vacuum free feeding bottle that has been specifically deigned to minimise problems arising from feeding.

Key Findings Revealed:

  • 78% of health professionals are agreed that the most common cause of colic in young babies is digestive or feeding problems, including swallowing air. A quarter (24%) felt that the mother’s diet could be to blame.
  • According to health professionals in the survey, bottle fed babies are the most likely to develop colic (68%) but a quarter (26%) of health professionals interviewed would argue that whether baby is bottle or breast fed, it has no effect on the likelihood of colic occurring.
  • A whopping two fifths (40%) of health visitors in this survey believed that it made no difference whether baby was bottle or breast fed to their chances of developing colic.
  • 64% of health professionals feel concerned about giving medicines to young babies to ease their colic.
  • Over half (53%) of health professionals feel concerned about giving medicines to young babies but would seek medicinal help as a last resort. 7% think that medicine should never be given as a cure to colicky symptoms in young babies.
  • Health visitors are the most likely of all the health professionals to suggest changing the type of bottle (67%). A staggering three quarters (73%) of GPs would turn straight to a medicinal solution after ensuring that the feeding technique is correct.
  • Of those health professionals who would suggest changing the bottle and who selected one of the named brands, 7 out of 10 would suggest Dr Brown’s Natural Flow.
  • An astounding 9 out of 10 (89%) health visitors who would suggest changing the type of bottle to one of the named brands, would have no reservations in recommending Dr Brown’s to mums whose babies still have colicky symptoms.
  • Dr Brown’s Natural Flow is also the midwives’ favourite with over three quarters (76%) suggesting that mums try changing to this bottle.

 

Press Contact: PJP Gaye Price-Jones/Leslie Burns t: 01273 554018
info@pjpartnership.co.uk http://www.pjpartnership.co.uk
Jan Walsh of Consumer Analysis Ltd is available for interview/comment.

Editor’s Notes: http://www.drbrowns.co.uk Dr Brown’s Natural Flow is a fully vented, vacuum free baby bottle. The company’s goal is to provide the best technology-driven products available whether a baby is fed on expressed breast milk or infant formula.

Consumer Analysis Ltd http://www.c-a-g.co.uk/ undertook the colic survey, commissioned by Central Medical Supplies Ltd http://www.centralmedical.co.uk with a view to producing a set of independent, practical recommendations for a better understanding of colic, its symptoms and remedies.

Comments are closed.