PIGEON, Japan’s leading baby and maternity goods manufacturer, recently announced the release of Peristaltic PLUS, a new baby nipple designed to enable a baby to suck from a feeding bottle more efficiently. This release marks Pigeon’s latest advancement in effective, comfortable nipples and bottles.

The Peristaltic PLUS was developed utilizing over 50 years of comprehensive research on the three key factors of sucking—attachment, peristaltic movement and swallowing. The nipple simplifies sucking in babies and is derived from the thorough examination of breast-feeding from a baby’s perspective.

Pigeon’s research was conducted with the cooperation of pediatricians, pediatric nurses, maternity staff and over 3,000 babies and their families, all of whom participated over extended periods of time. According to this research, a baby initiates the first step of breast-feeding, known as attachment or latching. This is the baby’s action of extending its lips outward to form a suction cup on the mother’s areola. From this position, the baby begins a wave-like tongue motion called peristaltic movement or sucking to draw milk from the mother’s nipple.  The third factor—swallowing—happens when the back of the baby’s tongue rises to transfer milk down to the esophagus. This chorus of carefully controlled processes enables a baby to nurse comfortably with very little effort.

For healthy and safe sucking, these three key factors should function correctly otherwise improper sucking may lead to choking or leaking. And while Pigeon maintains that the direct expression of milk through breast-feeding is essential to the healthy development of growing babies, there are instances when feeding from the breast is difficult.

This may be the case when a mother has inverted nipples, when a mom experiences pain in her breast while nursing, or when the child is born with a cleft palate and lip. In these cases, a mother must consult with her doctor and openly discuss alternative ways of feeding her child including the use of Pigeon’s Peristaltic PLUS.

Peristaltic PLUS bottles and nipples utilize precise material calibrations, sizes, and production methods, allowing for safe and comfortable sucking. The nipple is constructed using a thick silicone rubber, made soft and flexible enough for a baby to use without discomfort, and also features a unique layer of fine bumps, called texturing, along the outside edge to keep a baby’s lips from sticking to the surface.

The nipple tip is designed to precisely fit in the sucking fossa, a small indent found in the baby’s mouth, and since the nipple is available in varying sizes featuring two kinds of holes, the rate of milk flow can be adjusted according to a baby’s stage of development.

Pigeon reiterates that in terms of child nutrition and development, nothing is better for a baby than the direct expression of milk through breast-feeding.