Is Warming your Baby's Bottle Necessary?

If you ask the average person why a baby bottle needs to be warmed you will most likely get a blank stare. A warm drink does help when someone is trying to sleep but is there a major health benefit that makes this task necessary? The answer is no. My family is appalled when they see my little girl guzzle down a bottle of cool breast milk on a warm day. They frown their faces and say "you can't give babies cold milk." When I ask why (especially since it is usually sweltering where we are) they reply "you just can't." My daughter has a preference for cool milk in the daytime and her 3:30AM nightly "sip." However she only wants it warm when she is extremely sleepy and preparing for a long nap. For those who are unsure about this concept I have posted a little bit of information below.


Articles
Source: http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/bottlefeeding/faq.htm#warm
"Many new parents believe the common misconception that a baby's bottle should always be heated. In actuality, there is no medical reason to heat bottles before serving them. Some infants may prefer warm bottles, but most will happily accept a lukewarm or cold bottle. Try starting your baby off with a cold bottle, straight from the refrigerator; if he takes it, you have saved yourself a lot of time! You will appreciate this for those late night feedings!..."

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=511158&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490
"Parents who warm up baby bottles could be putting their child at risk of "gender-bending" chemicals, scientists warn."

Source: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/320/7229/235
"...The perceived need to warm milk for young children seems to vary from culture to culture. It has been reported that the temperature of milk feeds has no effect on gastric emptying,¹ and many paediatric and special care baby units in this country do not routinely warm milk... "