Feeding babies might seem like one of the simplest parts of parenting — but the history of the humble baby bottle is surprisingly dramatic. From ancient pottery feeders to the deadly “murder bottles” of Victorian England, and finally to safe Pyrex designs of the 20th century, this is a story of invention, tragedy, hygiene, and changing ideas about motherhood and infant care.
The Surprising History of Baby Bottles
Most of us have used a baby feeding bottle, even if only briefly — perhaps for expressing breast milk, or feeding a child. But how many of us ever stop to think about the history of baby bottles? I do, for one! And what a complicated, and sometimes tragic, story it is.
Ancient Beginnings
The practice of wet nursing dates back to the 18th century BC in Babylon, but there’s also evidence of early feeding vessels being used. An Egyptian papyrus from the 15th century BC recommended feeding infants a drink made with cow’s milk and boiled wheat kernels — most likely given via a pottery cup or bottle.
By around 250–300 BC, the Egyptians had developed glass-blowing techniques, and the Romans followed with clear glass feeding bottles. However, these early glass bottles never gained long-term popularity.
The Victorian Era: A Deadly Design
The introduction of clear glass bottles in the 1840s was revolutionary. Unlike pottery, glass allowed parents to see when milk residue remained, improving hygiene.
But in the 1870s, a new design became popular: bottles with long rubber feeding tubes. These allowed babies to feed independently, even when very young, but they were almost impossible to clean properly. Without an understanding of invisible sources of infection, these bottles caused thousands of infant deaths — earning the grim nickname of “killer bottles” or “murder bottles.”
At the time, infant mortality was devastatingly high, with estimates suggesting 20–30% of infants died within their first year in the late Victorian period.
Innovation and Hygiene
Design improvements eventually made bottles safer. Double-ended bottles, with a teat on one end and a valve on the other, could be easily washed through with running water.
In 1894, Allen & Hanbury introduced a new design with removable valves and teats. By 1900, the Allenbury “banana” bottle was being marketed as the “hygienic bottle” — easier to clean and a key factor in reducing infant deaths. These designs remained popular well into the 1950s.
Enter Pyrex and Modern Materials
Pyrex bottles were first introduced in the United States in 1922 by Corning. Durable and heat-resistant, they could be sterilised more effectively. By the 1950s, upright narrow-neck Pyrex bottles became widely available, followed in the 1960s by wide-neck versions that made cleaning even easier.
Meanwhile, feeding nipples were also evolving. In 1845, Elijah Pratt of New York patented the India-rubber nipple, but the early black rubber had a strong, unpleasant taste and quickly deteriorated when boiled. It found little favour at first, and alternatives such as the Biberon cork nipple were considered superior, as cork neither carried the rubber’s repulsive flavour nor decayed as they sometimes did. Other experimental nipples of the period were made from metal (pewter or silver), glass, ivory, or wood
Over time, improvements in manufacturing allowed rubber nipples to become the standard. The original black rubber models (still familiar today in lamb teats) gave way to white versions (which unfortunately contained lead), then red and brown types. By the 20th century, new materials and designs were developed that could withstand sterilisation, accommodate the needs of premature babies, and eventually allow for safe, hygienic, and even disposable options.
A Complicated Legacy
From pottery cups to Pyrex, the story of the baby bottle is one of innovation, trial and error, and — sadly — tragic consequences when design failed to consider hygiene.
Today, we often take this everyday item for granted. Yet behind every bottle is a history that shaped infant survival rates and changed family life forever.
Isn’t it amazing that something so ordinary could have such an extraordinary story?