Water to use with formula

What Water Should I Use for Formula?

Ed note: If you’re overwhelmed by the current formula shortage, you’re not alone. For expert advice and answers to common questions about the shortage, read our article on What Parents Can Do About the Formula Shortage.

Many parents choose to feed their babies formula either exclusively or in combination with breastmilk. Learning what water is best for baby formula and how to safely prepare it is important—especially since making bottles is something you’ll be doing quite a lot of during the first year of your little one’s life.

We turned to Dr. Krupa Playforth, MD, FAAP, pediatrician and Babylist Health Advisory Board member, to talk all things baby formula prep including what type of water you should use, how to safely mix formula and more.

What Types of Baby Formula Are There?

If you’re researching baby formula, it’s helpful first to understand the different types of formula available.

There are four main types of baby formula:

Cow’s milk formula. As the name implies, this formula uses cow’s milk as the main ingredient, but the milk is treated to make the protein more easily digestible. This is the most popular type of formula and makes up about 80% of all formulas sold.
Hydrolyzed formula. This type of formula contains protein that has been broken down (hydrolyzed) into smaller proteins to make it more digestible. Hydrolyzed formulas can be either partially or exclusively hydrolyzed and are often marketed as “gentle.” They’re designed for babies who can’t tolerate cow’s milk or soy-based formulas or for babies with a protein allergy.
Soy formula. Made from soy and containing a protein and a carbohydrate, soy formulas are recommended if you’re looking to exclude animal products from your baby’s diet or if your baby is intolerant or allergic to cow’s milk formula or lactose.
Specialized formula. This type of baby formula is designed for babies with particular medical needs such as prematurity or allergies.

Baby formula comes in three forms: powder formula (mix with water), concentrated liquid formula (mix with water), or ready-to-feed (premixed, no additional water needed).

What Water to Use for Baby Formula

According to Dr. Playforth, if you’re in the US and have access to a safe water source, you can use tap water to make baby formula. It’s also safe to use bottled water or distilled water.

For higher-risk infants, such as babies under three months of age, premature infants or babies who are immune-compromised, Dr. Playforth recommends following formula guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and boiling water (regardless of its source) for one minute, letting it cool for five minutes, then adding the correct amount of powdered formula.

“In general, especially for infants under three months or those with underlying health issues, erring on the side of caution makes sense,” she says.

Prepared formula should be used two hours from mixing or within one hour from the start of feeding, recommends Dr. Playforth, but can also be refrigerated and used within 24 hours if it has not been given to the infant.

Can You Use Fluoridated Water for Baby Formula?

Exposure to fluoride during infancy can help prevent dental decay, and because of this, flouride is added to the water supply in many areas. Dr. Playforth advises that it is safe to use fluoridated water to mix baby formula. There are a few things to keep in mind, though.

“Like most things, excessive exposure can cause problems. Using fluoridated water exclusively to mix formula can increase the risk of mild dental fluorosis (the white streaks on the teeth), which is a primarily cosmetic issue, but for infants who exclusively get powdered formula, the CDC recommends alternating between water sources and using low-fluoride bottled water some of the time.”

Can You Use Well Water for Baby Formula?

Well water is not safe for baby formula.

“This is because of the risk of contaminants,” says Dr. Playforth. “This includes pathogens, and nitrates, which can lead to nitrate poisoning in infants who consume the water.”

How to Safely Prepare Baby Formula

You should always keep safety at the forefront when preparing your baby’s formula. Keep these tips from Dr. Playforth in mind:

Always wash your hands before formula preparation.
Mix the formula exactly according to the directions on the can. “I’ve seen families mix formula incorrectly or try to water it down to make it last longer, and this can be extremely dangerous for the infant.”
Use any prepared formula within one hour of mixing. Anything not consumed should be discarded. For prepared formula that has not been given to the infant, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, but no longer.
Never warm formula (or breastmilk) in a microwave. Warm the bottle under running water or use a bottle warmer.
Store all unopened cans of formula in a cool, dry place. Once a can of formula powder is opened, any unused powder should be discarded after a specific amount of time. (The can will tell you how long it can be open before it must be either used or discarded; most are about a month.) Pro tip: use a marker and write the date the can was opened directly on top of the formula container to help you easily keep track.
Never use expired formula, and stay alert for any formula recalls.

This information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here. Babylist may earn compensation from affiliate links in this content. Learn more about how we write Babylist content and the Babylist Health Advisory Board.

What Kind Of Water Is Best For Baby Formula?

Deciding how to feed a baby, whether breastfeeding or formula feeding, can be challenging for parents. One question: What kind of water should you use for making formula?

TODAY Parents asked pediatricians for the answers.

Best water for baby formula

When making formula for babies, parents have the option of using tap, fluoridated, well or bottled water. There are different factors to consider when deciding which one to use.

Tap water

Dr. Tye Winters, pediatric residency director and medical director of Overlook Medical Center Pediatric HealthStart Clinic, tells TODAY Parents that “the recommendation is to boil the water for at least 1 minute in a pan with a cover, then allow it to cool with the lid on the pan. This should be followed especially within the first 3 months of age or if the infant was born prematurely, prior to 36 weeks of gestation.”

Water from a public source in the United States is usually very high quality and can safely be used for mixing formulas, but Dr. Hillary O’Boyle, a pediatrician in Richmond, Virginia says it's always good to check: "I would advise parents to make sure their tap water comes from a safe water source, as defined by your county health department or state environmental agency. “

Fluoridated water

Fluoridated water can be used to make formula; however, doctors say it should not be used during every feed, to prevent babies from getting too much fluoride in their body. Excessive fluoride can lead to skeletal changes in the infant over time.

Infant formula contains all the fluoride your baby needs, so using tap water for mixing, which typically contains additional fluoride, may put your infant at a slightly increased risk for something called dental fluorosis, says O'Boyle. This causes the appearance of faint white lines on adult teeth, which is not harmful, but may be a cosmetic concern. O’Boyle tells TODAY Parents that parents who live in areas with fluoridated tap water “may want to periodically use ready-to-feed (pre-mixed) formula and/or mix formula with bottled water, both of which do not contain fluoride.”

If you are using fluoridated water, the American Dental Association suggests checking with your local water company to make sure that the fluoride level is less than 0. 7 parts fluoride per million parts water.

Well water

Winters says well water should not be used for formula, as it may contain harmful bacteria that can lead to life-threatening infections, especially in younger infants or babies with underlying health conditions. Distilled or purified water should be used in place of well water.

If well water is the only water source, exercise caution. Some wells have a high concentration of nitrates, which can seep in from fertilizer in the ground, putting babies at risk for something called methemoglobinemia. O’Boyle said, “Boiling the water does not solve this problem. If interested in using well water for formula mixing, the water should be tested periodically for nitrates to ensure safe levels."

If the nitrate levels are safe, O'Brien said, "Additionally, all well water should be boiled prior to use.”

Bottled water

Virtually any type of bottled water can be safely used for mixing formula. This includes purified, distilled, deionized or demineralized water. Using bottled water is the best way to ensure the water is safe, and also has the advantage of not containing additional fluoride.

When choosing bottled water, it is important to know if the water has been fortified with additives such as fluoride or electrolytes, as this can lead to an excessive amount of electrolytes or fluoride within the infant’s body.

Regular bottled drinking water should still be boiled before using in formula, similar to tap water. Distilled or purified water can be used without having to boil the water.

Speak with your pediatrician

As with anything else, getting advice from your child’s pediatrician is always the best bet. One thing to remember is that babies under 6 months don't need water on its own; it can actually lead to electrolyte imbalances and potentially brain damage. Infants are receiving plenty of water from their formula or breast milk.

Parents can premix formula or bring their own water with them when leaving the house. Prepared formula can be kept out of the refrigerator for up to about 2 hours after preparation.

Parents have multiple safe options when choosing water for formula mixing. The two safest options are boiled tap water that has been cooled to room temperature, or any type of bottled water. If tap water is going to be the primary water source for formula, use bottled water occasionally to reduce fluoride exposure.

Parents should be most cautious about the water source for infants younger than 3 months, premature infants or babies with impaired immune systems, as they are at higher risk for serious bacterial infection from unclean water.

Water for preparing infant formula: do I need to boil baby water for formula?

Glinskikh Elena

Published: 01/15/2023

Reading time:

1370

Some people tend to think that the "baby food" label on a water bottle is just a marketing ploy. However, in reality this is not the case, "children's" water is really very different from "adult". Why it is better to buy special water for the preparation of infant formula, and not to use filtered and boiled, read in this article.

What kind of water should I use to prepare infant formula? To prepare the mixture, it is recommended to use high-quality bottled water, on the packaging of which is marked "Children's". This means that the manufacturer guarantees the quality and compliance with the requirements of SanPiN 2.1.4.1116-02 *. What is included in these requirements?

The presence of visible inclusions in the water is not allowed.

The harmlessness of water is determined by its chemical composition (the content of toxic metals, non-metallic elements and halogens, salt components and organic substances of anthropogenic or natural origin).

Water safety and quality indicators are set individually for each source.

The same SanPiN notes that water can be either artesian, extracted from a well, or tap water, which has undergone additional purification. Of course, the second option is definitely not suitable for baby food (and for an adult, in general, it is also not recommended).

How baby water marked “from birth” differs from ordinary bottled water

First of all, baby water is characterized by low mineralization. This means that it contains less salts and minerals than “adult” water, in accordance with the needs of very young children. Children's water of the highest category has a constant mineral composition and undergoes the strictest quality control. You can always find out about the availability of relevant certificates on the official website of any manufacturer. If there are none, then this is an occasion to think about the quality of the product. Of course, it is better to choose the water that meets all the standards of GOST and SanPiN. The second common question from moms is: “Should I boil baby water for formula?”. In fact, baby water does not require boiling and can be used within 1-2 days after opening the bottle. Therefore, it is best to purchase water in containers with a volume of no more than 1.5 liters. Of course, in the event that for some reason you cannot get a bottle of baby water and are forced to make do with filtered water, the answer will be just the opposite: you need to boil it. It is necessary that:

reduce water hardness;

destroy all pathogenic bacteria;

reduce the chlorine concentration.

Ideally, boil water for about ten minutes to ensure that any harmful microbes are eliminated. However, most of them die already at 98 degrees, so two minutes, which are usually spent on boiling water, may be enough.

Tap water

It's not bad if your house has a direct water filter and you can get good water directly from the tap. Otherwise, you should get a filter with high-quality cassettes against hard water. So you can be sure of sufficient water purification from heavy impurities.

If you have the opportunity to purchase bottles of baby water, it is not recommended to use tap water, as well as spring water or self-collected water from other natural sources. In this case, it is impossible to guarantee the high quality of water and its safety for the health of the baby, even if it is boiled for a long time.

Infant formula water must be labeled with date of manufacture and recommended shelf life.

Potable or mix

Baby water labeled “for drinking” may not be suitable for powdered milk formula. The fact is that it contains more minerals than water produced specifically for the preparation of children's food. Such components are really needed by the children's body, but they can upset the balance of the mixture itself. Therefore, manufacturers can produce baby water for drinking and cooking or universal. The good news is that it’s almost impossible to find low-quality baby water on store shelves these days. Most of the brands do indeed meet the stated requirements, which was confirmed by the employees of Roskachestvo by conducting a test purchase and a series of tests**. However, pediatricians still recommend purchasing baby food in appropriate stores, dedicated departments of supermarkets or pharmacies. In addition, you should not take the cheapest water of an unknown brand, because in this case the marking may not correspond to reality.

Quality requirements

Recently, standards for baby water have been tightened:

It can only be produced from table natural mineral or natural drinking water.

Do not use preservatives or chlorine disinfectants during production.

Do not use production lines for the production of other drinks to fill baby water.

For children from 0 to 3 years old, it is forbidden to manufacture products enriched with iodine and fluorine preparations***.

These stringent requirements guarantee the high quality and safety of children's products.

Helpful Hints

Do not boil infant formula. Water must be cooled to a temperature of 37 degrees or diluted with pre-prepared cool water.

Purchased water is in any case better in quality than several times filtered tap water. It has less salt and no chlorine. Therefore, whenever possible, even if you live outside the city, you should purchase a bottle for baby food.

If you can't buy water, find a special baby water filter in the store. They are rare for sale, but they do happen. Such filters usually achieve maximum water purification and make it suitable for baby food.

Shop-bought water should only be stored in the refrigerator. Expiration dates before and after opening are indicated on the packaging. Some water cannot be used without boiling within a day after the bottle was sealed, so pay close attention to this label!

Choose your bottle wisely: it is best to buy water in glass or polycarbonate bottles (marked with the number 7). It's not even about ecology, but about the safety of plastic for a child. It is the container marked with the seven that does not emit harmful substances into the water, even after being under the direct rays of the sun.

Choosing high-quality water for your baby, you can not only ensure his safety and the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, but also make life easier for yourself: you do not have to filter, boil and cool water, since bottled water can simply be heated to optimum temperature.

*SanPiN 2.1.4.1116-02 Drinking water. Hygienic requirements for the quality of water packaged in containers. Quality control

**Study of baby water. Roskachestvo

*** Drinking water for baby food. Standards and studies

Information verified by an expert

Glinskikh Elena

Pediatrician

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Contents of the article

What water to use for infant formula
How baby water labeled “from birth” differs from ordinary bottled water
Tap water
Drinkable or for mixtures
Quality requirements
Helpful Hints

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Water for baby food | What kind of water is suitable for the preparation and dilution of infant formula

Water in the diet of the smallest: a choice in favor of health

The health of any person largely depends on the quality of drinking water. This is especially true for babies. The requirements for the quality of water for baby food are higher than for water for adults - at a tender age, the body needs very careful care. Therefore, one should responsibly approach both the choice of food products for their child, and the choice of water for drinking and preparing the first children's meals.

Which water is suitable for mixing infant formula?

Contrary to the opinion of many, it is not recommended to dilute infant formula with milk. Usually, the powder already contains all the components necessary for the child. Adding milk to the formula can lead to an overabundance of certain substances (in normal amounts that benefit the baby), which, in turn, often causes allergies.

Water for children is classified into potable water and water intended for formula preparation. Drinking water contains minerals necessary for the normal development of the baby's body. Their concentration is 200–300 mg/l. If you add such water to an infant formula that already contains those same minerals, the norm will be exceeded. To prepare the mixture, special water with an optimal level of mineralization - 64–107 mg / l is used.

Peculiarities of choosing water for a child

For a baby, you need to choose soft water, with a hardness of not more than 7 mg-eq/l. Healing water with a high concentration of minerals is only suitable for adults, and only on the recommendation of a doctor.

The choice of water for a child is influenced by the safety of its sources:

• Artesian wells. Depending on their location, water from such wells has different levels of mineralization, including those suitable for children - the concentration and types of minerals are indicated on the bottle label.
• Open sources. Even if the springs seem very clean, the water from them is not suitable for children. Spring water may contain nitrates and harmful substances from the soil, bacteria from the environment, the smallest particles of sand, etc.
• City water supply. Tap water is absolutely not suitable for baby food - it often contains not only elevated levels of chlorine, but also particles of rust from water mains, residues of reagents used to clean pipes, impurities from the reservoir itself and other harmful substances. After boiling water, these impurities can form other, no less harmful, compounds.
• Water must be prepared specifically for children - the word "childish" on the bottle indicates this. The label should also contain information about the place of water extraction and its characteristics - mineral composition, date and place of spill, expiration date, etc. The triangle with the number 7 indicates the safety of the plastic from which the bottle is made. For the convenience of storing and using water, dispensers and desktop coolers have been created that can be placed in any kitchen without any problems. Even if the factory packaging is made of safe plastic, long-term storage of water in it can lead to the loss of the original properties of the liquid.