Why is it important to sterilize baby bottles

Sterilising baby bottles - NHS

It's important to sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment, including bottles and teats, until they are at least 12 months old.

This will protect your baby against infections, in particular diarrhoea and vomiting.

Before sterilising, you need to:

Clean bottles, teats and other feeding equipment in hot, soapy water as soon as possible after feeds.
Use a clean bottle brush to clean bottles (only use this brush for cleaning bottles), and a small teat brush to clean the inside of teats. You can also turn teats inside out then wash them in hot soapy water. Do not use salt to clean teats, as this can be dangerous for your baby.
You can put your baby's feeding equipment in the dishwasher to clean it if you prefer. Putting feeding equipment through the dishwasher will clean it but it does not sterilise it. Make sure bottles, lids and teats are facing downwards. You may prefer to wash teats separately by hand to make sure they are completely clean.
Rinse all your equipment in clean, cold running water before sterilising.

The advice above applies to all your baby's feeding equipment, and whether you are using expressed breast milk or formula milk.

How to sterilise baby feeding equipment

There are several ways you can sterilise your baby's feeding equipment. These include:

cold water sterilising solution
steam sterilising
boiling

Cold water sterilising solution

Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Leave feeding equipment in the sterilising solution for at least 30 minutes.
Change the sterilising solution every 24 hours.
Make sure there are no air bubbles trapped in the bottles or teats when putting them in the sterilising solution.
Your steriliser should have a floating cover or a plunger to keep all the equipment under the solution.

Steam sterilising (electric steriliser or microwave)

It's important to follow the manufacturer's instructions, as there are several different types of sterilisers.
Make sure the openings of the bottles and teats are facing downwards in the steriliser.
Manufacturers will give guidelines on how long you can leave equipment in the steriliser before it needs to be sterilised again.

Sterilising by boiling

Make sure the items you want to sterilise in this way are safe to boil.
Boil the feeding equipment in a large pan of water for at least 10 minutes, making sure it all stays under the surface.
Set a timer so you do not forget to turn the heat off.
Remember that teats tend to get damaged faster with this method. Regularly check that teats and bottles are not torn, cracked or damaged.

After you've finished sterilising

It's best to leave bottles and teats in the steriliser or pan until you need them.
If you do take them out, put the teats and lids on the bottles straightaway.
Wash and dry your hands before handling sterilised equipment. Better still, use some sterile tongs.
Assemble the bottles on a clean, disinfected surface or the upturned lid of the steriliser.

Find out more about expressing breast milk and how to make up formula feeds.

Page last reviewed: 24 September 2019
Next review due: 24 September 2022

Best practices for baby bottle sterilization

In today’s society of on-the-go parenting, it is common to purchase bottles, bottle nipples and feeding accessories for babies. Parents have many choices, so it can become challenging to know what to buy and exactly how to clean items. Sometimes, a period of trial and error is necessary before settling on a type of bottle and cleaning system.

Newborns and infants have under-developed immune systems and need to drink from clean bottles. They are vulnerable to infections by viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi, which can all lead to illness. Germs can grow quickly if breast milk or formula is added to a partially used bottle that hasn’t been cleaned well.

When you first buy bottles, it is important to sterilize them at least one time. After that, it is no longer necessary to sterilize bottles and their accessories. Many years ago, when water supplies were not reliably clean, baby items required sterilization, but nowadays, this is thankfully not an issue. Washing items thoroughly with hot water and soap is all that is required to remove most harmful germs from bottles. If bottles and nipples are labeled “dishwasher safe,” you’re also in luck — you can put them directly in the dishwasher, using heated water and a hot drying cycle to clean them. Make sure to take bottles apart during the cleaning process. It is also important to always wash your hands before handling baby bottles or when feeding your baby.

Are there added benefits to sterilizing baby bottles and accessories more frequently?

Sterilization is an added step that can help kill more germs than traditional cleaning. It provides extra protection against germs, but is not necessary for healthy infants who have access to clean water sources and strong immune systems. That being said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states sterilizing feeding items can be done at least once a day. There are several recommended ways to sterilize bottles including using boiling water, microwavable bottle sterilizers or electric steam sterilizers. One is not necessarily superior to the other. Electric steamers plug into outlets and work by using high temperatures and steam to kill germs.

Much like boiling water, sterilizing works by raising temperatures to kill bacteria. There are several different types of sterilizers available on the market including microwave-friendly sterilizers. The key is to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Make sure bottles, nipples and caps are thoroughly cleaned before you begin the steam or sterilization process. Microwave sterilizers kill bacteria by also using hot steam to kill germs. Water is poured into the sterilizer and microwaved for several minutes. This method usually takes less time than an electric steamer.

If you cannot boil, steam, use a dishwasher or don’t have clean water, the CDC condones the use of bleach to clean baby bottles. This can be done by preparing a solution of 1 teaspoon of unscented bleach per 16 cups of water. Items should be soaked for at least two minutes and removed with clean tongs. Any remaining bleach will break down quickly during the air-drying process and will not harm your baby.

Cleaning bottles while traveling

If you’re traveling with your little one and are concerned about access to soap and hot clean water, it may be best to take a portable sterilization system with you such as the ones mentioned above. You may also boil items the traditional way, by placing disassembled items into a pot, covering them with water, bringing to a boil and allowing them to sit for five minutes. As with any system involving hot water or hot steam, keep items away from children and ensure you are handling things with care in order to avoid burns.

It is recommended to use good cleaning practices for all baby equipment. If you are going to sterilize equipment, this is recommended by the CDC for the first three months of life, if you have a premature infant or if your child has a weakened immune system. Daily sterilizing of feeding items may not be necessary for older and healthy babies. At 1 year of age, the AAP also recommends weaning babies off bottles and pacifiers and transitioning to a sippy cup, which can also be washed using dishwashers and/or hot water and soap.

Why and how to sterilize baby feeding bottles

12/28/2018 Tips for the home0

Babies most susceptible to attack by germs and pathogens - Babies often have a mild attack of fungus before a serious gastrointestinal problem.

Food related illnesses tend to be most common in children and if not properly treated can lead to serious health problems.

Why sterilize?

You may be cleaning your baby's bottle properly using soap and water, but that's not enough - sterilization is an important step that most moms tend to forget.

Before sterilization methods were applied, thousands of children became ill from exposure to viruses and bacteria.

It is therefore important to ensure that your baby's feeding bottle is properly sterilized to protect it from a wide range of possible illnesses.

Cleaning the bottles

It is important to clean the bottle well before sterilization. Clean the feeding bottle thoroughly with soap and water and make sure all traces of milk are removed.

Rinse the bottle several times with water to completely remove any detergent or milk that may have stuck to the edges of the bottle.

Sterilization Methods

Once the bottle has been thoroughly cleaned, proceed to sterilize it - Microwave and electrical sterilization methods have gained popularity in recent years, but if you don't have a microwave, here are a few ways to sterilize your bottle.

Steam sterilization

Based on the principle of hospital sterilization, this method is simple and easy to use. It takes about 10 minutes, plus cooling time, making it a fast and efficient sterilization method.

Make sure you are using bottles that are safe to boil for this method. Also remember to place the parts upside down so that they are completely sterilized.

Microwave sterilization

Microwave bottles are the latest method to make life easier for moms. These bottles can be sterilized in the microwave without any extra effort - and best of all, it only takes 9 minutes to sterilize a bottle.0 seconds.

It is important to know that you should not keep the bottle capped while it is in the microwave, as this can cause pressure to build up inside the bottle.

Boiling

Boiling is probably the oldest and most traditional method of sterilization. All feeding utensils and bottles should be in boiling water for at least 10 minutes for proper sterilization.

In addition, you must ensure that the saucepan you are using must be suitable for the purpose for which it is being used. This method is relatively time consuming and therefore not the preferred method for modern moms.

Cold water sterilization

Cold water sterilization is another effective way to sterilize baby bottles. This method uses a non-toxic solution, which is also available in a convenient tablet form.

This solution is believed to remove all bacteria while still being safe enough to be applied to the skin or even swallowed.

You can use sterilization equipment or just use a clean bucket of water with liquid solution in which you dip the bottles.

Make sure there are no air bubbles inside to ensure complete sterilization. After half an hour of immersion, the bottle will be completely sterilized and can be used safely.

Be sure to change the solution daily and wash your hands before handling and using sterile vials.

Experts say it's important to sterilize feeding utensils until at least one year old.

Also remember not to leave sterilized vials and other utensils out in the open air for a long time before using them - this will cause them to quickly lose their sterility.

Also make sure your baby doesn't put things on the floor in his mouth - this is not always possible, but try to keep an eye on him, especially in the first months of his life, and create a protective and bacteria-free environment around him as far as possible.

Comments ⁰ Share:

Loading ...

Is it necessary to sterilize feeding bottles: opinions for and against

Baby

Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

dietitian

Western doctors believe that the birth itself should be possible train immunity.

Otherwise, the baby will not be able to effectively fight pathogenic bacteria. For this reason, foreign pediatricians do not recommend sterilizing bottles. Russian experts have a different opinion.

The first argument is that gut microflora and defense mechanisms are formed on average by the end of the first year of life, so if there is any way to reduce the risk, it should be used.
Another argument: breast milk is microbiologically safe. In addition, with it, the baby receives antibodies to fight infections. An "artificial person" is a priori deprived of such natural protection. But if he drinks from an unsterilized bottle, the risks for him will only increase . Leftover formula (or expressed milk) is a breeding ground for pathogens, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. From dirty dishes, bacteria can first enter the baby's mouth, and then into the intestines, from where they will very soon displace beneficial lactobacteria and bifidobacteria. And this is fraught with digestive failures.

Parents, of course, decide for themselves which view is closer to them, but it is better to sterilize the bottle during the first months. The simplest and most modern way is processing in an electric steam sterilizer. You can also carry out the procedure in a microwave oven in a special container - a microwave sterilizer or use non-toxic tablets for disinfection by dissolving them in cold water. It is also allowed to boil the bottles for 10 minutes in a clean saucepan - the method is old, but effective.

It's time to stop

There is no exact timeframe for stopping bottle sterilization, but most domestic pediatricians suggest keeping this habit up to a year and a half on average.

It would seem that when a baby begins to crawl and forcefully pull everything that comes into his mouth into his mouth, no sterilization will save him from the invasion of harmful microbes. But this is an erroneous conclusion.