Powdered infant formula milk is not sterile. Even though tins and packets of milk powder are sealed, they can still contain bacteria. Water that hasn't been boiled can also contain bacteria. Formula therefore needs to be made up with water hot enough to kill the bacteria, which is at least 70 degrees C.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises you to use water from a safe source to prepare infant formula or boil the water every time you are preparing your baby's formula. This is to keep your baby away from infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or other germs carried by the water.
Boil the water when needed.
For infants under 3 months of age, those who were born prematurely and those who have a weakened immune system, hot water should be used to prepare formula to kill any microbes. To do this, boil the water and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
Bacteria multiply very fast at room temperature. Even when a feed is kept in a fridge, bacteria can still survive and multiply, although more slowly. To reduce the risk of infection, it's best to make up feeds 1 at a time, as your baby needs them. Use freshly boiled drinking water from the tap to make up a feed.
Until what age does water need to be sterilized for healthy term infants? Water used in infant feeding should be sterilized for infants less than four months of age. There is no research supporting a specific infant age at which it is safe to stop boiling water for infant formula preparation.
Mix concentrated liquid or powder formula with cool water (35 to 75°F); it should feel cool on your wrist. If you prefer, you may mix with warm water, but only if you plan to feed or refrigerate the formula immediately.
Can I use fluoridated tap water to mix infant formula? Yes, you can use fluoridated water for preparing infant formula. However, if your child is only consuming infant formula mixed with fluoridated water, there may be an increased chance for mild dental fluorosis.
It's fine to feed your baby cool or even cold formula. It's all up to your baby's preference – they may prefer it warm, at room temperature, or even chilled, and all of those options are just fine. Some parents like to give their baby warm formula because it's closer to the temperature of breast milk.
It's fine to give your baby room temperature or even cold formula. If your baby prefers warm formula, place a filled bottle in a bowl of warm water and let it stand for a few minutes — or warm the bottle under running water.
For a bottle of formula, prepared at 70°C to cool to a safe temperature of approximately 37°C, it will need to sit for at least 30 minutes, possibly longer. This may allow bacteria time to multiply and is contradictory to usual safety advice for any other foods.
Baby's milk or infant formula does not need to be warmed before feeding, but some people like to warm their baby's bottle.
The safest way to pre-prepare bottles is to make the bottles in the evening in the normal way, ensuring the powder is added to freshly boiled water. Then immediately cool the milk under running cold water or in a bowl of cold water.
When can my baby drink tap water? Babies under six months should only drink tap water that has been boiled and cooled down. Water straight from the tap is not sterile so is not suitable for younger babies. Once your baby is six months old, you can offer them water straight from the tap in a beaker or cup.
Warmed milk is easier for baby to digest, as they don't need to use extra energy to warm it up in their tummy. So some parents find that warm milk is less likely to cause baby to have tummy aches.
If you prepare formula ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator. You can use pre-made formula for up to 24 hours. Open containers of ready-made formula, concentrated formula, and formula prepared from concentrate can be stored safely in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
Babies can safely drink cold breastmilk or formula. For healthy, full-term babies, you don't need to be concerned about giving your baby a bottle straight from the refrigerator or mixing formula with cold water.
While there's a lot to learn as a first-time mom, a baby is only considered a newborn for his first 2-3 months of life. Next is the infant stage, which lasts until your baby turns 1 year old.
Try using warm (but not too hot) water compared to cold or room temperature water. This helps the formula dissolve more effectively, thus eliminating bubbles from tons of shaking. Tip: If you're in a rush, gently tapping the bottom of the bottle on the counter or table can help bubbles rise to the top more quickly.
The term newborn is used to refer to a baby who has just arrived in the world. According to The World Health Organization, a baby less than 28 days old is considered a newborn, but doctors and experts refer to babies as newborns up to 2 months of age.
Formula powder is not sterile and when made up it provides an ideal medium for bacteria to grow. Using boiled water of at least 70°C to make up the feed will reduce the risk of your baby becoming unwell with infections like sickness or diarrhoea. Any harmful bacteria present will be killed at this temperature.
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.
While breastfed babies will get their breast milk from the breast at body temperature, babies who are formula-fed or are taking a bottle of breast milk can drink the contents slightly warmed, at room temperature, or even cold straight from the fridge.
Measure out the water.
Water will need to be added to all powdered and liquid-concentrate formula. If you're preparing an individual bottle that you'll give your baby right away, you can use room temperature or warm water from the tap.