Sterilising bottle-feeding equipment

During the first year of your baby’s life, he’s at his most vulnerable to illnesses. If you don’t sterilize your baby’s bottles, viruses, bacteria and parasites can gather on his bottle and in his milk and make him ill. Your baby could develop anything from mild thrush to a more serious bout of vomiting and diarrhea.  It's not possible or practical to create a totally germ-free environment for your baby. But by sterilizing your baby’s feeding equipment, you can reduce the risks while he's at his most vulnerable.

There are several methods you can use to sterilize your baby’s feeding equipment. Microwave and electric sterilizing are the most popular. However, for times when you don’t have access to electricity, use traditional methods, such as boiling and cold water sterilizing.
 

Electric steam sterilizing 

Electric steam sterilizers are quick and efficient, taking eight to 12 minutes, plus cooling time. They can keep bottles sterilized for up to six hours if you leave them in the sterilizer with the lid closed. Many steam sterilizers can hold up to six bottles at a time, and have a rack for smaller items such as teats and dummies. 

Make sure bottles, teats and other equipment are placed with their openings face down. Then you can be sure they are fully sterilized. Be careful that you only put in equipment that is safe to steam. Some parts of breast pumps may not be suitable, for example. 

Microwaving 

Many baby bottles can be sterilized in the microwave on their own. It takes just 90 seconds to sterilize a single bottle. Don’t seal the bottles during microwaving, because pressure could build up inside them during the heating process. 

You can also buy steamers for microwaves, but you won't be able to put anything metal inside them. These steamers take about three to eight minutes to work plus cooling time, depending on the model and your microwave wattage. 

Be careful when removing the lid of microwave steam sterilizers, as the inside can become very hot. These sterilizers’ main advantage is that there is no smell or taste left afterwards. The items also remain sterile for three hours if you keep the sterilizer lid closed. 

Dishwasher sterilizing 

You can sterilize your baby’s bottles in the dishwasher, but you need to use a hot programmer of 80 degrees C or more. You’ll then need to fill the bottles with formula straight away. Bacteria can begin to form as soon as you take them out of the dishwasher. 

Boiling 

Another form of sterilizing is boiling, but first make sure that your baby's bottles are suitable for this. You'll need a large pan with a lid or cover, and it’s best to buy a pan to use exclusively for this purpose. 

Fill the pan with water and submerge all the feeding equipment completely. Make sure there are no trapped air bubbles inside the bottles and teats, then cover the pan and boil for at least 10 minutes. 

Keep the pan's cover on until you need to use the equipment. Be aware teats get sticky and unusable more quickly from boiling, compared to other methods of sterilizing. 

Cold water sterilizing 

To cold water sterilize your baby’s bottle-feeding equipment, you can use a non-toxic solution, such as Milton, dissolved in cold water. It also comes in tablet form. The solution kills bacteria very effectively. You’ll need to change the solution every 24 hours. 

You can buy special sterilizing units for cold water sterilizing. Or you can use a clean bucket or plastic container with a lid. If you use a bucket or container, use something, such as a heavy plate, to keep the bottles and other equipment completely under the solution. You need to check that there are no air bubbles left in the bottles, and keep everything submerged for at least 30 minutes to sterilize everything. 

Take out bottles and teats only when you need to use them. Give each item a shake as you take it out, or rinse off the fluid with cool, boiled water, if you prefer. However, your baby won't come to any harm by feeding from bottles and teats that are taken straight from the sterilizing solution.

How long should I continue sterilizing?

Continue to sterilize your baby’s bottle feeding equipment for at least his first year. You may think sterilizing is rather pointless when your baby is putting all sorts of things in his mouth. However, your baby's immune system is still developing and it's easy for him to pick up infections during his first years. The bugs that stick to milk curds in partly cleaned bottles can be particularly nasty. 

By the time your baby is one year old he'll have started to produce his own antibodies and be more resistant to harmful germs. However, it's a good idea to carry on sterilizing bottles, dummies and teats until your baby stops using them.

Baby Care Topics: Feeding your baby|What should my baby wear? | Bathing and Washing your Baby | Overcoming sleeping problems in your baby




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