It is every parent’s highest priority to keep their children safe and healthy all the time. Your baby’s immune system is not yet wholly strengthened and developed, and they are more susceptible to illnesses and infections. That is why effective initial sterilization of baby feeding items is vital to ensure your baby feeds from safe and clean bottles. Do you wonder which is the best way to sterilize your baby’s bottles? I heard a lot of parents ask, “Can I boil baby bottles?” Read on to learn more about boiling baby bottles.
Why Sterilization of Baby Bottles is Important
When babies are born, their digestive and immune systems are new and not familiar to the millions of bacteria that we encounter and come into contact with every day. Healthy mothers pass on their babies’ immunity during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but there is no room for complacency.
Medical experts recommend that there is a need to sterilize baby bottles, especially for the first few months of life to kill any germs, bacteria, or viruses that may be present in your baby’s bottle, and to keep your baby from getting sick. Sterilizing can eliminate any traces of bacteria and build-up that may otherwise contaminate your child’s formula or breastmilk. The common sicknesses that a baby can get with bacteria present in baby bottles include food poisoning diarrhea, hepatitis A, vomiting, rotavirus, and stomach flu. Now for the common question, “Can I boil baby bottles?” The answer is yes. Sterilizing bottles through boiling water will help lessen your baby’s exposure to germs and disease-causing bacteria. It also allows your little to develop immunity without going through a dangerous process.
Sterilizing Baby Bottles by Boiling Water
It is essential to sterilize baby bottles before each use, for at least the first 12 months of your baby’s life. It applies whether you are bottle feeding with infant formula or with expressed breast milk.
Through the use of high temperatures such as in boiling, sterilization kills bacteria in bottles. A lot of moms ask, “Can I boil baby bottles?”. You can, but before you do it, you’ll need first to ensure that your baby bottles are BPA-free. You don’t need special equipment for this method; all you need is water and a pot.
Boiling is considered the most basic method of sterilizing with the use of heat. It works by raising the temperature high enough to kill any bacteria leftover after washing. Follow these steps to sterilize your baby bottles and teats by boiling them:
- Check that your bottles and teats can be boiled safely.
- Put the items you into a pot that is large enough to accommodate them.
- Fill the pot with water and make sure the items are completely submerged. Submerge the washed bottles in the water upside down, making sure there aren’t any air bubbles at the bottom.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Boil the water for 5 – 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and remove the bottles with the use of tongs. Make sure the water has cooled enough so you won’t burn yourself.
- Place them on a clean, dry dishcloth to air dry.
- You can also store the items in a sterilized container in the fridge.
- Repeat this process if you don’t use your bottles and teats within 24 hours of boiling.
You may ask, “Can I boil baby bottles after every use?”. A simple reminder – check with your bottle’s manufacturer to ensure that the boiling-water process will not harm the bottles. Sometimes, boiling could cause plastic bottles to melt, or glass bottles crack if they weren’t manufactured to withstand certain heat levels. Get more tips on baby bottles.
Conclusion
It’s important to sterilize your baby’s bottles regularly to ensure your babies are fed the safest way. It also gives you a sense of peace of mind knowing you are reducing your baby’s risk of illness and infection. New parents commonly ask, “Can I boil baby bottles?” Yes, indeed, and it is a healthy practice.
It is entirely up to your choices when it comes to the well-being of your baby. Always know that you are not alone, may also talk to your pediatrician about bottle sterilization methods that are right for your family and lifestyle. After all, parents will always want their babies to grow strong and healthy through the safest way of feeding.