Boil Bottled Water for Baby Formula or not?
If you are using powdered infant formula, you need to add water. Some parents wonder if they should be boiling bottled water.
Powdered infant formula is economical because it lasts longer, has more servings per container, and costs less per serving. All you have to do it mix with water, shake, and serve at a warm temperature.
If you are using water from the tap, you need to boil it for one minute and then cool it to body temperature. This will kill any bacteria that may be in your water supply. The problem that some people find with tap water is that it may contain fluoride. An excess of fluoride can lead to fluorosis or white lines on your baby's teeth. One solution is using bottled water.
Why Use Bottled Water for Baby Formula?
- Convenient on the go
- Safe when local drinking water has been contaminated
- Available as purified, distilled, deionized, and demineralized as well as low-fluoride
Why Boil Bottled Water?
For one thing, bottled water is not sterilized. Even though it has fewer minerals and contaminants as tap water, there is still a risk of bacteria. This is even truer once a gallon-sized bottle has been opened. Another reason is because of the baby formula. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is a concern about Cronobacter. It can be killed off by boiling the water used in powdered formula. Also, with the number of uses that parents get out of a container of baby formula, contamination can occur after it is open in the household. The extra precaution of boiling water from all sources is a good practice for your baby's health.
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