You want to provide a clean environment for your baby. Your baby's bottles are sterilized, but does the baby formula have to be as well?
It is important to give your baby safe formula feeding every time. For that reason, it is important to maintain a clean environment. When it comes to the baby formula you give your baby, you need to keep in mind how sterile each type is.
Both ready-to-eat and liquid concentrate are sealed in sterilized containers and are less likely to contain bacteria. Powdered baby formula is not as sterile because it remains open for frequent use. To reduce contamination and spread of bacteria, you can boil the water before you add the serving scoops. Once it has cooled to the proper feeding temperature, you can safely feed your child.
When Should I Be Concerned about Baby Formula?
- If your baby is under two months old or was born prematurely, you will want to consider liquid baby formula. These babies have the most immature immune system and are at a higher risk. Liquid concentrate and ready-to-eat formulas are sterile in sealed containers and do not harbor bacteria after it is opened and properly stored in the refrigerator.
- If you live in a part of the world in which you do not have access to safe water supply, you can either use bottled water or boil water when preparing baby formula.
- If the expiration date on the packaging has passed, throw it out.
