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Preparing and Handling Infant Formula

Safe preparation

Preparing and Handling Infant Formula Babies have delicate systems that are in a state of flux. That's why you should minimize the potential for troublesome germs when preparing baby's formula.

When preparing to feed baby any type of formula, begin by washing your hands with warm soapy water for at least twenty seconds, making sure to clean thoroughly under your nails. Dry hands with a clean towel.

Bottles and Nipples
Regardless of which kind of formula you choose, you must have clean feeding equipment or risk intestinal illness. After washing with warm, soapy water and rinsing thoroughly, boil bottles and nipples in a large covered pot for at least five minutes and not more than ten to make sure they are germ free. You can use a dishwasher that supplies heated water and has a hot drying cycle to clean baby bottles, but I have found that nipples must be boiled in order for them to come completely clean.

Water Supply
Cover and boil tap or bottled water for at least five minutes to reduce the chance of bacterial contamination that could make baby sick. Cool the water for at least fifteen minutes to make it easier and safer to mix with formula. Make sure to keep a lid on the water so that it remains sterile.

There are a couple of things to think about when weighing your options for the water used to make your child's formula. First and foremost, lead. Infants and children who consume lead risk long-term growth problems and learning disabilities, as this toxic metal wreaks havoc on brain development. Your home, apartment, or condominium may have lead pipes, particularly if it was constructed before 1986. Even newer dwellings using copper pipes to transport water are not completely safe, since the pipes could be connected with lead solder. Lead leaches into tap water and can make its way into infant formula.

Fluoride is a mineral that your water may lack. Most likely, the water coming into your home contains added fluoride, which is critical for strong teeth and bones. As long as it's lead-free, tap water is acceptable for making formula. If you prefer bottled water, you could be shortchanging your child when it comes to fluoride. That's because bottled waters are not required to contain fluoride. If you're unsure whether the bottled water you give to your child contains fluoride, here's what to do:

• Call the number on the label to find out the fluoride content.
• If there's no number to call, switch to another brand that can supply the information you need.
• Ask your pediatrician if the fluoride level in your bottled water is sufficient for your child.

You can save time by mixing up a day's worth of formula at a time in a large container, then pouring it into individual bottles. Or store formula in a quart-size container and pour into baby bottles as needed for feedings.

Always prepare concentrated liquid formula and powdered formula according to the manufacturer's directions on the label. Using less than the recommended amount of formula means baby will not receive adequate calories and nutrients for growth and development. There's no reason to add more formula to the mix or to use less water unless your pediatrician advises it. Additional formula won't make your child any smarter, stronger, or taller, but it can endanger his health. Excess formula can burden a child's kidneys and cause other serious disorders, including dehydration.

Never add solids such as infant cereal or any other substance, including medication and any form of sugar, to an infant's bottle for any reason.

Safe handling and feedingHandling It
Always immediately refrigerate any open cans of ready-to-feed formula and any mixture of concentrated liquid or powdered formula and water.

Mixed formula is good for forty-eight hours as long as it is properly refrigerated, the bottles are clean and properly sealed, and your refrigerator thermometer registers no higher than 39°F. After forty-eight hours, discard any unused formula. Likewise, pitch what's left over in the bottle when baby doesn't finish the entire amount.

Never refrigerate leftover breast milk or infant formula from a previous feeding to give to your baby later on. As baby sucks, the bacteria from her mouth can get into the bottle and multiply, causing intestinal illness should you use the leftover milk.

Focus on Safe Formula
Parents don't always prepare and handle formula the way they should, despite having read, and claiming to understand, manufacturers' directions. According to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers found that 33 percent of moms mixed formula with warm water directly out of the tap (cooled boiled water is recommended) and nearly half of the mothers heated baby bottles in a microwave (frowned upon because of the risk of burns). In addition, when infant formula was left at room temperature for more than two hours (it should be refrigerated at all times), the chances for diarrhea in older infants increased. Other potentially harmful practices included diluting formula, putting baby to bed with a bottle, and adding cereal or medicine to prepared formula.

Feeding the Baby
There's no scientific proof that babies prefer warm formula, but it's fine to serve it that way. Resist the temptation to microwave bottles of formula for speedy warm-up, however. Microwaving infant formula can be harmful. Microwave heating is uneven, making it difficult to monitor the temperature of the formula in the bottle's center. The bottle may feel only slightly warm, but steam can build within the bottle, causing an explosion and spraying hot milk that can badly bum an infant.

Always cradle your baby in a semiupright position in the crook of your arm when feeding, and tilt her bottle so that the nipple fills with milk. Never prop up a bottle for your daughter to feed from. It's a health risk, and it's antisocial. Feeding your baby is an opportunity for you to spend some quiet time holding and speaking to her, and a chance for her to study your face and get to know it, as well as to listen to your voice.

Begin feeding by gently brushing baby on one cheek with your finger or with the nipple of the bottle, so that she will instinctively turn toward the bottle while opening her mouth. Once her mouth is open, slide the nipple nearly all the way in, but gently. Your baby should begin to suck immediately, but it could take a few tries, so repeat the process as often as necessary, and try not to get frustrated!

Bottle-fed babies, be it formula or breast milk, typically need to burp more than babies who get milk from the breast. That's because infants take in more air as they suck from a bottle. If your baby begins to snooze after a feeding, let her be. If not, try gently burping her. Burping can make way for more formula in the stomach, so that you can feed her until she is full. Never force a bottle on an infant.