Disinfection of infant feeding bottles, nipples, pacifiers, teaspoons, etc. is necessary to maintain proper hygiene in very young children. How to sterilize newborn bottles at home, what are the most appropriate methods to kill all germs, and what to do before starting the sterilization process?
Sterilizing baby bottles
Sterilizing bottles at home
The baby's immune system is not yet fully developed, and simply washing objects that are in direct contact with her oral cavity is not enough. Sterilization will help to avoid the penetration of microbes that can provoke nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain into the baby's body.
Preparing bottles for sterilization
Neonatal bottles need to be prepared before sterilizing. The preparation process includes the following:
- Pre-rinse in running water;
- Rinsing with warm water and a mild detergent and cleaning the inner surface with a special brush. If milk residues are greasy or difficult to remove, the water may not be able to handle it.
Preparation for sterilization
Important! It is better to use a special liquid for washing utensils for children or baking soda.
- Thorough rinsing with multiple waters. Detergent foam must be completely removed.
On sale you can find bottles made of glass and plastic. Both types are washed without problems, but glass is better sterilized. Plastic ones are not so resistant to temperature influences, they can deform. The most dangerous thing is that plastic from unscrupulous manufacturers can release harmful substances that enter the baby's diet.
Important! If there are signs of damage on the teats or bottles, then they cannot be continued to be used, since dangerous microorganisms get into small cracks and are not removed by rinsing.
Sterilization methods
In a home or apartment, bottles and other baby items can be sterilized in different ways. Each mother determines the best method for herself.
Sterilization can be done by physical or chemical methods. In the home, the former are more often used. Basically we are talking about thermal sterilization - exposure to high-temperature steam or boiling water.
In the microwave
This is a quick and convenient method of sterilization, its effectiveness is one hundred percent. In the microwave, sterilization of baby accessories is available in several ways:
- Using a bowl of water is the easiest way. Place a plate half full of water in the microwave oven and put objects there for sterilization. If they are bottles, they should be turned upside down. Set the timer for 1-2 minutes of operation at maximum power. After the end of the process and the cooling of the objects, they should be immediately removed from the bowl;
- Use of special sterilization bags. There are 5 packs on sale. Each bag is suitable for 20 times use. Their dimensions are such that the bags can even hold 3 bottles with a capacity of 260 ml. The bags are made of materials that are safe for health, free from substances such as bisphenol A. A little water is poured into the bag, then the bottles are folded there, the container is fastened on top with a special device and placed in the microwave for 1.5 minutes. Then the water is drained.
Sterilization bags
Important! It is best to purchase bags that have a liquid removal spout. They are much safer to use.
- Using a plastic microwave container. It consists of a bowl, a lid and a grid with holes, which is inserted into the container a few centimeters from the bottom of the container where the water is. Thus, only water vapor enters the bottles installed with the neck down. When using a container, the timer is set for 5 minutes.
Microwave Sterilizer Container
Important! Most often, manufacturers create containers for their own bottles, therefore, if the bottles are of a different brand, it will not always be possible to fit them into the tank in the same quantity. But this does not mean that the device will be useless, you just need to organize the space well.
Most of the well-known manufacturers offer a special type of self-sterilizing microwave bottle. They have a special cap. Water is poured into it, then a nipple is inserted, everything is covered from above with a bottle, which is placed upside down. It turns out a mini-sterilizer, the whole disinfection process in which takes 1.5-2 minutes in a microwave oven.
Self-sterilizing bottle
Boiling
The most popular and economical method of sterilization, known for a long time, is boiling. However, young parents sometimes wonder how to properly boil a baby bottle and a pacifier in order to ensure that all germs are removed quickly and as conveniently as possible.
You just need to take a pan, which will accommodate all the baby items intended for sterilization. Immerse them completely in cold water, cover the pan with a lid, turn on the gas under it, heat to a boil and simmer for about five minutes. Then remove from the stove and leave the pan covered for another 10 minutes. During this time, the boiling water will cool down a little, and you can remove the bottles and nipples, placing them on a clean cloth surface.
Boil sterilization
Chemical disinfection
Refers to cold sterilization methods. The industry produces special liquids or soluble tablets that are available in pharmacies. This method is not common, but it is convenient to use it on the road when the hot sterilization process is difficult. It is also used to decontaminate plastic bottles that have poor resistance to high temperatures.
Bottle sterilization tablets
Water is poured into a saucepan and tablets are dissolved in it (without increasing the recommended amount), then the bottles are immersed. After half an hour, they are sterile. Objects should be removed using tweezers and applied, rinsing off the remaining solution with water.
Important! Since the solution remains sterile for 24 hours, objects can be immersed more than once during the day.
Steam sterilization
Steam sterilization involves the use of hot steam. Here, the use of a double boiler or multicooker will be useful.
How to sterilize in a multicooker:
- Pour about a liter of water into the multicooker bowl;
- Arrange the bottles with their neck down on the lattice placed in the upper part;
- Set the steam treatment mode;
- Switch on the timer for 15 minutes.
Sterilization in a multicooker
Sterilization in a double boiler:
- Pour in water;
- Place inverted bottles on the lower rack of the apparatus;
- On the upper grill there is a place for nipples, lids, etc .;
- Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Special sterilizer
The industry produces special sterilizers, where dishes are disinfected with steam at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius. The process is very fast - it takes 8 to 12 minutes, and the bottles remaining in the device remain sterile for 3-6 hours. To use the sterilizer, all that is required is to pour water into a special container of the device, install the bottles and turn on the device.
Bottle sterilizer
Sterilization errors
When performing sterilization, it is necessary to follow a number of rules that will help make the process effective:
- Mom is obliged to follow the rules of hygiene. Before using sterile bottles, she should thoroughly wash her hands with soap and water;
- In order to sterilize children's accessories, you need to have a separate dish, and not the one that is used for cooking all family members;
- Do not be afraid to use detergents if the residues on the bottle are oily and difficult to remove;
Important! The risk of dishwashing liquid poisoning is incomparably lower (or even impossible with thorough rinsing) than the risk of food poisoning.
- Think carefully before purchasing a bottle. Bottles with unusual shapes, such as those with a hole in the middle, are suitable for drinking water, not milk. They are very difficult to rinse out;
Bottles of unusual shape
- If you put breast pumps in a multicooker or microwave without adding water, they can deform.
How long to sterilize bottles
In accordance with international experience, pediatricians recommend sterilizing bottles, pacifiers and other items that a baby can put in his mouth until the age of 4 months. It is impossible to keep the child isolated from the external environment any longer. To strengthen his immune system, he must come into contact with bacteria.
In case of breastfeeding, the bottle that will be filled with water should be sterilized once a week. With artificial or mixed feeding, the bottles for the mixture are sterilized every 2-3 days.
After 4 months, sterilization can be continued every 2 weeks, on other days it is enough to rinse the bottles with hot water and soap. When the baby is 6 months old, the sterilization can be stopped.
Much depends on the baby. If he is very sensitive, he has a tendency to frequent inflammation of the mouth or diarrhea, you will need to continue sterilizing the bottles.
Important! Sterilization is needed even when the baby is already one year old, if the child is transported to other climatic conditions (especially warmer ones).
Breeding formula for newborns
Preparing baby food is an important process. You need to know how to make a formula for a newborn so that your baby gets healthy and tasty food every day that will help him grow and develop.
Correct dilution of milk formula
To feed your baby with quality food, you need to buy a good mixture that is suitable for his age and other indications. For example, “Similak Premium”, “Nan”, “Nestogen” and other brands received good marks from doctors and parents for the smallest.
Before mixing infant formula, you must purchase bottled water intended for babies. It contains a minimum amount of trace elements that can overload the kidneys of a child; such water does not need to be boiled. In the absence of bottled water, you can use filtered tap water, but you must first boil it.
Dilution of milk mixture
Infant formula is valuable and healthy for an infant when prepared in strict accordance with the instructions provided. They tell you how to properly dilute infant formula and other relevant information.
What you should pay attention to:
- The proportions of powder and water are most important for the child. The box with the product always indicates how many measuring spoons of powder should be diluted in a certain amount of water, the age of the baby, as well as the number of servings per day;
Important! Cooking a mixture that is too thick or too watery can harm your baby. With an increased amount of trace elements and protein in one serving, the digestive system of the crumbs may not be able to cope. If the powder is diluted with plenty of water, the baby will not get enough food.
- If the manufacturer indicates that the mixture is suitable for consumption within 4 weeks after opening the package, then after this period it must be discarded;
- The child grows, so the amount of food is gradually increasing. If at the age of 6 months he needs to make 180 ml of the mixture, then after 2 months he will drink 210 ml. When diluting more food, the proportions of water and mixture are preserved;
- Breeding technique. You need to dilute the powder by adding it to a bottle of filled water, and not vice versa, adding liquid to the powder. Then gently shake the bottle until the mixture is completely dissolved. In this case, vigorous shaking will lead to foaming of the milk;
- It is important to read the information about the temperature of the water used. In too cold, the powder will not dissolve, it forms lumps.
Mix temperature
For a meal to be effective and comfortable, you need to know what temperature the formula should be for feeding a newborn.
Important! Mixing the powder with boiling water destroys the valuable vitamins and nutrients contained in the mixture. In order for the formula of the product to retain its properties, it is not allowed to cook it at high temperatures.
The best temperature for infant formula is 36-38 ° C. The product is usually cooked at a temperature of about 40 ° C. It is preferable not to feed the newborn in advance, but to cook right before use. It is also forbidden to leave uneaten milk at a later date - dangerous pathogenic microorganisms can form in food that has come into contact with the child's saliva.
Algorithm for feeding a baby from a bottle:
- Dilute the required amount of the mixture in a clean bottle. Sometimes it is necessary to pour breast milk, which must first be expressed;
- Install the teat and make sure that the milk does not come out in too frequent drops;
- Measure the temperature of milk by applying a couple of drops to the skin of your wrist;
- Give the bottle to the child in the arms. In this case, it should be kept at approximately an angle of 45 °;
Bottle feeding your baby
- When the baby has finished eating, raise him upright and maintain in this position for about 5 minutes. This will allow air to escape if the child spits up, food does not enter the respiratory system.
It is helpful for the child to come into contact with the outside world and bacteria. So his body will learn to make antibodies. Sterile bottles and nipples do not weaken the immune system of the newborn, but only protect his digestive system from E. coli and other microbes. While the baby is small and weak, it is best not to take risks and regularly sterilize baby feeding equipment and pacifiers.
