Sterilizing: Is it really a necessity?

[arty1]

I plan on breastfeeding, however not opposed to top-ups using formula or breast milk in a bottle.

DH wants a bottle steriliser and I think they are unnecessary. My argument is that hot soapy water will do just fine.

So we have both done some research and this is what I have found...

* Sterilisation became recommended around the 17th and 18th century when bottles were made from glass, and than in the 1900s when nipples were made from rubber, and than in the round 1950s if clean water was not used to make the formula. As doctors and our grandmothers were so use to it, advice and the practice continued.

Now today, we have health and safety regulations, so however the formula is made should not be contaminated, cow's milk is pasteurised, and our water is clean.

Boiling bottles and teats on the stove is sufficient and using your dishwasher or warm soapy water in the sink works too.

Therefore my conclusion still remains, that sterilising is unnecessary today. I think it is important to expose the child to some nasties to help build up an immune system, and if I found my baby was getting sick constantly than I would try sterilising and seeing if that makes a difference.

What are your thoughts on it?


Here is some links you may be interested in reading:
http://babyparenting.about.com/b/2008/06/16/more-on-sterilizing-your-babys-bottles.htm
http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/nformula/0,,3qd9,00.html
A bit of History
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=598176&sk=&date=&pageID=2
Article on Formula fed 3rd world babies -Interesting read
http://faculty.msb.edu/murphydd/CRIC/Readings/Nestle-Baby-Killer%20by%20Mike%20Muller,%20War%20on%20Want,%20 1974.pdf

[~Temet Nosce~]

I think I will be giving sterilising a miss this time around :yes: maybe once in a while just for an extra clean but not every day. Because I am also using bottles that contain BPA I want to reduce the risk as much as possible.
I buy an antibacterial detergent so I think that should be enough.

[JabberJaw]

I breastfeed also, but yep i hate germs so i steralise, not in a steraliser, just a big pot of water.

I did cups/dummys/teats/bottles if bub had EBM or water.

I still steralise bubs dummies once a week and she is 16 months old! I of course wash them in hot soapy water regularly too.

I dint bother with milton or anything like that, i prefer to boil everything.

A CHN told me i didn't need to steralise anything that breast milk and breast milk alone had touched, eg bottles, breast pump, etc as BM had its own antibacterial properties, but if i used the bottles for anything other than BM, they then need to be steralised.

I know heaps of people who dont steralise.

[munchie]

Personally I would still sterilize if I were using plastic bottles as alot of milk builds up around the sides over time I found. I would recommend glass bottles they are so much easier to clean and better for bubs. If you are just going to sanitise by means of detergents and soaps keep in mind that you wont be killing every pathogen I would personally wait until bubs is atleast 6 months. JMO.

[kotakai]

DS3 is FF & I don't sterilize. I scrub his bottles under running water & then they go through the dishwasher. Same as his dummies.

[JLeesmum]

my FF DS is 5 1/2 months, i stopped sterilizing last week, i always used milton.. i never sterilized his dummys tho, always rinsed them under tap water...i think the chemicals , and steam ruin the teats quicker

[missie_mack]

I entirely agree with the op. Never used a steraliser. If we were concerned we use to fill the item with boiling water from the jug and leave it to cool. Once an item has been removed from the steraliser or solution or whatever it is no longer sterile anyhow

[jorey]

I agree hot soapy water should be sufficient. You could also keep your bottles in the fridge after they have been washed.

[NonnyMouse]

My thoughts are that it is not necessary UNLESS...

... you are slow to clean out your bottles after use, which gives bugs a chance to grow in the milk left around the edges and in the teats.

I give DS EBM on the odd occasion and if I don't wash the pump or bottle immediately after use (or at least pull it to bits and give it a jolly good rinse in hot water until I get around to washing it properly) then I'll pop them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to make sure I've killed off anything likely to grow.

My midwife's recommendation was the same... sterilisation is not necessary if you wash well in hot soapy water, then rinse well, air dry, and store in a sealed container (preferably in the fridge) until next use.

[Boobycino]

I sterilised obsessively before bubba was 3 months old.

Now I put bottles and food containers into the dishwasher, let them dry completely and store them in an airtight container.

And then monthly or so I sterilise the lot in milton.

I think that'll do?

[bada]

I would still do it up until 3 months at least.

I agree about bubs needing to be exposed to some things but I don't believe they should be or can handle it at that young age. Obviously bottle feeding is not natural so you could be exposing your newborn to "bugs" they shouldn't be exposed to at that age, IMO.

I stopped sterilising dummies at 6 months.

[bada]

Also there have been at least three major water contamination issues in my lifetime that I recall, one was ghiardia (sp?) the others I'm not sure what the problem was. My adult SIL was severely ill for weeks with the ghiardia Id hate to think how a small baby would react.

So although our water is "clean" accidents happen and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[Phyllis Stein]

I sterilised (boiled on stove) for the first year, now I just wash in hot soapy water and air dry.

I think it's essential if you're formula feeding to prevent as much 'bad' bacteria build up in an infant's gut as possible. Breastfed babies have a healthy bacteria balance because they get plenty of beneficial bacteria in their food to counteract the nasties they are exposed to. FF babies don't get any or much beneficial bacteria from their diet, so it's important to reduce the bad stuff as much as possible.

[mytwoangelsC&A]

I would steralizer at least for the first couple months a new born has no imunity built up! DS is 5 months now and started solids that is when i just used shot soapy water with dd and i am doing the same with DS. You can get microwave ones that aren't to dear as a back up anyhow

[BabelFish]

We sterilised everything regularly until DD was three months old. Without fail. Their immune systems are just not as strong when they're brand new. Plus we have two dogs that live mostly inside, so for us it was just an extra precaution.

From three to six months we sterilised once a day.

From six to twelve months we did not sterlise but washed in hot soapy water, rinsed and allowed to air dry. And that's what we'll continue to do.

Babies need to be exposed to a certain amount of bacteria, which is why when they're a bit older, not sterlising is fine. But up until 12 weeks I would definitely be sterilising, without any doubt.

[PunkyDiva]

I would recommend glass bottles they are so much easier to clean and better for bubs.

Glass bottles aren't recomended for expressed breastmilk as the antibodies stick to the glass, according to the CHN anyways, haven't actually found anything about it yet. I was going to use glass bottles as I thought they were safer the plastic :confused:

[~BEXTER~]

I sterilized Keiaras bottles until after 12 months.

I washed them in hot soapy water then rinsed then sterilized is a steam sterilizer.

The first time i gave her a bottle without sterilizing it felt weird but she was over 1 so i knew it was time to stop.

I will be doing the same for my second baby (when I have one) I just don't think they are clean enough just by washing them. but thats just my opinion

[mum2bubba]

I wash Nathan's bottles in hot soapy water and then use boiling water to rinse them out. I did this with the girls too and have had no problems so far.