Sterilising bottles ???

**Kamaikia** · 27-07-2005 12:37

I was just wondering at what age do you stop sterilising your babies bottles. I stopped about 4 months ago (my son is 9 months old) i figured there was no point in it when he put everything he can into his mouth and none of it is sterile. I wash his bottles in hot soapy water then rinse them in hot water. I then swirl a bit of boiling water around in them. the thing is my friend still sterilises her childs bottles and she is 19 months old ( and is always sick, antibiotics at least twice a month) and tells me i should be doing this or i will make my son sick. My son has been sick once in his life and that was while i was still sterilising. What do other mums think

**aardvark** · 27-07-2005 12:41

I went back to work when my daughter was 12 months old, and she had a bottle of expressed breast milk during the day at childcare for 9 months after that.

I continued sterilising the bottles and breast pump right up until I stopped expressing.

**Briannabear** · 27-07-2005 12:50

I was actually at the Child Health Clinic this morning and the nurse said not to sterilise. I personally have been sterilising everything (except her toys) for my DD, but was curious as to when you can stop. Apparently they advise not to anymore. She said that it doesnt really make much difference. They put everything in their mouths anyway - especially when they are crawling. She said to just simply be hygenic and wash with hot soapy water and it will be fine.

**Chickadee** · 27-07-2005 13:22

My CHN nurse also told me when dd was 3 months & starting bottles that it wasn't necessary to sterilise. I did anyways for my own peace of mind until dd was about 10 months and we went for a months holiday overseas.

I personally think that a certain amount of dirt is good for bub's, to build their immune system (or however it works). So I don't disinfect toys, though I will wipe them down with soapy water when they get grubby.

Whether or not you sterilise for young infants, once they start getting mobile they're going to be putting all sorts of things in their mouth so it becomes a bit pointless to be overly picky about sterilising. So long as the bottles are washed well they'll be fine.

How often bub is going to be sick will depend on a lot of things. And if they're going to be sick from something in/on their bottles then it's going to be gastro-intenstinal with vomiting, diarrhea etc. Not colds, flus, ear infections etc. I don't know what your friends bub is on antibiotics for but I doubt it has anything to do with how sterile (or not) her bottles are.