To Sterilize or Not To Sterilize Baby Bottles
To sterilize or not to sterilize your baby bottles, that is the question!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a baby bottle be washed after every feeding with hot water and soap, then allowed to dry thoroughly. This helps prevent the growth of bacteria, which thrives in water or leftover milk.
While your mother and grandmother may have used boiling water to sterilize baby bottles, doctors say there is no longer a need to do this. They now say that if your water is safe enough to drink, it’s safe enough for cleaning. Unless your water supply is suspected to harbor contaminated bacteria, washing your bottles properly will remove most bacteria. Even if sterilized, bottles will begin to pick up bacteria in the environment immediately after being removed from the boiling water or steam, so a truly sterile bottle and nipple does not last long!
According to the CDC: For extra germ removal, sanitize feeding items at least once daily. Sanitizing is particularly important when your baby is younger than 3 months, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system. Daily sanitizing of feeding items may not be necessary for older, healthy babies, if those items are cleaned carefully after each use.
If you have an at risk newborn or choose to sanitize your bottles for any reason, there are many sterilizing options including a pot of boiling water, a microwave sterilizer, or a countertop sterilizer. My favorite is the Baby Brezza Sterilizer and Dryer! It sterilizes and fully dries all of your bottles and feeding parts!
📷: Baby Brezza
