New guidance for preparing formula

[julienetmum]

The Department of Health and Food Standards Agency have issued revised
guidance on the preparation and storage of infant formula milk.

The European Food Safety Authority¹s (EFSA) Scientific Panel on Biological
Hazards has issued an opinion in relation to the microbiological risks in
powdered infant and follow-on formulae.

The panel concluded that salmonella and Enterobacter sakazakii are the
micro-organisms of greatest concern. Although infections with these
micro-organisms from formula milk are rare, the risk can be reduced by
following guidelines on preparation and storage.

The Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency advise all health
professionals, particularly nurses, midwives and health visitors, to
change/revise/update their advice to mothers on the preparation and storage
of infant formula milk in the home.

Health professionals should re-emphasise to parents:
€ the importance of good hygiene practices in preparing and storing
feeds made from powdered formula

€ failure to follow the manufacturer¹s guidelines may increase the
chances of a baby becoming ill

Infant formula powder is not sterile; the risks associated with using
powdered infant formula milk are reduced if:

feeds are made up using boiled water that is greater than 70ºC; in
practice, this means using water that has been left to cool for no more than
half an hour

feeds are made up fresh for each feed; storing made up formula
milk may increase the chance of a baby becoming ill and should be avoided

any left over milk is thrown away

mothers, who require a feed for later, are advised to keep water
they have just boiled in a sealed flask and make up fresh formula milk when
needed

The NHS leaflet on bottle feeding has been updated and 'Birth to Five' and
'The Pregnancy Book' will be updated to reflect this advice before the next
print run.

Department of Health

European Food Safety Authority

Thanks, interesting. Mine is made up fresh as DD only has one per day but I imagine I'd make up quite a few fresh even if she had more as it seems to take people so long to warm the bottle, I'm sure you can cool down with water more quickly (though not sure if that is advised, and it might be no different, just my perception?!)

How old fashioned to say "mothers... are advised" though! As if fathers don't ever have this issue to deal with

I never made up feeds. Always put the water in the bottle and then just added formula as and when i needed it.

It was just so much easier than having to worry about heating/cooling everytime baby needed a feed

Do you find it mixes ok though? I tried it cold/room temperature and it didn't mix.

I think Racers that it is worded like that because this is meant for midwives and health visitors and it is the mother who is the client (especially in the case of midwives)

I mix powder with room-temp water, give it a good shake, no probs, Racers
what is 'boiled water that is greater than 70ºC' when it's at home, btw?
what with this and the 'mothers' blunder, can this really be coming from the Dep of Health?

I shook it up for ages and it didn't mix well - loads of bits in it. Not to worry!

'mothers' for midwives, yes I can see that but would be better to be inclusive of men, I feel.

I used aptamil, give it good shake no problem

It means that you should not let the water cool for longer than half an hour before mixing the powder into it or it will become an ideal temperature for bacteria.

Basically I did everything wrong back when I formula fed dd 3-4 years ago!

it is worded a bit technical but when the new leaflet comes out that will be in user friendly English (I hope)

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my hv didn't spend much time giving me breastfeeding advice, she simply said, 'well then you have to top up with formula!!'

I used madeup formula left in the fridge for 24 hours and ds has lived to tell the tale!

I wonder how on earth my 3 siblings and I survived childhood!

NN, the midwife who did our parentcraft classes gave us bottlefeeding advice. She told us she wasn't meant to, but said it was ridiculous.

Actually I'm surprised that they aren't recommending using cartons of made up formula for the first month or so anyway. Fair enough that it does seem to be standard practice not to give group advice in advance on making up formula, but am normsknockers that your local health profs won't give individual advice if required on making up formula. My mw was very helpful and made sure I knew how to make up formula after I gave up bfing.

I'm shocked too. When I was discussing using formula with my HV she was very insistant I knew all the ins and outs, despite having already bottlefed one baby.

My area has two infant feeding co-ordinators whose main job is to increase breastfeeding rates in the area but they are most insistent that parents know how to make up formula safely. In fact they told me about these new guidelines almost 18 months ago whilst they were still being discussed.

I think it's specifically giving advice about bottlefeeding to groups of parents, not on an individual basis.

Yes hunker, its a known fact that group demos are not effective. The instruction should ideally be given in the parents own home, using their own equipment.

Both my antenatal class and my HV refused to give any advise on forumlae feeding, insisting that they only advocated breast is best. All very well, but once that decison has been made by a parent (in my case 6 weeks later) then I can't see why they can't advise and help. But I guess it must be different in different areas.

I used to make up all the days bottles in the morning, using cooled boiled water from the evening before. I then stored them in the fridge for the day.

When going out, if for a short time, I would carry a couple of made up bottles in a cool bag thing. If for longer, I'd take the water and the posder seperate and make up when needed.

As a maternity nurse i put water in bottles once it's cooled and store it at room temp, adding powder as needed.

I wonder if the manufacturers will change their 'how to' instructions to follow this new advice?

Ditto Hula - mine have lived to tell the tale too!

Oh, with ds3 I was exceedingly lazy and used cartons pretty much for the duration

Well DD is 3.5 now and she seems okay to me

Like everything, I think a bit of common sense gets you through.

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