Sterilising bottles - is it really necessary and how long for?

[NameChange30]

DH and I are debating this at the moment. The NHS and WHO advice is to sterilise bottles and other feeding equipment for a year. But in his country (EU, good healthcare) they say sterilising isn't necessary. I can see both sides of the argument but I'm leaning towards sterilising at the tiny newborn stage, just in case. But how long should we do it for? A year does seem excessive, I was thinking about 3 months...

If anyone could share experiences and/or advice (or even evidence/research on the subject) I'd appreciate it!

TIA

The WHO advice is from 2006 and 2007. French medical system advice is from 2016.

Does your sister realise there hasn't been one single case of a child who has got food poisoning from formula in Britain for decades?

sprinkle I don't have figures to hand but as babies did indeed die at an alarming rate pre-sterilisation I think we have to at least explore the possibility that bacteria contributed to infant mortality.

Its not namby pamby to ensure infant feeding equipment is free from harmful bacterial. Milk is a bastard for bacteria.

Sterilising is so easy now days.

A few minutes in a microwave can make up for any shortfalls in washing up tecnique

It's beside the point really. Why would you take the risk

Except if your bottles can't go in the microwave...

@TheDisillusionedAnarchist

"The guidance in the U.K. now is not to sterilise breast pump parts"

That's interesting. Do you have a source for this please? I did sterilise my breast pump parts last time, using a microwave bag, and this was required by the milk bank I was donating to. (Before anyone jumps on me, sterilising bottles for milk bank was not required as they are single use plastic and are provided - hopefully - sterile)

All the NHS professionals I encountered while in hospital establishing breastfeeding said not to bother sterilising for breast milk, just wash everything thoroughly in hot soapy water (the "breasts aren't sterile" line was repeated to me several times). It looks like the official guidelines still say sterilise though: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/expressing-storing-breast-milk.aspx

Has anyone seen the "murder bottles" in the Castle Museum in York? They were used about 100 years ago and were so difficult to clean that many babies died.

NameChange I would be inclined to sterilise bottles and teats until 6 months. Given that there are differing points of view, when they are little and vulnerable I would err on the side of caution.

Kel1234 When I transitioned DD from formula to cow's milk I started off by giving her 75% formula and 25% cow's milk, then 50/50, then 25/75. She never seemed to notice the difference. I think people are questioning your choice in using follow on milk because it is a marketing ploy and I don't think many parents use it. Although children who don't (or won't) eat a balanced diet probably would benefit from follow on formula.

Not judging, but why are you so anti cow's milk? Formula is made from cow's milk.

Whatlifestylechoice - there have been babies with food poisoning from formula I jus don't think it's recorded. I know of two actually one of whom was so ill it inpacted on their health for years. The parents did sterilise bottles but they also left the used bottles around for hours and kept reusing them so the baby was getting old previously warmed milk. They didn't use water that was 70 degrees either though that wasn't the problem.

If you don't sterilise it's sensible to do a got soapy wash soon after using the bottle and to run through the dishwasher and rinse after. Ebm is less of an issue than formula milk when this method is used.

It's very low risk to use clean bottles and ebm but sterilising dose compensate for poor cleaning so it is best practice.

As for the toddle milk stuff, it's pretty bonkers to feed it to kids, more bonkers to feed it in bottles and more bonkers still to be told that doing so compromises your child's immune system.

If you decide to sterilise, which I did/would up to 6 months, then cold water sterilising is really easy. Just add Milton liquid to water, submerge the equipment and then 20 minutes later it's sterile. You change the water every 24 hours. If you need something sterilised quicker than that, there are reusable microwave bags that take a couple of minutes to sterilise. It's not a lot of effort for extra reassurance.

namechange why couldn't they go in the microwave? Why would you buy ones that couldnt?
If they couldn't why wouldn't you just use a steam steriliser which takes a few minutes and isn't much more hassle than a microwave one?

Anyway you look at it, sterilising is not a difficult process.

Breasts aren't sterile, but breast milk sitting in a bottle for a few hours is about the most perfect medium for growing bacteria that you could imagine.

When I expressed and used bottles, I sterilised them right up until I stopped BFing. Never sterilised anything else at all, hot soapy was fine.

Slightly OT but stainless steel baby bottles sound completely impractical to me. Does anyone already use them? Surely the steel will get untouchably hot long before the milk does if you submerge the bottle in hot water to heat it, and you won't be able to see how much is in it so you could not use it to make up powdered formula. I'd be fascinated to hear if anyone has used them in real life and why.

Breastmilk sat in a bottle for a few hours has fewer bacteria than when you first expressed it. Expressing usually contaminates the milk which has both bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties.

The guidance in the U.K. now is not to sterilise breast pump parts as research showed increased bacterial contamination as those that sterilised didn't wash as well.

Really?

I've had to express breastmilk for all my DC in hospital, and every time, the hospital has provided facilities for cold water sterilising (using Milton) of the breast pump parts and expected me to use the cold water steriliser.

The advice I've had from midwives and breastfeeding support workers at the hospital - consistently with all DC - is that best practice when expressing, is to wash breast pump parts well in hot soapy water, then sterilise the washed breast pump parts.

Youngest DC is under 3 months old, so this is advice received recently.

TheFirstMrsDV
"namechange why couldn't they go in the microwave? Why would you buy ones that couldnt?
If they couldn't why wouldn't you just use a steam steriliser which takes a few minutes and isn't much more hassle than a microwave one?"

If you read my post at 15.36 it answers all your questions
I am considering buying an electric steam steriliser, just not sure whether it will be worth it at this point - depends how many bottles we actually use and how often.

Congratulations on your pregnancy OP! All of our children were breast fed and given the occasional bottle to stop me going batshit crazy keep my husband involved. As there weren't many, we just used Milton tablets for them-cheap and easy. Our last son did, however, have a dummy and therefore we bought a steam steriliser for that. Don't know if that's at all helpful though

TheFirstMrsDV the OP has got a stainless steel bottle to try out, so wouldn't be able to microwave that. Having used a steam steriliser first time round, and cold water sterilising this time round, cold water is much more preferable for me. You just need a lidded container (Milton do a specific version) and Milton liquid, and stuff stays sterile for the day.

Ok have read that now.
I though there were bottles without BPAs in them?
As bacteria have been proved, without doubt, to be potentially lethal I don't understand your OH's belief that the dangers of plastics could outweigh the dangers of bacteria.

Seems a bit arse over tit to me.

I think its always worth having a steriliser. I BF four of my children and always used it. Bloody awful cold sterilising for the first two but electric and microwave for the other three all the way.

I am not germ phobic about stuff but was very, very careful with bottles and dummies. Only case of thrush we ever had was when DS2's birth auntie 'cleaned' his dummy by putting it in her mouth. No gastro stuff.
A would imagine quite a bit of that is down to luck but babies with D&V are no fun so I would do anything to avoid.

YY I'm thinking of getting the Milton solo travel steriliser, because we can use it with Milton sterilising tablets, and could also use it to steriliser all the non-metal things (glass bottle, teats, dummies) in the microwave. Plus it's only £11

I think the 'danger' of sterilisers are that then bottles etc might not be cleaned of milk residue (which is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and spores) properly as 'the steriliser will blast them'

I do think if you wash everything thoroughly (and in an effective dishwasher at 65 degrees is pretty thorough) there shouldn't be any milk left for bacteria to grow.

The trouble is that bottles have places where it is not always possible to be sure you can clean them entirely.
The ridges at the top and the bend of the neck and the very bottom are all quite tricky.

You certainly can't be sure that a dishwasher will get into all the bits it needs to
I honestly don't see where the controversy is. Bottles need to be sterilised for young babies.

But if you don't want to do it, don't. Your choice.

I always sterilised bottles (for formula and breast milk)and my breast pump. I gave them a really good scrub in hot soapy water and shoved them into the microwave steriliser for 4 minutes then left it for a bit. We took then out when they were still hot and they dried really easily. I never sterilised weaning gear but I weaned at 6 months. Stopped sterilising when they started having cows milk at 1.

When I expressed I used to pump, then put the whole pumping kit into the fridge, then use it again later that day before putting the milk into a sterilised bottle- that way I got a full feeds worth but only had to wash the kit once.

It's not wrong to sterilise breastpump parts if you want apparently 30% of neonatal units still advise it. Not at work so not got the original research best I can get on my phone is this 2015 article which advises washing only. www.his.org.uk/files/2614/6114/4233/Decontamination_of_breast_pump_collection_kits_2016.pdf

As for French advice about formula prep it is really quite mystifying why they don't change to current safe advice when 9 of the reported infant cronobacter deaths from powdered infant formula occurred in France. 3 in the same neonatal unit.