2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Boil the water given to a baby and the one used to hydrate milk formulas. Have you ever wondered why? Do you know how long to boil it?
If your baby is not breastfed, you will need to use water to mix the powdered formulas and this water must be boiled first. Indeed, hot tap water is not suitable because it can contain lead, contaminants and bacteria. Cold water, on the other hand, should be boiled before use to kill any germs that may be present in the powder.
The source of the water
All water given to a child under four months of age should be boiled, whether it comes from a water system, a well or a bottle. If your water comes from a well, you will also need to check that water for nitrates because they are not removed by boiling. If this is the case with your water, you will need to find another source for your baby.
If you are connected to a public network, get into the habit of regularly checking to see if a boil water advisory is in effect or if the water is unsuitable for drinking.consumption. If you use bottled water, you should not use a bottle that has been open for more than 24 hours for your baby.
Due to lead connections in water systems, the Directeur de santé publique de Montréal recommends that pregnant women and parents of children under the age of 6 to use filters for lead reduction or to drink bottled water. As it is not recommended to use filtered water with babies under 6 months, you will need to use bottled water if you live in high risk areas.
How to proceed?
Place the water in a saucepan or kettle that does not have an automatic shut-off feature and bring it to a rolling boil for at least one minute without stopping.
Once boiled, you can use it for powdered preparation even if it has not just been removed from the heat. A liter of water kept at room temperature can take thirty minutes to reach 70°C, which is a sufficient temperature to eliminate bacteria that may be present in the powder which is not sterile. Don't wait any longer though, as the World He alth Organization (WHO) recommends no more than 30 minutes. If your boiled water has been at room temperature for more than 30 minutes, boil it again for one minute.
Let the boiled water cool
HeNaturally, you should avoid giving your baby a bottle with water that is too hot. First test the milk on your wrist and if you don't feel anything, you can conclude that its temperature is perfect. If you feel hot, it will be too hot for your infant's very fragile mouth. You can cool the bottle by running it under cold tap water, but be careful not to run water over the nipple so as not to contaminate your water again.
Can we prepare baby bottles in advance?
The World He alth Organization recommends not to prepare baby bottles in advance. Indeed, bottles that have already been prepared and stored provide ideal conditions for the development of bacteria, especially if they are kept at room temperature. If you need to prepare bottles for later use, cool them quickly and store them in the refrigerator (at a maximum temperature of 5°C). Discard refrigerated bottles that have not been consumed within 24 hours.
Until what age?
If your baby is less than four months old and he is more thirsty than usual, because of a heat wave for example, you can give him some water from a spoon or a bottle, but it must first be boiled properly.
From the age of 4 months, you no longer have to boil water, even that used for milk formula. You can still boil it if you feel like it, of course,but you no longer run any risks by mixing cold water with the powder.
From the age of six months, you can introduce water into your baby's menu when he is thirsty. This is the best way to quench his thirst when he is not hungry, whether he is breastfed or bottle-fed. Unlike juice, water will not suppress your appetite. Those first glasses of water won't need to be boiled either. Only during the first four months should you do this if your source water is safe. Remember to let the tap water run for a few seconds before serving it to your children in order to let the stagnant water pass, which would have accumulated a little lead in the pipes.
