You can use both tap water and bottled water to make your baby’s formula. In both cases,
you must sterilize the water by bringing it to a boil
— unless you can find bottled water that is specially made for infant formula, but that’s just getting fancy!
How long do you boil tap water for a baby bottle?
Boil cold tap water for
1 minute
, then cool the water to room temperature. Use the boiled water to mix the formula within 30 minutes.
Do I need to boil tap water for my baby?
For babies more than six months old, boiling tap water is not necessary
. Boiling tap water doesn’t change the amount of fluoride in it. In fact, boiling can increase the concentration of fluoride in water.
Can you use boiling water to make formula?
Use freshly boiled drinking water from the tap to make up a feed
. Do not use artificially softened water or water that has been boiled before. Leave the water to cool in the kettle for no more than 30 minutes. Then it will stay at a temperature of at least 70C.
Why can’t babies have tap water?
It’s because
babies’ bodies aren’t suited for water until several months after birth
. Tiny tummies and developing kidneys put them at risk for both nutrient loss and water intoxication.
What happens if you give a baby tap water?
Making Sure Water Is Baby-Safe
Before using water to mix baby formula or offering a baby water for the first time, consider testing your tap water. While
tap water may have fluoride that helps prevent tooth decay, it could also contain levels of lead that are unsafe for babies
.
What happens if I don’t boil water for formula?
Powdered infant formula milk is not sterile. Even though tins and packets of milk powder are sealed, they can still contain bacteria.
Water that hasn’t been boiled can also contain bacteria
. Formula therefore needs to be made up with water hot enough to kill the bacteria, which is at least 70 degrees C.
When can you use tap water for baby formula?
While
babies less than 6 months old
don’t need water with fluoride, it is safe to use water with fluoride for these younger babies.
Is distilled water OK for baby formula?
Pediatricians and formula makers recommend using distilled water for baby formula because it is clean and free of possible contaminants like lead, pesticides, bacteria, viruses, nitrates, and more
. The damage from ingesting these toxins can lead to lifelong health problems, or in extreme cases, death.
Can I make a bottle with cooled boiled water?
You can put cooled, boiled water in sterilised bottles
and store them sealed with a ring and cap in the fridge until needed. You should use these bottles within 24 hours.
Can you boil water in kettle for baby formula?
You can also use a kettle, but make sure it doesn’t have an automatic shutoff, because the water must boil for 1 full minute
. Boiled water can be kept in sterilized, properly sealed containers in the refrigerator for 3 days or for 24 hours if kept at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
Can tap water hurt a baby’s stomach?
Do not offer water to babies younger than 6 months of age. Only offer small sips (not ounces),
too much water can make her too full to eat or cause a stomach ache
.
Can babies have filtered tap water?
Note: Our research concluded that
filtered tap water is safe for babies
. However, make sure your water is potable to begin with. Sterile liquid baby formula is recommended for infants in high-risk situations (if the babies aren’t breastfeeding), especially for premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit.
What kind of water do you mix with formula?
To lessen this chance, parents can use
low-fluoride bottled water
some of the time to mix infant formula; these bottled waters are labeled as de-ionized, purified, demineralized, or distilled, and without any fluoride added after purification treatment.
