Do you think sterilizing your baby bottles is much important?

The answer is probably yes if you want your baby to be healthier and hygienic. Sterilizing the baby bottle ensures that the baby bottles and accessories like pacifiers, toys, spoons, etc. or any other things that your baby may have in his/her mouth, are free from germs and bacteria, and destructs all microbes including bacteria pores. Boiling the baby bottle in water will not remove all the bacteria, virus and germs completely and also will not sanitize the bottle which will affect your little one’s health. Some of the common illnesses that affect your baby due to improper care in hygiene are cold, flu, chicken pox, nausea, pneumonia, etc.

More efficient sterilization is initially boil the feeding bottle and associated things which will remove the dirt and few bacteria and finally sterilize them in sterilizers. This will make your baby free from infections and health issues. Sterilizer has its own important part in first year of your baby in which they need abundant care.

Difficulties in boiling the bottle manually

In your day-to-day busy life, most of the moms would hurry in making arrangements for breakfast, preparing and packing lunch for the family members, and if they have elder child they are in position to take care of them. So it will be very difficult to wait calmly for boiling the bottle and even if they do it they cannot wait till it boils completely, which clearly says that the feeding bottles, nipples, etc. are not free from bacteria, viruses, etc. and are not sterilized properly.

Sometimes melts the feeding accessories, and makes them sticky after boiling.

Do you think why because the boiling water not sterilizes the bottle properly? It is due to the temperature, the temperature of boiling water is just 100°C which is not enough to completely destroy the bacteria pores and other harmful virus and germs.

Need for sterilizer

• At most all the babies will be fed with water, milk or liquid food items through feeding bottle, so irrespective formula feed or breast feed, sterilizers has its need. But sterilizers are very essential for formula-feed baby, because formula feed babies are fed using feeding bottle from the birth. Only using sterilizers will make your baby free from illnesses.
• Minimizes the time and manual effort needed for sterilizing the feeding bottle and feeding accessories.
• Ensures that the feeding bottle and baby food utensils clean and safe.
• Cleans multiple bottles, breast pumps, spoons, nipples, etc. efficiently and effectively at few minutes.

Different Ways of sterilization

To honestly save your baby from illness, sterilize the feeding bottles, and other accessories in the sterilizers that are from certified brand. Sterilization is a process of heat-treating the feeding accessories at some higher temperature. The heat and sterili

UV radiations in sterilizes removes the bacteria and harmful germs completely from the accessories.

Electric steam sterilizers

Here they use electric steam to treat the feeding accessories and remove the bacteria.

Procedure to follow

1. Fill a base container with water
2. Place the feeding accessories like bottles, nipples, etc. in their respective prong if available or space apart them equally.
3. Close it the sterilizer lid
4. Switch it on and wait still sterilization completes.

Pros

1. Simple to use
2. Faster sterilization
3. Some have additional features like alarm, drying feature, etc.

Cons

1. Space consumption
2. Expensive

Microwave steam sterilizers

Here they use heat from steam to treat the feeding accessories and it effectively kills the bacteria.

Procedure to follow

1. You have to fill a base container with water
2. Place the feeding accessories like bottles, nipples, etc. in their respective stem or prong. Close with the sterilizer lid
3. Keep it inside the microwave and wait still sterilization completes this may hardly take minimum 4min to max 10 min based on the oven wattage.

Pros

1. Economic to use
2. Very fast sterilization
3. Travel friendly

Cons

1. Takes time to dry the bottles and feeding accessories.

Cold water sterilizer

Here they use cold water itself to treat the feeding accessories and remove the bacteria.

Procedure to follow

1. Have a container or deep hollow vessel that can hold your feeding accessories.
2. Fill it with cold water and add table or solution that is specific for sterilization.
3. Dunk the bottles such that all the feeding accessories are completely dipped in water.
4. Close the container with a lid or tray
5. Wait for 10-20min and remove the feeding accessories
6. Wash them in hot water before you use it for baby feeding.

Pros

1. Cheaper one
2. Saves electricity
3. Can sterilize few more accessories at one time.

Cons

1. Sterilization solution gets stuck onto the accessories after use
2. Need to wash the accessories in hot water before use.
3. Consumes more time for sterilization

How to use sterilizers

Most of the sterilizers require minimal effort to place feeding accessories, so you need not worry much about using the sterilizers. Some provide specific prongs for specific accessories like prongs for feeding bottle, nipples and other accessories. You can read the user manual before using any sterilizer. Until you get familiar with the sterilizer, read the manual and follow the step by step instructions. After placing the feeding accessories, just push the button or place it in the oven based on the sterilizer type you own. It will not take much time to sterilize, wait for little time and get your bottle sterilized and some sterilizers do come with an alarm for indication the sterilization completion.

Sterilizer cart

In India

• Avent 3-in-1 electric steam sterilizer from Philips

It kills 99.9% of harmful germs, sterilizes in 6 minutes, and fits 6 Philips avent bottles. It enables you to fit the bottles and accessories flexibly, and organize them easily.

Price: Rs. 4,295 and £59.99

• Mee Mee advanced steam sterilizer, from Mee Mee

It can hold bottle of any shapes & sizes and has 4 slots and provides convenience for daily household sterilization of baby's bottles and accessories to ensure ensures that everything that goes into your baby’s hungry mouth is completely free of disease causing microbes.

Price: Rs. 2,799

• Pigeon electric steam sterilizer from Pigeon

It sterilize all sizes of feeding bottle (Up to 8 standard- size bottles or 8 wide-neck bottles with accessories), breast pump accessories, toys etc. and remains sterile for up to 6 hours.

Price: Rs. 2940

• Avent Microwave steam sterilizer, from Philips

It kills 99.9% of harmful germs, sterilizes in 2 minutes, fits 4 Philips Avent bottles and fits most microwave ovens.

Price: Rs. 1995

• Chicco steri natural 3-in-1 from Chicco

It sterilizes effectively with steam, with no chemical additives in just 5minutes, kills 99.9 percent of harmful household germs, and provides 24-hour protection: As long as the lid is closed, the objects will remain disinfected.

The other brands in India are Farlin, Bremed, Ole baby, etc.

Irrespective of countries

• Vital Baby Nurture Microwave Steam Sterilizer, £24.99, Holds 4 Vital Baby bottles and sterilizes in 4 minutes.

• Tommee Tippee Electric Steam Sterilizer, $47.49, Includes 2 x Closer to Nature 5 oz. Bottles, 1 x Formula Dispenser, 1 x Nipple Tong and sterilizes in 5 minutes.
• MAM Microwave Steam Sterilizer, £43.29, Sterilizes up to 6 bottles in 5 minutes and keeps the products sterile for up to 24 hours if stored in the closed sterilizer.
• Dr Brown’s Newborns Electric Steam Sterilizer, £68.53, Sterilizes up to 6 bottles per cycle in 12 minutes, and auto shuts-off when cycle is complete.
• Wabi Baby electric steam sterilizer and dryer plus, $129.99, Fits 8 standard size bottles and combines steam sterilization, hot air drying, and storage mode to give you and your baby the absolute best.
• Milton professional cold-water sterilizer, $30.83, Sterilizes in 15 minutes with Milton sterilizing tablets or fluid, and has large 5L capacity to hold up to 6 standard baby bottles.
• Boots Baby 2-in-1 Combination Sterilizer, £19.99, easy to use and holds 4 extra wide neck bottles and gives you ultimate convenience when sterilizing at home or when travelling.

Sterilizing feeding bottle, frees your little darling from illness!!