If you are a bottle-feeding mama, you are no doubt familiar with just how time-consuming making up bottles is.
Not to mention how hard it can be to get up out of your warm bed at silly o'clock in the morning to make them.
It's no wonder we are all for shortcuts – and if you have ever tried to boil water, wait for it to cool and assemble a bottle with a screaming baby on your hip, well, then you know why.
Bottle prep machines are being marketed as a handy way for parents to cut down on bottle prep time – and they are for sale in most baby shops and other retailers.
The way these machines works is that they dispense water at the exact right temperature, meaning all you need to do is to measure out the powder. And then, at the press of a button, the balance of water is accurately dispensed.
However, were you aware that the HSE is warning new parents about using these machines?
In their statement posted to Facebook, the HSE says:
"Breastmilk is important for your baby’s healthy growth and development. If you decide to give your baby formula feeds, we don’t recommend using automatic machines for preparing powdered formula. There is no evidence that these machines are safe."
They also provide a link to the official HSE website, with instructions on
how to safely prepare formula milk.
In short, the reason the HSE is warning against the use of bottle prep machines is that because formula is not sterile, it is extremely important that the water it is made with has been boiled first. By boiling the water, any bacteria is killed, and the formula will be safe to drink for infants.
However, the bottle prep machines are not heating the water to a high enough temperature, and hence, there is a risk that bacteria will still be present in the formula when your baby drinks it.
To correctly make a bottle of formula, boil a fresh pot of kettle of water, wait about half an hour for it to cool to a correct temperature, and then add the formula.
The absolute safest – and correct – way to prepare formula, according to the HSE, is to make every bottle fresh right before a feed.
