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For infants this is not food safe. The powder should be mixed with water that is at least 70C to kill bacteria that might be present in the powder. For older b
by olivermuty 4y ago
For infants this is not food safe. The powder should be mixed with water that is at least 70C to kill bacteria that might be present in the powder.
For older babies (6+) then maybe not so important.
In the weaning period when I took over with a night bottle and the wife shut down her boobs I would just sleep with a pre-mixed (not from powder) formula pack next to my body. It would be more or less body temperature and the kiddo would like it :D
- DoreenMichele 4y agoThis is not what the CDC says. It says you may want to take precautions in some cases, such as with a premature infant. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/InfantandToddlerNutrition/formula-feeding/infant-formula-preparation-and-storage.html https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/InfantandToddlerNutrition/form... Edit: This also seems like a recent development. My children are grown. https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2022/timeline-chronobacter-illnesses-linked-to-infant-formula/ https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2022/timeline-chronobacter...
- floodle 4y agoThere is some debate about whether or not to prepare formula with 70C/160F water. The NHS in the UK for example, says to do so (under "Reducing the risk of infection"): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/making-up-baby-formula/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-... However some, in particular Emily Oster, argue that the risk is negligible and that having an overly complicated set of steps for tired parents to follow is counter-productive: https://archive.is/c5lC5 https://archive.is/c5lC5 From my understanding the current general advice from public health authorities is to use 70C/160F water.
- DoreenMichele 4y agoI'm not trying to argue it. I left my original comment as a fun anecdote in response to another fun anecdote. In reality, I think it's probably not a good idea to cook food in hot asphalt but didn't feel that really needed to be said, so didn't say it. (How many people are even going to have the opportunity to try that?) Now I am feeling like perhaps it does need to be said and cringing in anticipation of people hating on me for saying it and thereby raining on their party. I looked up the info rather than go "citation needed." My children are grown. They have already survived whatever mistakes I made in raising them and life has changed, so some of what I did worked just fine at the time but is no longer a good idea. I provided citations and accurate information to the best of my ability and as neutrally as I knew how in the interest of promoting food safety for people currently or in the future in need of actually feeding babies.
- olivermuty 4y agoI was quoting the staff at the hospital and took their word as granted. It also says so on the box of our Hipp formula powder box (the one meant for 0-6 month old kids). I am also a bit pragmatic and think that it’s most likely not dangerous. But I liken it to using a seat belt. You don’t need it until you crash. If I was unlucky and my kid got really sick because I was lazy with water handling I would feel bad.
- vxNsr 4y agoYour second link makes a very strong argument against boiling water due to the minimal risk posed by unboiled water. Comparing it to putting your child in a car. The recommendation appears to be just another attempt by the government to coddle and infantilize (no pun intended) their constituents.
- wholinator2 4y agoI mean, it's not like they're making it illegal, or actually investigating people doing it. I think it's a great thing that we have governmental organizations that are dedicated towards understanding and disseminating health and safety information. I will agree that they can go too far but just recommending extra heating of water that goes into infant food on a website is ridiculously inconsequential when compared with actual governmental overreach. Someone doesnt want babies to die. I think as long as it stays in the realm of pure information and not legislation, it's much better to go a little to far than not far enough. Unless of course you were being sarcastic, in which case i recommend denoting it as such.
- ninkendo 4y agoHijacking this thread to comment on a quote from the CDC article which I’ve also heard in a zillion other places: > If you do decide to warm the bottle, never use a microwave. Microwaves heat milk and food unevenly, resulting in “hot spots” that can burn your baby’s mouth and throat. This seems wrong to me. How can any fluid have a “hot spot”? Can’t you just, you know… swirl it a bit and let the temperature even out? Wouldn’t this take no more than 5 seconds? I diligently followed this advice with my first child and had to wait 5+ minutes every time for my bottle warmer to warm up the milk, while he was crying with hunger and getting both of us stressed out. Now with my second child, I just toss it in the microwave for ~18 seconds for a 4oz bottle, and it’s fine. I swirl it for 5 seconds and drip it on my wrist to be sure. I sometimes feel like recommendations like these are written for the most braindead possible person, who would put the milk in the microwave for 5 minutes to boiling and feed it to the baby without checking the temp first. I don’t see how the slightest bit of common sense couldn’t prevent any issues here.
- wholinator2 4y agoExactly, these types of things _are_ written for the dumbest people. Cause while we here a so cultured and educated (implicit sarcasm), the range of human intelligence goes at least as low. Insert anecdote about designing trash cans for State parks.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]