This May Be a Stupid Question...

[Anonymous]

I'm starting to give my son formula. We'll be using powdered formula. Do you need to boil water before mixing it with the powder? The Enfamil label kind of alludes to that. I was just going to use tap water or bottled water. I really hope I don't need to boil it!

[Anonymous]

Ignore the label, you don't need to boil or warm it. In fact, better to get baby used to the idea that formula can be "served" at any temp (warm, room temp, cold). The last thing you want on your hands is a baby who insists that his milk be at XX temperature!

[Anonymous]

We didn't boil it either. We did use bottled water thought and not tap.

[Anonymous]

Though, the good thing about tap water is that it contains flouride; whereas bottled water does not.

[Anonymous]

Bottled water is generally not safer than, and may be less safe than, tap water. Tap water you run through a brita pitcher may be better than tap water.

[Anonymous]

If you are in DC I would run it through a Brita first for lead.

[Anonymous]

we just used room temperature bottled water, but we live in d.c. and can't take chances with lead. your baby doesn't need flouride until he/she has teeth, and then will get it from food (that's what our doc said, anyway, when i brought up the same concern).

[Anonymous]

What? Babies are born with teeth, they just haven't come down yet so what your Ped said does not make sense. Speaking of which, I know someone's who's baby was just born with two teeth!!

[Anonymous]

FYI, Brita does not filter lead out of water- safest way to go in DC is bottled water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI, Brita does not filter lead out of water- safest way to go in DC is bottled water.

Brita claims to filter lead out of water. Is there something else you know about it? Are they falsely advertising?

[Anonymous]

Water Pitcher Filters Don't Remove Lead Particlesby Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 08.16.07
Science & Technology

We're willing to bet that many of you out there use water-pitcher filters — whether it be the Brita filters or the PUR variety. Indeed, according to representatives of those companies (not necessarily the most impartial observers, we know), close to 35% of American households use them. So while the following story may not come as a surprise to some of you, we're sure it'll still be news to many: the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Canada has just revealed that water-pitcher filters don't reduce lead concentrations to sufficient standards in tap water from areas where there are elevated levels of the metal — because they don't remove lead particles.

NSF International — the organization that certifies water filters — recently updated its website listing for filters to meet its newly implemented, more rigorous NSF-53 standard for curtailing lead in drinking water. To meet these new standards, filters must be able to remove not only soluble lead — which wasn't originally covered — but also lead particles. The filters need to reduce overall levels to below 10 ppb (parts per billion) to pass. Officials found that no water-pitcher filters met the higher standards.

The pitcher filter manufacturers have argued that they haven't yet had enough time to comply with the newly implemented standard, but that they fully support it. Explaining that "our products have to evolve with the science," Brita brand manager Margaret Quan said that the company is "exploring its options."

In the past, government agencies such as the EPA had only used the presence of soluble lead in tap water to establish their public safety guidelines. As such, researchers have found that its sampling methods could underestimate the amount of lead present by a factor of up to 5 when lead particles are present. Because scientists are still unsure of the relative effects and prevalence of lead particles in drinking water, it may be a while until the EPA revises its own standards to match those of the NSF International.

Rob Herman, the laboratory manager at NSF, explained that his organization's decision to implement a new standard basically came down to a concern for consumer awareness: "Existing monitoring data don't help because it has not been measuring particles. But people want to make sure when they buy a product that it works in all circumstances. That's why we developed the new standard."

Via ::Environmental Science & Technology: Water-pitcher filters miss lead particles (magazine)

See also: ::Biosculptures: Filtering Water the Natural Way, ::All-Purpose Water Filters For Humanitarian Projects, ::Make A Water Filter From Old Tires

Image courtesy of exfordy via flickr

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[Anonymous]

Is DC water known to have lead in it? Please give us newbies the lowdown.

[Anonymous]

yes, DC water has tested positive for lead all over the city. two years ago, the city sent every house a brita pitcher and filters. they claim the problem is now resolved, but i wouldn't take the chance on my baby. we use bottled water.

[Anonymous]

The "Nursery" brand has flouride in it. Its just for babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we just used room temperature bottled water, but we live in d.c. and can't take chances with lead. your baby doesn't need flouride until he/she has teeth, and then will get it from food (that's what our doc said, anyway, when i brought up the same concern).

this is not true. your babies teeth are forming from week 4 for baby teeth and 4 months for adult teeth. They don't just suddenly appear out of know where. I would not ask my ped, but instead consult with my dentist about fluoride.