Boiling water for formula

[Anonymous]

At the hospital they recommended boiling water before using it to make formula for my newborn. I’ve read conflicting information online: to either boil the water and let it cool to room temperature before adding the powder, or to boil it and let it cool to 160 degrees then add the powder

160 degrees makes sense to me as it will hopefully kill any bacteria in the powder, which is concerning given the recent recalls. But I’ve also read that hot water decreases the nutritional value. WWYD?

[Anonymous]

When we had to start our child on formula at 5 days old our pediatrician told us not to use boiling hot water to add to the powder because it would destroy the nutrients in the formula. They also told us we could use tap or filtered water. This was a few years ago but I’m interested if the guidelines have changed. From what I have read it seems we should have been using the liquid at that young age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we had to start our child on formula at 5 days old our pediatrician told us not to use boiling hot water to add to the powder because it would destroy the nutrients in the formula. They also told us we could use tap or filtered water. This was a few years ago but I’m interested if the guidelines have changed. From what I have read it seems we should have been using the liquid at that young age.

If you needed to use liquid there would be giant warning labels on all powdered formula that it isn't for young babies. People get hysterical about this topic. Also, boiling water kills the bacteria in the water, not the formula. You would have to boil the formula for that to work, and that destroys the nutrients.

What's happening is very sad but also very, very rare considering the hundreds of millions of children who have drank formula in the US. All that being said, if you are worried it is totally fine to use ready to feed or liquid for now. Covid issues are really what has created this situation.

[Anonymous]

We used room temp tap water. DD is adopted and we brought her home at 30 days. The foster parent started her room temp so we just followed on. Made life much easier I just say.,

[Anonymous]

I never boiled - just used filtered tap water. My doula recommended mixing it with half boiled half room temp but I never followed this advice. If you are really worried just use RTF early on.

[Anonymous]

Gave birth in NoVa. Was told the water quality in this area was great and using straight tap water was fine. We formula fed from the start and always used room temp water.

[Anonymous]

You are supposed to boil the water and let it cool to 98.6 degrees or so (body temperature) before mixing. Don’t mix the formula with boiling water! Boil enough for the whole day. We filtered the water, boiled it, then let it cool in an aluminum lined thermos-type jug (meant to hold coffee, I think).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are supposed to boil the water and let it cool to 98.6 degrees or so (body temperature) before mixing. Don’t mix the formula with boiling water! Boil enough for the whole day. We filtered the water, boiled it, then let it cool in an aluminum lined thermos-type jug (meant to hold coffee, I think).

Depends on who you follow. WHO and CDC add formula to boiling water then cool. AAP boil water, let it cook then add formula.
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/143/6/e20182525/37124/Mixed-Message-on-Formula-Mixing

[Anonymous]

I remembered my mom sterilizing bottles (glass back then) and preparing formula using, I think, evaporated milk, maybe corn syrup?, probably boiled water to dilute the milk. I never boiled water for the powdered formula, no issues with water quality where I live, but it was a strange contrast against the memory of what my mom had to do (not to mention the cloth diapers)

[Anonymous]

Boil and room temperature. Best for newborns is the ready to feed as its supposed to be sterile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are supposed to boil the water and let it cool to 98.6 degrees or so (body temperature) before mixing. Don’t mix the formula with boiling water! Boil enough for the whole day. We filtered the water, boiled it, then let it cool in an aluminum lined thermos-type jug (meant to hold coffee, I think).

This doesn't kill cronerbacter though, just anything in the water.

[Anonymous]

Always used water straight from the tap

[Anonymous]

I am so tired of people in the us not getting good information on how to prepare formula. Even the Europeans are more up to date on this than is. This thread is proof of that. Those babies in the formula recalled died as the powder had cronobacter and was not sterilized. To kill cronobacter but preserve the nutrients in the formula powder you have to use hot water to prepare, but not so hot it will destroy nutrients. The way I used to do it was add hot water to the formula powder and then since the powder is then sterilized cold water to cool it down and make a warm bottle of formula. All those people talking about tap water, you were lucky. The hot water is not for the quality of the water, it’s the formula powder that’s the issue. You need to sterilize it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so tired of people in the us not getting good information on how to prepare formula. Even the Europeans are more up to date on this than is. This thread is proof of that. Those babies in the formula recalled died as the powder had cronobacter and was not sterilized. To kill cronobacter but preserve the nutrients in the formula powder you have to use hot water to prepare, but not so hot it will destroy nutrients. The way I used to do it was add hot water to the formula powder and then since the powder is then sterilized cold water to cool it down and make a warm bottle of formula. All those people talking about tap water, you were lucky. The hot water is not for the quality of the water, it’s the formula powder that’s the issue. You need to sterilize it.

People on this thread have said that. Do you have a source for what temperature cronerbacter is killed?

[Anonymous]

Don’t ask DCUM! You will get crazy answers. The person who linked to CDC and WHO and AAP above is correct. There is conflicting advice. Most new moms don’t even know this advice so they just use the water they drink and it works out fine. But that’s not what CDC and WHO and AAP recommend. It’s not about cleanliness of the water. It’s about bacteria in the formula.