Sterlising - I'm confused

[Emma58]

What age can you stop sterlising bottles.

I have read some info that says to sterilise until they are a year old, others say it is safe to stop at 6 months.

Anyone stopped sterlising at 6 months??

 

[pilkers]

I was told 6 months but I'm still sterilising...mainly out of habit I think

They put so many things in their mouths that it seems daft to scrub the bottles and then sterilise them too but I can't help it!

 

[Bee]

I think there was a post the other day

I *think* its a year but not sure. By the time they are 6 months everything goes in their mouth anyway

Obvisouly if u r using bottles u still need to steralise them

 

[Zodiac]

I don't sterilise....

I breastfeed, so don't have bottles etc. to worry about anyway - but I just wash all his food bowls, spoons, etc. with the normal washing up.

Toys that get chewed get wiped with wet wipes.

Toothbrush & dummy gets soaked in boiling water every few days.

He's always been a happy heathy baby - so don't figure I'm doing anthing wrong!

 

[maybebaby]

I stopped sterilising everything everytime I used them at 6 months but used to give bottles & dummies a 'boost' every week or so. I still sterilise his beaker & dummies maybe once a month.

 

[Manda&Thomas]

i have to keep sterilising everhything untill his op in feb,
my sister stopping sterilising bowls and spoons ect at around 6 months
xx

 

[daftscotslass]

We still sterlise everything at the moment but will stop with the bowls etc at 6 months and just do the bottles.

 

[Squiglet]

I stopped sterilising when lil miss started putting all manner of objects in her mouth... I thought....what's the bloody point?. she wouldn't take milk from a bottle anyway... and its all washed in the dishwasher at 70º anyway.

 

[kalia]

You don't have to sterilise spoons, plates, toys etc. after 6 months but you should continue to sterilise bottles up to a year because the bacteria that can grow on milk are dangerous:
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/formul ... lesexpert/

 

[Magic Monkey]

I was told by more than one HV that you can stop sterilising everything at 6 months, but we are still doing bottles as milk is such a breeding ground for bacteria.

 

[MattM]

As posted above, it's just items that come into contact with milk that need to be sterilized because of the bacteria.

Having said that, we still sterilize Luke's dummies out of pure habit. Even though they fall into his push chair and elsewhere all the time.

 

[Fly]

i think i carried on sterilising until he stopped having milk out of a bottle... but even then i would still sterilise his dummies cos they would get dropped n lobbed everywhere.

 

[cez8457]

Hiya

I was told to sterlise bottles til a year old, but was told you can stop sterlising bowls spoons etc at 6 months.

 

[Leese]

Yes, milk can be nasty in terms of bacteria. So, still sterilise bottles but nothing else. I mean, he licks the cat.....

 

[mum2A&L]

I mean, he licks the cat.....

So glad it isn't just my loopy loo!

we stopped at 6 months, but everything went in the dishwasher up to a year.

 

[Emma58]

Thanks for the advice everyone, i'll continue sterilising bottles until he's one then just not the bowls and spoons.

 

[purple13]

You don't have to sterilise anything ever IF you wash items thoroughly, with the water at very high temperature. We are told to sterilise as a matter of tradition rather than through scientific necessity - its worth noting that they don't tend to sterilise bottles in the USA.

I stopped some time ago as, like Lil Miss, Connor had anything and everything in his mouth.

Sterilising used to be done when our water supply wasn't clean (major reason why the encouragement of formula feeding by formula companies, in 3rd world countries, has led to so many baby deaths). Our water supply is now clean therefore there is no need to sterilise.

Milk bacteria in improperly washed bottles can lead to gastroenteritis, although the majority of gastroenteritis cases are viral and not bacterial. And over-sterilisation has been linked to the increase in childhood leukeamia.