5 Pediatrician Tips on Baby Bottle Safety

1. Check bottle parts often.

Over time, bottle parts can get damaged from use. As you are assembling a bottle, be sure to check each part for signs of damage. This includes the bottle nipples that can be torn or crack by the feeding process. Replace bottle nipples that are discolored or are allowing milk to flow too quickly. Check the nipple flow by turning the prepared bottle upside down. Only a few drops of milk should be released when a bottle is inverted. The bottles themselves should also be replaced when they are leaky or showing signs of wear.

2. Sterilization is an extra layer of protection against germs.

Daily sterilization of bottle parts and baby accessories is recommended for babies under 3 months and high-risk infants.Philips Avent sterilizerscan sterilize bottles, pacifiers, and a variety of products that are needed to care as baby grows. Philips Avent sterilizers eliminate 99.9% of germs using only steam (no chemicals) in as little as six minutes. Plus, they can keep the items sterile for up to 24 hours when the lid is unopened. Sterilizers are helpful tools to keep bottles free from germs during as baby’s immune system develops.

3. Check before using the dishwasher.

Using the dishwasher to clean bottles is quick and easy, but not all bottles are created to safely withstand the common household dishwasher. Excessive heat and detergents used in the washing cycle can degrade some bottles, causing the bottles to break or become unsafe. Glass bottles are safe to clean in the dishwasher. For plastic bottles, look on the packaging to ensure it is safe to place in the dishwasher. Both the Philips Avent Natural and Philips Avent Anti-Colic bottle systems are BPA-free and safe to be cleaned in the top rack of a household dishwasher. Small bottle parts should be placed in a dishwasher-safe basket so they don’t fall to the bottom of the washer.

4. Don’t heat milk in the microwave.

Warming milk in a microwave can result in dangerous “hotspots” within the milk, while degrading important components of the milk’s nutrition. To safely warm stored breastmilk or formula prior to feeding, best practice is to slowly warm the prepared bottle in a warm water bath, or use a bottle warmer. The Philips Avent Fast Bottle Warmer can warm 5 ounces of milk in just three minutes with no hotspots. In addition, it has a sensor that adjusts the heating pattern automatically based on milk volume and starting temperature, so it warms milk to the ideal temperature with just the push of a button.

5. Hard stop the bottle prop.

“Bottle propping,” or using items to keep a bottle in an infant’s mouth while the caregiver steps away, is a dangerous practice. Feeding time is meant to be a mutually beneficial time, promoting intimacy and connection with a care provider just as much as providing nutrition from milk. Propping a bottle takes away this connecting experience for baby and puts him or her at risk of choking on the milk. If the bottle is propped in a position that does not allow baby to safely move away from the flow of milk, this places him or her at risk of serious injury. Even well-established feeders can choke on milk, so avoiding this practice is important no matter baby’s age.