Artificial Milk - breastfeeding

If for any reason your newborn will be formula-fed, here are some tips for preparing formula:

01. Pour the water into a well-cleaned container.

02. Wash your hands with soap and water and then dry them.

03. Boil the water.

04. IMPORTANT: Add the powder when the water temperature is 70 degrees; basically cover the container with a lid after boiling and wait no longer than 30 minutes.

05. Place the required amount of water to dissolve the powder in a sterilized feeding bottle.

06. Add the exact amount of powder indicated on the package; never add a different amount (more or less) than indicated.

07. Close the bottle.

08. Shake the contents well.

09. Quickly cool the milk by placing the bottle in a container with very cold water.

10. Check the temperature by dropping a few drops of milk on the back of your hand and feel that it is lukewarm.

11. Discard the contents if it has not been consumed within two hours.

These are the whys from which the instructions listed above arise.

1. What is the safest milk?

Breast milk certainly is. Ready-to-use liquid milks are sterile until opened and are the safest choice if you are using formula. Powdered milks are not sterile; therefore, they must be prepared at a temperature of 70 degrees.

2. Why are powdered milks not sterile?

Enterobacter sakazakii bacteria are normally found in the environment and can contaminate milk powder when it is prepared in factories. It is impossible to be certain that contamination has been eliminated. The bacterium can also be present in the home and in hospitals and can contaminate milk at the time of preparation.

3. Why does the water need to be at 70 degrees?

This temperature kills the bacteria in the powder.

This is the most important step in preparing milk powder because it is not guaranteed that the milk powder is sterile.

4. Why does reconstituted milk need to be cooled quickly?

Bacteria multiply rapidly between 7 and 65 degrees. The longer the milk is at this temperature, the greater the risk of increasing its bacterial content and thus the risk of the baby becoming infected.

5. Why does the storage time of milk need to be short?

Even when milk is prepared at a temperature higher than 70 degrees, it can still contain some bacteria that continue to multiply during storage.

6. How long can infant formula be stored in the refrigerator?

For a maximum of 24 hours, but this procedure is not very safe especially in the first months of life because the number of bacteria can continue to increase during storage.

7. Once the milk is ready, how long should it be discarded if it is not consumed?

Within 2 hours from the preparation.

8. What to do if you are away from home and cannot boil water?

Fill a thermos with boiled water. If it is full and tightly closed, the water will maintain a temperature above 70 degrees for several hours.

9. Does the thermos need to be sterilized if it is used to store boiled water for later preparation of milk?

No, it only needs to be thoroughly washed and rinsed with boiled water before filling it.

10. If the water is boiled and placed in the bottle, can it be stored in the refrigerator until the powder is added?

No, the temperature of the water must be above 70 degrees when the powder is added, otherwise any bacteria in the powder will not be eliminated.

The number of meals in the twenty-four hours should be adjusted to the needs of the newborn on prescription of the pediatrician, generally the amount of milk to be taken in 24 hours is obtained using this formula: