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Dr Helen Crawley, Public Health Nutritionist
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Dr Helen Crawley is a Director who manages and co-ordinates First Steps Nutrition. She is a dietitian and public health nutritionist with over 30 years experience in public health nutrition across the lifespan.
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Introducing solids

Good food hygiene

Babies fed on infant formula are five times more likely to be admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis than breastfed babies because infant formula is a microbiological risk and does not contain anti-infective properties that are naturally present in breastmilk. Gastroenteritis is a nasty form of food poisoning that can make babies really sick. Ensuring that bottles and teats are thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, that infant formula is made up following instructions carefully using water at least 70C and following advice on discarding and storing made up infant formula safely are all important to avoid illness in babies.
Video Tutorial
In Short

In order to protect your baby from bacteria in her bottles, you need to:

Clean all bottles and teats properly.

Prepare formula bottles according to the instructions on the tin.

Make up a fresh, sterilised bottle of formula at each feed (don’t store made up bottles for future use).

Throw away leftover milk.

Our video is presented by Melissa Little, Paediatric Dietitian

For more information on safe bottle feeding see the Unicef resource ‘A guide to bottle feeding‘

Cooking foods safely

Babies have a weaker immune system than adults and so you need to make sure that food is safe for a baby to eat. So, to reduce the chances of food poisoning for your baby:

Follow all the food hygiene rules for the whole family:

  • Always wash your hands before preparing food for babies or helping them to eat
  • Bowls, spoons, and cooking utensils should all be washed in hot soapy water or a hot dishwasher cycle prior to use.
  • Avoid unpasteurized dairy products, such as unpasteurized cheese and milk.
  • Avoid raw shellfish
  • Ensure when you prepare meat and fish for your baby that it is cooked for the recommended time (if instructions on the packet) and until the meat juices run clear.
  • If reheating food, do so until piping hot (but cool before giving to your baby)
  • Always wash food to be given raw (such as vegetables) thoroughly
Giving your baby commercial baby food in jars or pouches

Take the food out of the jar or pouch and put it into a separate bowl before you start feeding. You can store the remainder in the fridge for 24 hours if you do not need it all at one meal. If you feed your baby straight from the jar, you will need to throw any away that your baby doesn’t eat because the bacteria from the spoon can multiply in the jar. So, it’s really important to put it into a separate container, feed your baby from this bowl, and then you can save the leftovers. Never let a baby feed directly from a food pouch.

DISCLAIMER
This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Essential Parent has used all reasonable care in compiling the information from leading experts and institutions but makes no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. For details click here.