Looking for a difinitive answer - is sterilization really necessary?

[Elizasmom]

I am pregnant with number two, and, although I will feed BM exclusively, I am thinking a lot about bottles for when I go back to work. My older daughter refused them, and it caused a lot of stress, so I want to start early with this one and be consistent. Here’s the question on my mind at the moment – is sterilization necessary after the initial sterilization? Of course, I would prefer to avoid the hassle and the wear on my pump parts, nipples, and bottles. On the other hand, I am a germ freak. I do have a dishwasher that works well. Is that sufficient? Do I need to sterilize until the baby is a certain age? Everyone seems to have a different opinion. I just want the official word on this. Does the AAP have an opinion for example?

[ellies mom]

I didn't find anything at the AAP site. "The Children's Hospital Guide to Your Child's Health and Development" says that you do not have to sterilize all that stuff. The disherwasher with the hot heat drying cycle, or scrubbing them thoroughly with hot soapy water is all that is necessary.

I think this is probably not a "definitive answer" sort of thing because the next post will find an official source that says you do need to sterilize. After all just who is the official source? Most everything I have found says it isn't necessary, and of course anyone that makes a sterilizer will say it is necessary. I think it is a personal comfort level. If you feel comfortable not sterilizing then run it through the dishwasher. If you feel that isn't enough then sterilize the stuff. Personally I don't sterilize either the bottles or the pump parts.

[Elilly]

I sterilized bottles initially but never after. Although my dishwasher does have a "sanitizer" setting that I use occasionally. Furthermore, I use the avent disposable bottles with breastmilk bags so the bottle itself doesn't really get that dirty. I hand wash the nipples to make sure that they get clean. The AAP does not recommend sterilization, just that they are "clean". Unless you have well water, then they recommend "terminal heating" or boiling the bottle parts.

[vdrake71]

I asked my dr. about this and he said that I did not need to sterilize. He did stay that if I had my DS on a bottle right away from day 1, that he would recommend sterilizing for the first few weeks.

Hope this helps.

[Raidra]

I asked our pediatrician when Colwyn was born, and he said that because we have good water and a good dishwasher, we didn't need to sterilize after the first time, nor did we have to boil water for formula.

[kijip]

NO! The dishwasher is fine.

[hez]

Ditto on the dishwasher. We usually wash everything by hand during the week, and put everything in the dishwasher once a week (or every two!) or so. I spent time sterilizing things more frequently early on and drove myself nuts for no reason, IMO.

[Elizasmom]

Thank you for all your answers. Do all of you feel that the dishwasher is okay even for a newborn? I think we would start giving a bottle a few times a week at around 4-5 weeks. For an older baby, it seems clear to me now that it is. Also, why do parts even need to be sterilized before first use? They could have germs on them from the factory, but why would those germs not be washed off in the dishwasher just as well? It sounds like maybe a liability concern on the part of the bottle companies.

[davejkim]

I just read that sterilizing 1st time reduces the artificial taste.