Tap water & baby formula

[snowqueen]

When my baby was first born I boiled Ice Mountain bottled water to make up my baby's formula but obviously this started to get expensive so instead I now have a Brita filter and filter normal tap water before boiling it.

The water tastes great and my baby has been fine however I got told by an Australian ex-midwife last week that although the water is WHO approved, I should still boil the filtered tap water for 10 mintues. Basically when the kettle comes to boiling point she said that I should stand with my finger on the on/off switch on the kettle for a full 10 mintues to make sure all the bugs are gone.

Can someone please tell me if this is really necessary? Besides, I don't think my kettle can take that kind of punishment!

[cavalier]

The directions on the formula we use says to boil the water for 5 minutes so that's what we do. I don't think it's the water that is bad - it's necessary because a baby's immune system hasn't built up a lot of resistance yet.

[snowqueen]

Thanks for the reply. When your kettle comes to the boil, do you stand with your finger on the on/off switch for a full 5 minutes every time.

I've just been boiling the kettle normally then pouring the water into the bottles. I have often boiled it twice though.

Am I the only one doing this?

[cavalier]

I'm not sure what you mean. I open the lid of the kettle so it doesn't whistle and let it boil for 5 minutes.

[snowqueen]

Ah, I think your kettle must be on a stove. Mine is electric so switches off when it reaches boiling temperature which is why I would have to hold my finger on the switch to stop it going off.

Maybe I will need to get a kettle that goes on my gas stove.

[sundaymorningstaple]

When my baby was first born I boiled Ice Mountain bottled water to make up my baby's formula but obviously this started to get expensive so instead I now have a Brita filter and filter normal tap water before boiling it.

The water tastes great and my baby has been fine however I got told by an Australian ex-midwife last week that although the water is WHO approved, I should still boil the filtered tap water for 10 mintues. Basically when the kettle comes to boiling point she said that I should stand with my finger on the on/off switch on the kettle for a full 10 mintues to make sure all the bugs are gone.

Can someone please tell me if this is really necessary? Besides, I don't think my kettle can take that kind of punishment!

I'm curious, she was an EX midwife. Did she show you any documentary proof that she was a qualified midwife (and what does that prove) or did she show you any medical journal that supports that necessity? Do you believe everything everybody tells you? We boiled tap water here (without filters) when the unit went off, we made the kids formula. They drank it and they are fine today (and that was 19 & 25 years ago!) They were always healthy babies. Can go overboard if you want but I don't know of anybody who does that frankly, although I'm sure there are some.....

[snowqueen]

This lady is in her 50's i'd say and hasn't practiced since living in Australia which was some time ago and no I don't believe everything someone tells me. I'm still making the bottles up the same way I have been doing the last 10 weeks, just bringing the tap water to boiling point in the kettle and making up the bottles. If its good enough for the millions of Singaporean babies born here, it's good enough for my little one.

I'm still reeling from the whole thing because I said it proves a point that safe bottle feeding should be taught in Parentcraft classes but I was told that the WHO and 'Professionals' dont want it discussed as they only want to promote breast feeding - like pregnant women are too stupid to make their own minds up or would be too easily led.

[redtush]

This is taken from the local government website:

http://www.pub.gov.sg/water/Pages/default.aspx

At the bottom of this page you will find the following statement.

"Safe To Drink From Tap
Due to sound watershed management, effective water treatment processes and continued investments in R&D, Singaporeans have been enjoying good quality water for the last four decades.

Singapore’s tap water is well within the World Health Organisation drinking water guidelines, and is suitable for drinking without any further filtration."

That being said. I have been drinking water direct from our local tap (un-boiled) since I was a kid of 6 or 7 years of age.

Since my son was a newborn, we gave him formula milk made with tap water and boiled in an electric airpot (such as Thermos or Tiger or similar ). This boiled water is mixed with ambient temp. water that was previously boiled and left to cool.

However, we made it a point to sterilize the bottle and rubber teat, before making milk with them using steam systems fom Advent or pigeon or similar.

He is 22 months now and fit as a fiddle.

I don't think you should overly worry. Moreover, I believe... if you allow a child to grows up in a overly sterile environment... he/she will not be able to build up enough body immunity to prepare against harsher environment as they grow older. (for example... the body may not be able to handle food/drinks prepared in eateries of developing countries such as Indonesia or Malaysia, say if you were to go on holiday.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I don't think you should overly worry. Moreover, I believe... if you allow a child to grows up in a overly sterile environment... he/she will not be able to build up enough body immunity to prepare against harsher environment as they grow older. (for example... the body may not be able to handle food/drinks prepared in eateries of developing countries such as Indonesia or Malaysia, say if you were to go on holiday.

That's my favourite mantra! I'm 61 and haven't been sick a day since arriving here 26 years ago and am healthy as an Ox! Both of my kids were born here and have drank the water from the taps from birth using the same exact methods and also are healthy as little oxes! Well, not so little now 18 & 25)

[Thaiclan]

Its my understanding (from my UK midwife as well as supported by online baby communities such as ivillage) that unless you live in an area where the water comes from a well then there is no need to prior boil the tap water. That said I did boil the tap water for the first 4 months of my babies life, but after 17 weeks or so (when she started solids and also started putting her hands on everything then shoving them in her mouth) we stopped the sterilizing and also stopped the pre-boiling of Singapore tap water.
We did this also for our first child 7 years ago, who has yet to have a day sick in her life, let alone the average of 6 colds per year.