What kind of water should I use to make baby formula?

The article was consulted with Specialist Doctor I, Resident Doctor Nguyen Hung Tien - Doctor of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

One of the questions that many mothers are concerned about is what kind of water should be used to make baby milk, because some people advise to mix it with pure mineral water, others think that it should be mixed with vegetable juice to be nutritious. nursing. So in fact, what is the best type of water to make baby milk?

This depends on the type of tap water you use and the health of your child. You should consult your doctor about this, especially if your child has any health problems.
The American Dental Association recommends that, to make baby formula, do not use water that contains a lot of fluorine. Too much fluoride increases the risk of fluorosis in your baby's enamel, which occurs when teeth are growing from the gums. Fluorinated teeth are not necessarily disease, but can cause spots or white patches on permanent teeth.
If your tap water has a fluorine level of approximately 0.7mg/L or higher, consider using another source of water with a lower fluorine content. If you are using a public water system, check with your local water supplier.
Bottled water usually contains very little fluorine and is marketed as pure, deionized, demineralized, distilled, or produced by reverse osmosis. Most grocery stores sell low-fluorinated water. You can even find ones labeled specifically for making milk. Under US law, bottled water must meet FDA water quality standards, which are at least as stringent as the EPA standards for tap water. Currently, some household water treatment systems are also capable of removing fluorine. If you want to use tap water, install a cold faucet system and let the water run for a few minutes before using it. This helps reduce the risk of lead or other unwanted metals.
If your doctor or local health facility advises you to make milk with boiled water, you need to do it. Bring the water to a boil and wait for about a minute, then let it cool before using. Do not reheat or boil for too long as that may increase impurities in the water after boiling.
If your family uses well water, it is advisable to test the water sample to make sure it is safe before using it. For example, well water may contain nitrate salts in high concentrations. Boiling water in this case also does not guarantee safety for children, in fact boiling even increases the concentration of nitrate salts.

2.1 Mineral water The risk of creating some dangerous intermediates occurs when mineral water is used to prepare infant formula. In fact, mineral water is only good for some people who need to supplement minerals, and "pure water" is only good for people who already have all minerals. Children do not absorb all the nutrients in milk if they drink milk mixed with mineral water. For example, children need a lot of minerals and vitamins to develop, but if they drink a certain type of mineral water for a long time, they will only be provided with some substances and lack other substances, this will hinder the growth and development of children. child growth.
2.2 Boiled vegetable juice In boiled vegetable juice containing high nitrate content, such as the broth of vegetables such as beets, carrots, mustard greens, cabbage, beets..., nitrate will enter Blood after eating, combines with hemoglobin of red blood cells to produce methemoglobin, which causes red blood cells to lose the ability to carry oxygen and if the patient is not treated promptly, there is a high risk of death. Moreover, plant drugs are often used to fertilize vegetables, so when cooking, they are often dissolved in vegetable broth. Children are at risk of poisoning if the vegetable broth is mixed with milk.
2.3 Fruit juice A good source of vitamins and minerals for the body comes from fruits, especially vitamin C, which is abundant in citrus trees, which helps to effectively absorb iron in milk and food. enhance the body's hematopoietic process, especially for young children. However, because juice contains a lot of vitamin C and some organic acids, juice is not suitable for making baby formula. These substances will clump casein (a main protein in milk) causing bloating and indigestion. In addition, when making milk for babies that need to use warm water, you can't boil juice because basically the vitamins will be evaporated at high temperature, making milk with juice is no longer meaningful.

Prepare tools, baby formula Milk tools for babies include bottles and accompanying accessories. You need to choose a bottle with a moderate capacity, about 240ml or less when choosing a bottle. To ensure: product materials are safe for children, withstand high temperatures without affecting the baby, it is necessary to find products of clear origin, products of reputable brands. Baby formula: to know which formula is suitable for babies, you can consult your pediatrician. You should only buy a small box, don't buy a big box, because maybe your baby only needs to drink formula for a few days if you want to breastfeed your baby, when your milk has arrived and is enough for your baby, you should stop using it. powdered milk. Disinfecting equipment for making baby formula You must wash the bottle with clean water when you buy it. Then, you bring the bottle, teat, cap... put in water, boil for about 3 minutes, every time you prepare to make milk for your baby. Nowadays, sterilization has become simpler because there is a convenient milk sterilizer. To sterilize and clean milking equipment, you can use a specialized sterilizer.
Prepare water to make milk To prepare baby formula, it is necessary to use clean water with low fluorine content of less than 0.7mg/liter. To disinfect, it is necessary to boil water. However, you need to carefully read the manufacturer's instructions on what temperature to use the water at when making the milk. Most baby milk uses warm water, about 40 degrees, a few milk for babies requires water at a high temperature of about 70 degrees Celsius. Milk does not dissolve completely when using water that is not warm enough to mix, children have difficulty. can fully absorb the nutrients from milk.

To save time, you can refer to using smart water heaters on the market, for example, the smart water kettle Moaz BéBé MB - 002. This will be an effective assistant for mothers in warming milk, sterilizing milk bottles and dechlorinating water with many outstanding features such as:
Easy milk mixing, temperature standardization Boil water quickly after 4 minutes, dechlorination automatic chlorine for 2 minutes, keeping the desired temperature for 24 hours Luxurious, delicate design High-grade Borosilicate glass bottle design, safe, PBA-free, safe for children Using T-sensor 3.0 heat-sensing technology , the machine allows for precise temperature sensing. However, it should be noted that you must use filtered water, do not use mineral water to boil.

You need to pay special attention: It is recommended to mix milk with clean water or bottled purified drinking water at a suitable temperature. Absolutely do not use porridge, fruit juice to make milk. Because there will be a lot of starch in porridge, it will destroy vitamin A in milk, reducing the effect of milk, affecting the baby's development, especially brain development. In addition, it is difficult for children to absorb calcium if they consume too much starch, causing rickets, growth retardation, digestive disorders, etc. As for fruit juice, it contains a lot of vitamin C and some acids. Organic. These substances will clump casein - this is the main protein in milk, causing bloating and indigestion for the baby. For this same reason, health experts recommend that you do not give your child milk right after or before eating fruit.
Wash and dry your hands Before opening the lid of the milk powder box, you need to wash your hands properly with antibacterial soap, then dry them thoroughly. The milk scoop is also wet if your hands are still wet and when you put the spoon back in the box, the powdered milk will be curdled or moldy, losing product quality, affecting the baby's health.

When making milk, you need to carefully read the instructions printed on the outside of the milk carton, the manufacturer clearly states the amount of water, the amount of powdered milk corresponding to each age of the child. Too dilution or too thick are not good for children. The baby will feel full but not enough if the milk is too thin, the amount of water is more than the amount of milk. Many people think that, making condensed milk will be good for children, the longer the child is full, without knowing that: the baby will easily lose water, the baby may have diarrhea or constipation if the milk is too thick, many children still lose their appetite because milk is too fat.
Although the manufacturer gives instructions on the number of tablespoons of milk and the amount of water needed for each age, but each child has different needs, you should also pay attention to the amount of milk your baby needs each time to be able to Adjust more or less. Depending on your baby's needs, you can increase or decrease the amount of milk, but remember that the ratio of formula and water must be exactly as directed.
To learn more about how to properly mix milk for babies, you can refer to the article: Instructions for properly mixing milk for babies
Check the temperature of milk To make sure the milk is not too hot to cause burns, it is necessary to Check the temperature of the milk before feeding your baby, put a few drops of milk on your wrist. Your baby can feed right away if you feel fine. If it feels hot, you need to wait a while for the milk to cool down before giving it to your baby. Some people test the heat by sucking on a pacifier and sucking on it. However, you absolutely should not test the milk temperature in this way because the baby can spread many dangerous bacteria from the tester's oral cavity.

Cleaning utensils after feeding your baby You must clean the bottle carefully and cleanly, leaving no residue of milk when the baby is finished drinking. To ensure hygiene, you can use salt water or preferably a specialized bottle cleaner.
Making baby formula is not as simple as you think. At this time, the infant's body is still very immature and the resistance is weak. The bottle that you bring to feed your baby will no longer contain love if the milk is not properly mixed, because it is not only delicious, nutritious, does not guarantee food safety, and is not good for health. and the development of the baby, but also brings many risks and is a source of concern.
For children to be healthy and develop well, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet in terms of quantity and quality balance. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, which adversely affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills. Parents should supplement their children with supporting products containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your child. Take care of the baby and the whole family.

Reference source: Babycenter.com