Is it really necessary to sterilise my baby’s bottles and feeding equipment?
A. It’s really important to be as clean and tidy as possible around newborns and babies up to a year old as their immune system isn’t properly developed to fight off bacteria. Poor cleaning of breast and bottle feeding equipment can lead to tummy upsets and an unhappy baby. You should continue to sterilise all of your baby’s milk feeding equipment until they are a year old. First you must wash all feeding equipment, including breast pumps and soothers, using a mild detergent either by hand or in your dishwasher to get rid of the milk residue and dirt you can see. Then you must sterilise the washed items to ensure that the germs that you can’t see are killed off.
