Mums and dads are being urged to take note of new guidelines on preparing bottle feeds for babies. According to the new guidelines, adding boiling water to powdered infant formula, may not actually be the best way to prepare your baby's bottle.

Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Director, Human Health & Nutrition, safefood explained because adding just-boiled water to formula can lead to a loss of some of the nutrients in the formula, it is best to actually boil the water for your baby's bottle, then leave it for 30 minutes before the powdered infant formula is added, at which point its temperature is no less than 70°C.

The reason it is important to ensure the water is at a temperature of more than 70°C is that water must be at or above this temperature to kill certain harmful bacteria such as E.sakazakii which can be found in formula and has been implicated as a rare source of illness in infants, with those under two months most at risk from it.

The new guidelines, feature in a new booklet published by safefood and the Health Service Executive (HSE) which is aimed at parents and carers who will be making up bottle feeds.

Copies of the booklet are available from www.safefood.eu, calling the safefood helpline on 1850 40 45 67, from your local HSE health promotion department or from the HSE infoline on 1850 24 1850.

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