Sterilize Baby Mouth's Equipment

The reason to sterilize baby feeding equipment is to ensure microbes (e.g. bacteria, fungi, virus, spore, etc) are destroyed before passing to baby for feeding or playing. Such equipment are baby bottles, nipples, pacifier, teethers or anything that baby's mouth touches.

And if the baby equipment are not cleaned, then there is a possibly infections that can cause discomfort to the baby as baby immune system is still weak after birth. Example of infection are oral thrush

By 6 months old, baby would have taken most of the vaccination jab. The continuation of sterilizing baby equipment depends on:

- Water condition at home whether it's clean or dirty (Some home have a rocket filter)

- Baby condition whether baby get sick easily

There are few ways on how to sterilize the baby equipment.

1) Hot Water

The old conventional which is to use hot water to kill the microbes. Back many many years ago, the baby bottle are made of glass and it's very safe to use this old convention methods. However nowadays most baby bottles are made of plastic and it's dangerous which can release a chemical call BPA which can disrupt the kid's health system.

2) Hot Water and Salt

This method is similar to method (1) but using salt to clean the bottle nipples.

3) Electric Steam Sterilizer

This method uses steam to sterilize the baby equipment.

4) Microwave

This method uses Microwave to sterilize the baby equipment. Ensure the baby equipment can be microwave

5) Sterilizing Tablets

Dump the sterilizing tablet in a 2 liter water with normal temperatures to create a sterilizing solutions. Put the baby equipment in the sterilizing solutions for 30 minutes and wash the baby equipment using clean waters. Another thing, we could use sterilizing tablet to clean big stuff like baby toys, playmat and etc.

Here are the summary:

No	Method	Cost (RM)	Duration to Sterilize (Minute)	Leach BPA in Plastic
1	Hot Water	Water Cost Electric/Gas Cost Water Pot	10 Minutes	Possible
2	Hot Water and Salt	Water Cost Electric/Gas Cost Water Pot Salt Cost (~RM2)	10 Minutes	Possible
3	Electric Steam Sterilizer	Electric Cost Little Water Cost Electric Steam Sterilizer (RM 100 - 350)	2 - 6 Minutes	No
4	Microwave	Electric CostMicrowave Oven (RM 250 - 450) Microwave Sterilizer Container (RM 70 - 150)	4 - 10 Minutes (Include Cooling Time)	Possible
5	Sterilizing Tablets	Water Cost 1 Box (RM 17 for 56 tablets)	30 Minutes	No

Note:
- For method 5, the example cost is Pureen Sterilising Table. Assuming 1 day uses 1 tablets for 24 hours, therefore it would cost RM 68 (6 Months x 31 Days x 1 Tablets = 186 tablets = 4 Box).
- If parent want to save time and have bigger budget, then best option would be Electric Steam Sterilizer.
- If parent are organized, clean baby equipment after use, then best option would be sterilizing tablet.

Resources:
http://www.parenting.com/article/toxic-baby-bottles