When you’re a parent, you want to do everything you can to keep your baby safe and healthy. That includes ensuring the water you use to make their formula is pure and clean. But how do you know if purified water is safe for your little ones?
In this blog, we’ll discuss what purified water is and how it is made. We’ll also cover some things you should know before using it in making formula for infants. So read on.
The Right Type of Water Is Essential for Your Baby’s Health
When it comes to your baby’s health, the type of water you drink is essential. Water is vital for our health in general, but when it comes to your baby, the type of water safety can have a massive impact on their developing systems.
Even small amounts of contaminants and harmful bacteria can cause devastating effects on your child’s health. Water-related diseases may cause health problems such as electrolyte imbalances. This is especially crucial for babies born prematurely.
The problem is that many types of water are out their bottled water, low fluoride bottled water, and water directly from water sources- which can be overwhelming to a new parent! How do you know which one is best? Well, that’s precisely why we’re here: to help answer this question once and for all!
There are different types of water, such as tap water, mineral water or well water, fluoridated water, and distilled or purified water. Let us find out!
Tap water and mineral water, which may contain impurities. Tap water is also considered fluoridated water, which isn’t recommended for babies because it could cause mild dental fluorosis. Even low fluoride bottled water, which is still just regular bottled drinking water but with a lower fluoride level, is unsuitable for babies.
Filtered water, which can still contain dissolved minerals, is also something to watch out for. On the other hand, distilled or purified water is considered a good option for babies. But how true? Let’s take a look at what purified water is.
What Is Purified Water?
It’s just what it sounds like: water that has been purified. It’s bacteria-free and free from other contaminants. It can be made from any source, whether it’s a natural spring or a municipal supply.
The purification process varies depending on the source of the water, but most purification processes involve multiple steps to remove harmful substances and ensure safety. The most common procedures include reverse osmosis and deionization.
Benefits of Purified Water
Provides Nourishment
Although drinking water may seem plain, it contains essential minerals the body needs. Even more, it also helps with regulating body temperature while hosting one’s metabolism at the same time. Parents need to encourage their children to drink purified water during breaks. Once they’re over six months, you can start introducing purified drinking water now and then.
Averts Constipation
Constipation is a common problem, especially for babies. One of the primary reasons it happens is the lack of drinking water. It usually occurs when waste travels through the digestive tract too slowly, causing the stool to lose its liquid and turn dry and hard. Providing your baby access to drinking purified water can help reduce the chances of developing constipation at a young age.
Boosts Brain Function
Your baby undergoes a lot of changes as they grow. Besides breast milk and infant formula, purified water can help boost your child’s attention span and retention capacity. These factors are essential to support their growth spurt further as they age.
Supplies Proper Hydration
Your baby needs to have a constant supply of purified water as they grow. With all their activities, keeping them hydrated gives them the energy they need to replenish the lost fluid. Water hydrates tired muscles, repairing them overnight as the human body rests. Keeping bottled water handy is crucial so that your babies won’t run out of purified water to drink, especially when you’re outside.
Shields Them From Water-Borne Diseases
Lastly, drinking purified water helps protect your baby from biological pathogens and other harmful contaminants. Remember that kids are more prone to microbes that may cause adverse health effects than adults. Providing them access to purified water can help reduce their chances of exposure to diseases such as lead poisoning and cholera.
Is Purified Water Safe for Baby Formula?
In short, yes. Purified water is completely safe for babies to drink and is considered one of the best for formula. Pediatricians actually recommend it as the best way to prepare infant formula.
Babies’ bodies are still growing and developing, so they need a different kind of nourishment than adults. That’s why pediatricians recommend that parents use purified water rather than tap water when preparing warm formula for their babies.
The FDA has determined that most tap water supplied by local water companies contains impurities like lead and arsenic that can harm your baby’s health. However, purified water does not contain these impurities and is safe when mixing infant formula.
The Benefits of Using Purified Water in Baby Formula
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that parents use purified water instead of tap water when preparing infant food or formula. Here are more reasons to choose purified water than tap water for baby formula:
- Chlorine or Chloramine Treatment: Tap water in many localities is treated with chlorine or chloramines to kill pathogens and make the water safe for drinking. However, these chemicals, while safe for adult consumption in regulated amounts, can potentially harm a baby’s delicate digestive system. They can affect the gut microbiota, which is essential for digestion and immunity in infants. Purified water, on the other hand, has been thoroughly filtered and treated. Harmful chemicals like chlorine and chloramines are typically removed during the purification process, making the water safer for babies.
- Neutral pH Level: Purified water typically has a neutral pH level around 7, which makes it neither acidic nor alkaline. This characteristic is beneficial for a baby’s digestive system, which is still developing and sensitive to pH imbalances. The neutral pH of purified water can facilitate better nutrient absorption from consumed food, aiding in the baby’s overall growth and well-being. Conversely, tap water can vary in its pH level depending on the source and treatment methods, potentially affecting a baby’s digestive system and nutrient absorption negatively.
- Fewer Impurities: Purified water undergoes stringent filtration and treatment processes that effectively remove microscopic impurities, which can include bacteria, viruses, parasites, sediment, heavy metals, and certain chemicals. When you use purified water to prepare baby formula, you are therefore potentially exposing your baby to fewer contaminants than they would encounter with regular tap water. This reduction of pollutants can contribute to the overall health and well-being of your child, as their immune systems are still developing and may not efficiently battle these potential contaminants.
Primary Water Sources When Making Baby Formula
When making infant formula, it’s crucial to consider the water source you’re using. Here are the different options:
Tap Water
- It’s convenient and usually safe in many developed areas.
- However, it may contain chlorine, lead, and other contaminants that could be harmful to your baby.
- Consider getting your tap water tested and treated if necessary.
- Some parents choose to boil tap water before mixing it with infant formula to kill any bacteria present.
Bottled Water
- This option is convenient and typically safe.
- Be aware that not all bottled water is created equal. Some types may contain high levels of sodium or sulfate, unsuitable for babies.
- Additionally, most bottled water is not fluoridated.
Fluoridated Water
- Fluoride is a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay.
- It’s important for your baby’s dental health, but too much can lead to a condition called fluorosis.
- Some tap water is fluoridated. If yours isn’t, or if you rely on bottled water, discuss fluoride supplements with your pediatrician.
Distilled Water
- Often considered the safest water for baby formula as the distillation process removes impurities and contaminants.
- However, like bottled water, distilled water lacks fluoride.
Purified or Distilled Water
- Many parents prefer purified or distilled water to mix with infant formula.
- This option ensures that the water used is free of harmful contaminants.
Baby Water
- This is a specialized type of bottled water available in stores.
- It’s typically purified and may be fortified with minerals, such as fluoride.
- However, it’s usually more expensive than other options.
Different Water Purification Processes
Boiling
One of the easiest ways to purify tap water is by boiling it. Although there’s barely any need to boil purified water, heating it until it reaches its boiling point guarantees it’ll effectively remove contaminants, such as bacteria and viruses. However, the remnants of the dead micro-organisms would only settle at the bottom. So, you can’t entirely guarantee that nothing will be left with all the impurities. That’s why it’s a must to strain them using a microporous sieve to eliminate any remaining impurities.
Water Purification
Installing an electric water purifier in your home is one of the most commonly used ways to purify tap water. It uses a multiple-stage process involving UF, UV filtration, and carbon block. It also uses modern water filtration systems that allow you to eliminate almost every impurities and chemical in the tap water, ensuring that what your baby drinks are purified water.
Water Chlorination
Water chlorination is one of the earliest forms of water purification, especially during an emergency. It uses mild bleach with at least 5% chlorine mixed into the water. This combination is an antioxidant that eliminates harmful substances to produce clean and purified water.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis uses a high-pressure pump to boost the pressure of the filtration system and uses water weight to force the pressure through a semipermeable membrane. It’s an effective way to produce drinking water while retaining its health benefits.
Iodine Addition
Liquid iodine is also an effective way to disinfect water. It works best when mixed with water over 68 degrees Fahrenheit in cloudy water. However, you need to be aware that there are people who are allergic to iodine. So, any form of exposure to it may cause adverse reactions [1].
Distillation
Another process to help you turn tap water into purified drinking water is distillation. It’s a process that involves the collection of water from evaporation. Thus, ensuring that you’re only consuming purified water after the treatment.
UV Radiation
When water gets exposed to UV light, it eliminates harmful bacteria from the water, preventing them from breeding further. However, UV radiation is best paired with a reverse osmosis filter to ensure that it removes all the impurities and other harmful toxins from the water.
Solar Water Purification
Solar water purification is a practical alternative to UV purification. However, instead of using a system to do its job, it primarily involves filling an empty plastic bottle with water, shaking it until it produces oxygen, and then leaving it horizontally in the sun. Doing so somehow effectively kills bacteria in the water.
Desalination
Desalination is a type of water filtration technique that treats saltwater by removing the minerals from it. It’s an effective process of making saline water into potable water for irrigation and consumption. This type of water filtration system is often used in beachfront hotels, residences, and other establishments near the sea.
Clay Vessel Filtration
Clay Vessel Filtration is another way to produce potable drinking water. It’s an age-old technique used by many people to purify tap water. Clay vessels block out the mud and other impurities to allow pure water to pass through.
How Can You Purify Your Water at Home?
There are many different ways for you to purify your water at home. The following are some of the most common ways to purify your water at home.
Boiling Water
Using tap water when you mix formula may put your infant at a slightly increased risk of mild dental fluorosis because of too much fluoride. Boiling water is one of the easiest ways to purify your water at home. It’s a fast, effective way to turn tap water into safe drinking water, and it’s also the best way to remove contaminants and impurities that might be present in your tap water.
All you need to do is to boil water and let it sit for about five minutes. After that period, pour the boiled water into another container and let it cool off for about 30 minutes before drinking or using it to mix the formula.
Distillation
Distilled water starts as regular water but undergoes a transformative purification process known as distillation. In this process, the water is boiled until it turns into steam. This steam is then collected and condensed in a separate container. The distillation process leverages the principle that water has a lower boiling point than most contaminants. This way, when the water evaporates, it leaves impurities behind, thereby separating the pure water from its contaminants.
This result of the distillation process is an exceptionally clean and pure product, free from bacteria, viruses, metals, salts, and other potential contaminants that might have been in the original water. When it comes to the preparation of mixed formulas for babies or those with a compromised immune system, this level of purity can be incredibly beneficial. The water’s sterile nature can help prevent any harmful substances from entering their system, maintaining their health while providing essential hydration. Distilled water, although flavorless due to the absence of minerals and impurities, doesn’t alter the taste of the formula, making it an optimal choice for these preparations.
How Should You Prepare Your Baby Formula?
Making infant formula correctly is crucial for your baby’s health and safety. It involves more than just mixing water and formula powder. It’s a process that also demands cleanliness, attention to detail, hygiene and a focus on safety.
To start, you should always follow the directions on the side of the formula container. The manufacturer provides specific ratios of water to formula powder. Adding the recommended amount of water to the bottle ensures the right balance of nutrients for your baby’s developmental needs.
Next, you add the formula powder to the water. Each scoop should be level, not heaping, to ensure the correct measurement. Mixing the formula with the water thoroughly ensures that no clumps remain. Clumps of formula could potentially be a choking hazard for your baby and may also indicate that the mixture isn’t consistent, potentially leading to feedings that are too rich or too diluted.
After mixing, close the bottle tightly. Secureness is required for the next step: shaking the bottle vigorously for about 10 seconds. Shaking helps to further dissolve any clumps of formula and to evenly distribute the formula throughout the water, ensuring a consistent feed for your baby.
Once you’ve finished shaking the bottle, test the temperature. This step is vital for your baby’s comfort and safety because a feed that’s too hot could burn your baby’s mouth, while a feed that’s too cold might discourage your baby from feeding properly. You can test the temperature by placing a few drops of the formula on your wrist or inside your elbow. These areas are sensitive to temperature, and if the formula feels warm but not hot, it’s likely just right.
If the formula feels too warm, let it sit in a cool area for 5 minutes before retesting the temperature and feeding it to your baby. Patience is critical here; it’s far better to wait a few more minutes for the formula to cool than risk giving your baby a feed that’s too hot.
So, the process of preparing the baby formula might seem simple, but each step carries its own importance, contributing to the overall safety, nutritional correctness, and comfort level of feeding your baby. From paying attention to the water-to-formula ratio and mixing the formula thoroughly to ensuring the bottle’s secureness for effective shaking and correctly gauging the formula’s temperature – all these steps work together to give your baby a safe and satisfying feeding experience.
Why You Need to Be Careful in How You Make Baby Formula
If you’re a new mom or you’ve been at it for a while, here’s what you need to know about making baby formula or liquid concentrate formula. It’s so easy to mess up and end up with a child who has trouble digesting milk, and we’ll tell you why you ought to be careful in preparing mixed formula.
In formula preparation, you’ll have to add each ingredient separately and then make sure that you’re adding the right amount of each item. If you don’t watch out for yourself in giving your little one prepared formula, you could give your baby something that doesn’t work for them or, worse yet, something that will hurt them!
Remember that the ingredients in mixing powdered formulas are carefully selected and prepared. Every batch of infant formula is tested for quality and safety, but once you get home with it, there are things that can go wrong.
Here are the top seven mistakes that parents make when preparing their baby’s formula:
1. Not following the directions on how to warm the bottle. If you heat it too hot or too long, you’ll burn your baby’s mouth and damage its gums.
2. Not cleaning your equipment correctly after each use. The bacteria from one feeding will multiply into millions if you don’t clean everything carefully every time!
3. When you forget to sterilize a bottle before mixing the formula, you can contaminate the formula and increase your risk of infection during breastfeeding sessions later.
4. No measuring tools. You can’t just eyeball the formula; it’ll be too concentrated, and you could give your baby too many nutrients at once, so you need to ensure that you are putting in the correct amount of mixed formula powder.
5. Mixing up bottles incorrectly—if you don’t get all powdered formula mixed into the water first before adding any liquid, you could end up with a clumpy mess that won’t come out through your baby’s nipple quickly!
6. Using tap water instead of purified water. The contaminants in fluoridated tap water can damage your baby’s intestines, so it’s best to use the former instead. Water is an essential ingredient when you mix baby formula. It’s important to use water that has been purified. Water is used to ensure that the ingredients of your formula mix together smoothly and evenly and is ready to feed.
Crucial Aspects to Determine Water Quality
Appearance: Always remember that clean drinking water should be clear and transparent. So if you notice any signs of cloudiness, then it’s best not to drink the water until you’re sure. In most cases, clouder water is a sign of contamination with potentially harmful chemicals.
Texture: Another way to tell if you have potable drinking water is its quality. Although you wouldn’t have any problems with texture when drinking bottled water, there are times when water can feel slimy, especially when it has certain chemicals present such as manganese and lead.
Color: If your color contains any color, it’s also a clear indication that there might be something in the water that may cause adverse effects on your health. So, unless you mix it with something, such as milk formula, it’s best to stay away from it as much as possible.
Smell: Besides the smell and the color, you should also look for foul or unusual odors. For instance, water contaminated with bleach produces a funky smell that resembles chemicals.
Should You Have Your Water Tested?
If you notice anything unusual with the water, then it’s best to have your water tested. Most water systems regularly test for lead as part of their water monitoring routine. It’s highly advisable to test your drinking water, especially if it isn’t coming from a public water system. For this reason, performing routine testing is crucial to determine if it contains any potentially harmful contaminants.
You may test the tap water yearly to check for coliform bacteria or nitrates. You may also check the pH levels or dissolved solids, especially if you’re using underground water. Meanwhile, pregnant women should also test the water for traces of nitrate, especially during the early months of their pregnancy.
EPA has a Drinking Water Watch Program that enables you to access the system using its database to determine if there are any water quality violations in the area. You can also access any reported cases of health hazards and the actions the state took to improve water quality.
Lastly, you can also test your water supply for chemical contaminants if there are any chemical or fuel spills near your water supply. Doing so will help you learn if there are any potential impurities in your supply.
Your local health department will perform a series of tests to check for potential bacterial or chemical contamination. If not, you can request a state-certified laboratory to test your water supply.
Almost every testing laboratory uses state-of-the-art equipment to collect, preserve, and handle water samples. Since a few specific procedures need the water to run for several minutes before taking a few samples, a trained technician will be with you to analyze them directly in your home.
Takeaway
In conclusion, purified water is safe to use to make baby formula. Distilled water is also a great option if you need access to purified water. Boiled water is another choice, but it can take a lot of work to keep fresh and clean long-term.
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