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Home › Expert Q&A › Everyday Issues › Should I sterilize bottles and nipples in a dishwasher? Is this even necessary?

Expert Q&A

 

By David L. Fay, M.D.
Family Physician
Associate Director, Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program

How safe is it to sterilize a newborn's bottles and nipples in a dishwasher? Will it thoroughly sterilize a rubber nipple or should they be boiled? At what age is sterilization of bottles and nipples no longer necessary?

This is an interesting question. First of all, in order to sterilize something, it needs to be boiled for a minimum of five minutes, and preferably 10. The water temperature in a dishwasher does not reach the boiling point, and so does not sterilize anything.

The real question is whether or not it is necessary to sterilize these items. I have done a pretty extensive literature search on this, and have found no medical studies between 1948 and the present which indicate the need to sterilize bottles and nipples. There are lots of references in home advice books telling mothers to sterilize and how to do so, without supporting documentation. It looks like this would be a good medical study.

If you choose to sterilize the bottles and nipples, don't do it with formula or milk in the bottle, as this destroys the vitamins and proteins in the milk. There are many ways to sterilize bottles and nipples The first, and most common method is by simple boiling. You place the cleansed bottles, nipples, screw caps and covers into a large covered saucepan of water. Bring the water to a boil and allow it to boil for ten minutes. Afterwards, use a clean pair of tongs (the type you would use for cooking) to remove the pieces, placing them on a clean towel. Keep in mind that bottle nipples tend to wear out faster with this method.

Another method is the steam method. There are electronic units available with which you place the various bottle parts in the steamer's basket, add water and plug in the unit. A third option is the microwave steaming method. Special units are designed exclusively for this purpose, which are efficient, quick and thorough. A final option is more popular overseas, and is called cold sterilization. All bottle parts go into a special unit that holds special sterilization liquid. Sometimes tablets are used, sometimes the liquid itself is chosen to be used. The bottles must be completely submerged, but they can be left in the unit until they are needed. Generally, the process takes 30 minutes, with the liquid needing to be changed every 24 or so hours. Before the bottle is assembled for use, it must be rinsed thoroughly with cool, boiled liquid to remove the chemical.

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