Mr Stephen Turreh, Pharmacist at the Ashaiman Municipal Hospital, has advised mothers to properly wash and sterilize bottle-feeding equipment immediately after feeding babies.
Mr. Turreh said the equipment must be washed in hot soapy water, sterilized by boiling, using approved chemicals, and steaming, among others, after which it should be stored in a clean container in the fridge or a sterilization solution.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in an interview, he said this would ensure that the baby was always healthy and safe from germs and bacteria that would tend to affect the growth of the baby.
“Some mothers and caregivers prepare new feed into leftover ones because, for them, it’s just some few minutes after using it; no, you have to go through the entire process again because the remnants might have fermented, then, you add a new one again,” he said.
He said the milk or formula could be spoilt when left in the feeding bottles, therefore, mixing it with fresh food might disturb the stomach of the baby because fermented milk is not digestible in the stomach of babies.
He urged mothers to handle issues of babies with utmost care since they were delicate.
The Pharmacist further implored parents to ensure that they use age-appropriate feeding bottles for their babies to prevent the swallowing of lots of air into their stomachs, causing discomfort.
“Some feeding bottles are not appropriate for the age; some people just buy; we have different covers and different tips for each age bracket, so, you need to buy the appropriate one to feed the baby’s mouth,” he said.
GNA
LS/BM/LAA
19 Feb 2024
