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Mother’s milk is best for baby growth, but due to some reasons, every mother can’t provide it. Consequently, infant formula is recommended for such babies.
Baby formula is a nutritious food that fosters healthy growth and the proper development of babies. However, when we feed the formula to the baby and the baby doesn’t finish their bottle, a few questions arise in our minds.
Following are the common questions that emerge in such situations:
1. How long can a prepared formula sit out once it has been prepared?
It is always a good idea to prepare the formula only when we have to feed the baby. It hardly takes 2–3 minutes to prepare the formula milk. We just have to mix the formula in the water as per the above chart. It is not a good practice to prepare the formula and leave it at room temperature.
But if we have prepared the formula, then we can use it within 1-2 hours. We should not re-use the leftovers, as they are not safe for babies due to the risk of contamination with your baby’s saliva and can grow unsafe bacteria. This can cause infections in babies and make them sick.
2. How long is the formula safe if the baby starts drinking from it?
After drinking milk from the bottle, if any formula is left, then that formula is considered safe for up to one hour. We should always discard any leftover formula after that time.
3. Can we heat the refrigerated formula in the microwave?
We should always prepare formula in lukewarm water. But when we take out the formula from the refrigerator, we should not re-heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, as this could change or degrade the nutritional value of the formula. Rather, we should put warm water in a container and place the bottle with a closed lid in that container. Gradually, it will become lukewarm as per the baby’s feeding temperature.
4. How long can a closed formula box be stored?
Every food item has an expiration date. Similarly, baby formula also has an expiration date.
When we go shopping to buy the formula, we should always check the expiration date, and we should never use the formula after the expiration date.
5. How long can an opened formula box be stored?
The opened formula box should be used within one month, as per the directions provided on the box. It should be stored in a cool, dry place. After this period, the formula should be discarded.