Infant Formula

Breastmilk is best for babies, but for a parent who chooses not to breastfeed, commercial formulas are the next best alternative.  For the first 6 months, babies do not need anything other than breastmilk or commercial formula.

If you decide to use infant formula, ready to serve or liquid concentrate are sterile but powdered formulas are not.  If you are using a powdered infant formula, it is important to sterilize the feeding equipment and follow mixing instructions on the package to kill germs that can make your baby sick.

Baby bottle nipples may wear out over time.  Age, heat and certain foods may cause holes or tears in the nipples. Health Canada recommends the following safety tips with regard to nipples:

• Inspect baby bottle nipples before and after each use;
• Discard bottle nipples showing signs of wear and tear immediately: a child could choke on broken nipple pieces;
• Altering the baby bottle nipple hole is not recommended; doing so may make the bottle nipple more likely to tear, causing small pieces to break off;
• Ensure that baby feeding equipment, including bottle nipples, are cleaned before use;
• If your child is teething, consider replacing your nipples more often.

Baby bottles and liners:

Many stores have removed baby bottles made of polycarbonate (contains bisphenol-A or BPA) from their shelves and replaced them with glass baby bottles or bottles made with polyethylene.

How do I know if my baby bottle or bottle liner contains polycarbonate?

• Look for a triangle on the bottom of the bottle.  If the triangle has the number 7 in it, the bottle may contain polycarbonate.  Instead look for alternatives with the numbers 2, 4 or 5 in the triangle.  These non-polycarbonate bottles and bottle liners appear to be safe for use for infants.

If you are continuing to use a bottle that contains polycarbonate, see the Health Canada link for advice for parents and caregivers: