Site Map

Infant Formula - buying, preparing, storing, and feeding

Follow these tips for safely using infant formula.

Buying, Preparing, and Storing Infant Formula

The following tips can help you buy, prepare, and store infant formula:

• Do not buy or use any formula in a dented, bulging, leaking, or rusty container. It may be unsafe.
• Store cans of powdered formula in a cool, dry place with a plastic lid on top.
• Do not use outdated formula.
• Always wash your hands and the top of the formula container before handling. Use a clean cup to measure the water.
• Make the formula as directed. Do not water it down or make it stronger than recommended. This can cause pain, poor growth, or rarely, more severe problems in your baby. Do not add sugar to formula.
• You can make enough formula to last for up to 24 hours.
• Once the formula is made, store it in the refrigerator in individual bottles or a pitcher with a closed lid. During the first month, your baby may need at least 8 bottles of formula per day.
• When you first buy bottles, boil them in a covered pan for 5 minutes. After that, you can clean bottles and nipples with soap and warm water. Use a special bottle and nipple brush to get at hard-to-reach places.

Feeding Formula to Baby

Here is a guide to feeding your baby formula:

• You do not need to warm formula before feeding. You can feed your baby cool or room-temperature formula.
• If your baby prefers warm formula, warm it slowly by placing it in hot water. Do not boil the water and do not use a microwave. Always test the temperature on yourself before feeding your baby.
• Hold your child close to you and make eye contact while feeding. Hold the bottle so the nipple and the neck of the bottle are always filled with formula. This will help prevent your child from swallowing air.
• Throw away leftover formula within 1 hour after a feeding. Do not keep it and use again.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics website. Forms of baby formula: powder, concentrate & ready-to-feed. www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/formula-feeding/Pages/Forms-of-Baby-Formula.aspx. Updated May 9, 2022. Accessed February 13, 2024.

American Academy of Family Physicians website. Infant formula. familydoctor.org/infant-formula/. Updated September 21, 2022. Accessed May 25, 2023.

American Academy of Pediatrics website. Nutrition. www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed May 25, 2023.

Parks EP, Shaikhkhalil A, Sainath NN, Mitchell JA, Brownell JN, Stallings VA. Feeding healthy infants, children, and adolescents. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 56.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 4/25/2023  

Reviewed By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Health Content Provider 06/01/2025

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.