Can we store formula milk in the fridge?

It is no longer recommended that we make up bottles using infant formula milk powder in advance to store in the fridge. Feeds should always be made up fresh, using boiled water that is hotter than 70 degrees C. This is because the milk powder itself is not sterile, and once made up, there is a small risk of harmful bacteria developing in any formula which is kept for use later in the day. Storing made up formula milk may increase the chance of a baby becoming ill and therefore it should be avoided. If it should be stored in advance for some reasons, do not keep it unused in the fridge for more than 24 hours. Any milk left over after a feed should be thrown away. Some parents may tend to reuse formula milk that is left over from a previous feed, especially now that the price of dried milk powder has gone up drastically. However, do note that this is not a safe practice.

Here are some rules on formular milk storage:

• Keep formula prepared from powder in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours.
• Throw out any unused prepared formula that has been at room temperature for 2 or more hours.
• If formula has been warmed up or partly used for a feed, throw it out after 1 hour. Do not put in the fridge to re-use again.