When it comes to your baby’s health and well-being, you need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to give her the best that’s available. That even means considering what type of water you will use when making your baby’s formula (if your baby isn’t being exclusively breast fed, of course). You need to consider between using tap water, boiled water, or even packaged or bottled water.
In many regions, it’s perfectly safe to use tap water in order to mix your baby’s formula. You should, of course, talk to your pediatrician and see what she recommends. Depending on specific health concerns, there may be a compelling reason not to use tap water in formula.
The American Dental Association has a recommendation that relates to this issue, actually. They recommend that water containing high amounts of fluoride should not be used to make baby formula. That excessive fluoride creates a risk that your baby will develop a condition known as enamel fluorosis. This happens when your baby’s teeth are still forming. It will lead to having faint white spots or lines on parts of your baby’s teeth.
If you use a municipal water supply, your local utility should be able to give you information about fluoridation. You’ll want to ask about the level of fluoride in the tap water. You want to see it be less than 0.7 mg/L. If it’s higher, you should consider an alternative.
Bottled water is usually low in fluoride. Typically, it will be labeled as “purified, deionized, demineralized, distilled, or prepared by reverse osmosis.” In some areas, the water may be labeled specifically as being low in fluoride or usable for formula.
If you’re going to use tap water, make sure that you allow the cold water to run for a little while before using it to mix your formula. This will reduce the risk that the water will be contaminated with specific minerals.
In some cases, you might need to boil water in order to use it for formula. Make sure that it cools before you use it, and don’t boil the water more than one time.