Cronobacter infections are rare, but in newborns they can be life-threatening. Babies are usually infected in their first days or weeks, so preventing contamination of formula and feeding items is important — especially if you use powdered infant formula.
Breastfeed if you can
Very few Cronobacter infections have been reported in babies fed only breast milk.
Keep feeding items clean
Germs grow fast if you add milk or formula to a partly used bottle, or only rinse a used bottle instead of cleaning it.
- Clean, sanitize and store feeding items carefully — bottles, breast pump parts, nipples, caps, rings, valves, and anything else that goes in the baby's mouth, like pacifiers and teethers.
- Take apart bottles and pump equipment after use so you can clean every piece.
- Never put feeding items or pump parts directly in the sink — germs in sinks and drains can contaminate them.
Keep hands and surfaces clean
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before preparing bottles or food, before touching your baby's mouth or pacifiers, and after using the toilet or changing diapers.
- No soap and water? Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol — it kills Cronobacter, though not every germ, and works less well on greasy or dirty hands. Wash with soap and water as soon as you can.
- Clean countertops and sinks with soap and water, or a disinfectant wipe or a paper towel sprayed with cleaner.
Choose and handle formula carefully
- Powdered formula isn't sterile and may contain germs. Liquid, ready-to-feed formula is made sterile, so when used as directed it shouldn't cause Cronobacter infection — consider it when possible, especially if your baby is at higher risk.
- With powdered formula, don't set the scoop down on the counter or in the sink; keep lids and scoops clean and dry; and close the container quickly after use. In most cases, mixing it as the label directs is safe.
- You don't need to warm formula. If you do, never microwave it — microwaves heat unevenly and leave hot spots that can burn a baby's mouth and throat. Hold the bottle under warm running water, keeping water off the nipple and out of the bottle, and test a few drops on your wrist.
Extra steps for higher-risk babies
- Boil water, then let it cool — no longer than 5 minutes, so it's still hot enough to kill germs.
- Pour the hot water into a clean, empty bottle or feeding cup.
- Add the exact amount of formula the label calls for while the water is hot; cap and shake — don't stir with a spoon, which can add germs.
- Cool the bottle to body temperature under cool water or in an ice bath, keeping water out of the bottle and off the nipple.
- Test a few drops on your wrist: it should feel warm, not hot.
Storing prepared formula
| Feeding now | use within 1 hour of starting the feeding and 2 hours of preparing it; throw away what your baby doesn't finish — never refrigerate leftovers, since formula mixed with saliva lets germs grow |
| Feeding later | refrigerate right away and use within 24 hours; if you can't remember how long it's been in the fridge, throw it out |
Watch
How to Prevent Cronobacter Infection in Infants — safe powdered formula and clean feeding gear for higher-risk babies. CDC.
Preventing Cronobacter Infection in Infants — the same steps from a parent's point of view. CDC.
Sources
Based on "Preventing Cronobacter in Infants," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The videos, missing when the page was imported, are restored from the Internet Archive's copies of CDC's files (2026-09-27).
이용 허락: CC0 1.0 (퍼블릭 도메인) · 출처 www.cdc.gov
1
0
0
0
코멘트
