Confused - are formula companies contradicting NHS/DofH informationon making up feeds?

[FreckledLeopard]

I went to visit my friend and her ten week old baby yesterday. She's combination feeding - had awful advice when her DS was tiny, lots of issues, has paid for independent BF consultant etc but still struggling.

Anyway, she was preparing a feed, using HIPP Organic, and mentioned that she had to make sure the water wasn't above 40 degrees. I looked puzzled as I'd read here about the need to ensure that formula is made with water over 70 degrees, to kill the bacteria. I told her what I knew, sent her a link to NHS/Department of Health guidance on making up formula (which confirmed what I'd thought) and she was surprised.

I looked up HIPP Organic today, and the directions on the website are to use 'cooled, boiled water' - here

Can anyone advise on why there remains this contradictory advice? Why are formula companies advising the use of cooled water to make up feeds?

[AnneUulmelmahay]

I knew this was going to be about Hipp

If you google baby milk action you will find a page on there where Hipp was challenged by radio 4 about this and Hipp basically went

Gits

Cant.link, stupid phone.

[gretagrape]

Don't know anything about Hipp but with Neocate it says you have to cool the water for "at least" 30 minutes so it's only warm to the wrist. This seems to be the opposite of general advice re formulas so I've no idea if I'm doing it right or not now...

[FreckledLeopard]

My friend thought the reason it said no more than 40 degrees was so the probiotics weren't killed off.

I can't believe HIPP are being so irresponsible.

[mrsmartin1984]

It's the reason that the NHS released a guide to bottle feeding. They are supposed to only promote BFing however so many babies were getting sick because formula companies were giving such dangerous advice about how to prepare formula. It needs to be above 70oC to kill off the bacteria.

Formula companies are not known for their ethical standards.

[gretagrape]

Sorry to hijack thread OP, but can I just ask mrsmartin so I should be ignoring the advice on the Neocate tin and preparing the feed with hot water? What then, just wait for it to cool down in its own time until it reaches a nice feeding temp? Wouldn't that just make the germs breed more though because they will be in nice hot water?

I'm really confused now - my son has extremely runny poo every day, but he had that before when I was BF'ing due to the dairy allergy - I mentioned it to the Pead that it's still runny when on Neocate and he said as long as he's still putting on weight and doesn't seem ill then doing liquid poo every day isn't an issue.

[mrsmartin1984]

There are bacteria in formula powder. You need to have it at a high temperature to kill them off. The NHS advice said over 70oC to kill them off. Bacteria like a warm environment not a hot one. I would follow NHS advice rather then the advice from formula companies. They do not have your best interest at heart

BF babies have runny poos. That is completely normal. FF have more solid ones.

[glorious]

greta I don't ff but I believe the advice is to cool to drinking temperature as quickly as possible e.g. under a running tap. For example see here://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/making-up-infant-formula.aspx Or you can make up the feed with part just boiled water to kill the bacteria then top up with cold boiled water (but make sure you measure the water out separately so you get the right amount). That way the very hot water kills the bacteria and the cool water brings down the temperature.

It's pretty shocking that tins are mislabelled