Do you sterilise syringes after giving vitamins/iron?

[rumtumtugger]

My 34 weeker is on abidec and iron given daily via syringe. We started off mixing the abidec with 10ml of ebm to make it more palatable and obviously washed and sterilised the syringes then. But now we give her vits 'neat' - should we continue to sterilise them? For how long? Nb we use Milton solution.

[Lemonraisin]

We did, along with her bottles until she was weaned when we figured we weren't sterilizing her spoons and the dishwasher doing it's job was enough. If it helps, our daughter was a 25 weeker with a wealth of gut problems. Ultimately, do what makes you feel reassured. Many other prem parents I know sterilized everything well past12 months corrected.

[Poppet45]

Yes absolutely sterilise them. Was a mahoosive pain as dd was on 16 meds a day and one of my main goals getting her bfed was to ditch the steriliser but hey ho after all she'd been through turning up three months early it wasnt a risk I wanted to take. Think we stopped when she was about 1ish.

[rumtumtugger]

Thanks. How long did you give the vits for? One doctor said til weaning, another said for 1 year.

[Poppet45]

Dd was on iron for a year and is still on vits aged two and a bit.

[TeaandHobnobs]

I was advised with my 32 weeker to give Abidec until 6m (actual) and iron until well established on solids. If you don't mind continuing the vits until 1 year then you may as well continue - DS was refusing to take them so I gave up.
I think I only ever washed the syringes in hot soapy water and rinsed them and left them to dry? For some reason I was told not to sterilise them, but I think that advice was in relation to steam sterilising, not using Milton.

[NowFourSpuds]

My 23 weeker twins came home with Abidec & Sytron, as well as 4 other meds. We were told by the NICU to wash in hot water as steralising them removed the print. We never had any problems but I know different hospitals advice can vary hugely.

[Gurke]

I started to use single use disposable syringes for the sytron, it's so much less hassle! You can buy a massive box of them on amazon for 3 or 4 pounds.

[Dildals]

I sterilise them. I have a tub of milton liquid in the kitchen that also has her dummies in it and occasionally Sophie the Giraffe gets dunked in too!