Message text written by Lactation Information and Discussion
>Why does a mom need to boil the equipment from a sealed brand new package
before she can use it? I know the companies will state this in their
instructions.
But why? What is on this equipment that would be harmfull to the baby?<
Hello Netters,
Many packages containing non-sterile products that will go into a infants
mouth or come in contact with something that would be ingested by a baby
will have the recommendation to sterilize before use.  The reason is.......
you are not gauranteed that someone on the assemble line handling these
products, packaging them, etc  are 100% free of all contaminates.  Some
products might be shipped, moved around before they are packaged.   At
Medela, they all have to wear hats and protection-gear on the assemble
line.  I am not sure how other companies protect their products.  That is
why many hospitals purchase sterilized products instead of the clean ones. 
 I am definately not a pro-sterilizing person.  I  was very glad many years
ago when Drs. stop saying we have to sterilize bottles, nipples,
pacifiers,etc. Even today the Human Milk Banking Association of North
America's "Recommendations For Collection, Storage, and Handling of a
Mother's Milk for her Own Infant in the Hospital Setting" on p. 5 states
"Equipment that will be used repeatedly, such as accessory kits should be
cleaned after each use with hot soapy water and thoroughtly rinsed. 
Washing in a dishwasher is also acceptable".  This means the NICU units and
any hospitalized infant.  I have never heard of any cases of a harmed
infant from hospitals where sterilizing equipment no longer exists. That is
why I could write in the Medela instruction booklets "unless you are told
otherwise by your healthcare professional.....".  That means LC's, Drs., or
nurses can  tell the person using the product that they only need to use
hot,/warm soapy water and thoroughly rinse the product after every use.  I
know the question has come up on lactnet about hospital soaps.  I had to
investigate that once.  I was told there were many different hospitals
soaps and as long as the person rinsed well (several times I was told by
Dr. Larry Gartner -remember that project Larry??)  using soaps in the
nursery or in patient rooms, would be adequate.  I have heard of hospitals
dispensing little containers of dish soap for their BF/pumping mothers. 
Let's make this process as easy as possible for the mother.  I can also go
back to the study Jan Barger and I did on the safety of room temperature
breastmilk and we specifically did not sterilize the equipment when we
collected milk.  Only clean, washed everything.  Breastmilk takes care of
itself.  Pretty neat stuff.  
Pat Bull, RN, IBCLC
The Breastfeeding Connection/Medela
Naperville, IL