| Why sterilise?
In the first year of life, a baby’s immune system is unable
to fight off many of the disease causing micro-organisms that cause
food poisoning in adults. However, in babies these micro-organisms
can result in gastroenteritis, a potentially more serious condition
which can quickly lead to dehydration and hospitalisation.
Common causes of gastroenteritis in babies are:
- Rotavirus – air borne virus passed on from person to person.
Accounts for the majority of hospital admissions with diarrhoea
for the under 5’s
- Campylobacter – the most common type of food poisoning,
often contracted from cats and dogs
- Salmonella – often due to undercooked foods
- E Coli 0157 – from raw meat and often passed on from not
washing hands after the toilet
- Listeria – from poor hand washing
 Spores
are bacteria in a dormant (non-active) state. They have a very tough
‘coating’ around them and are very difficult to destroy.
If present in food that is re-heated, for example, these spores will
become active again and multiply rapidly. Even breast fed babies are
at risk of infection. The only effective way to protect your baby
is sterilise feeding utensils, soothers and teethers. |
