How Long Does Baby Formula Last?
Sure, formula isn’t cheap, but it’s important for baby’s health that you don’t hold on to it too long. Prepared baby formula should be consumed or put in the refrigerator within one hour. “If formula has been at room temperature for more than an hour, throw it away,” says Josephine Dlugopolski-Gach, MD, pediatrician at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Illinois. “Bacteria can grow in the milk making it possible for your baby to get sick.” Formula not finished during a feeding should be tossed and not saved for another feeding, again because of bacteria.
But, if you have an open container of ready-made, concentrated formula, or formula prepared from concentrate that baby hasn’t drank yet, it will stay good in your fridge for up to 48 hours.
If you’re going to be out and about, do not pre-mix your formula. Just bring everything you need to mix it separately. And sorry, but it’s not safe to freeze baby’s formula.
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