Baby safety tips and sterilization techniques you should know

Whether you're a new parent, or a grandparent with a small baby for the first time since you had your own children, sterilization is essential in creating a baby-safe environment. Here are some safety tips and sterilization techniques to keep in mind.

Concentrate on meeting a baby's basic needs: feeding, comforting, sleeping and staying clean and dry. Anything beyond that is a bonus for you both.

• Be alert to dangers you wouldn't normally consider — even young babies can reach things that are small enough to swallow, or touch light fixtures or sockets.

Whether you're making strawberry jam or preparing a baby's bottle, wash containers thoroughly in soapy water before you sterilize them.

• Also, ensure that your hands and working area are clean.

Food jars can be sterilized in the oven.

• Arrange the clean jars on a baking tray, open end up and making sure that they aren't touching.
• Put into a cold oven.
• Heat the oven to 110°C (225°F).
• Leave it on for 45 minutes, then turn off.
• Remove the jars when cool enough to handle, and place them upside-down on a clean cloth till needed.

Baby equipment can be sterilized by boiling in a pot – but check first that the bottles and teats are suitable for this.

• It's best to keep a pot specially for this purpose. Fill the pot with water and submerge all the feeding equipment. Check that there are no air pockets inside the bottles. Bring the pot to the boil at 100°C (200°F) and keep it at that temperature for 10 minutes, with the lid on.

A specialized steam steriliser is the quickest and easiest way to sterilize baby bottles and feeding paraphernalia.

• You can buy microwave sterilizers or electric units. The equipment will remain sterile inside the steamer for six hours or until it's opened.

Keep your baby happy and healthy by creating a safe and sterile environment. With these tips, baby care has never been easier!