Q & A: Bottle-nipple safety

Q: Do you need to boil bottle nipples before using them? What about after that?

A: Yes, before the first use, boil nipples and accessories, such as the vent on Playtex VentAire bottles, according to the manufacturer's directions—usually five minutes. But after that, boiling isn't necessary. You'll just need to wash nipples and accessories in hot, soapy water for about a minute and rinse thoroughly.

Here are a few more safety strategies for bottle nipples to keep in mind:

• Stick with silicone. Most nipples are made of latex or silicone. Buy silicone nipples only; they're clear or brightly colored, not brownish. Silicone is safer than latex, since some babies may develop a sensitivity or allergy to latex. Clear, odorless, taste-free, and heat-resistant, silicone is also less porous than latex, so a silicone nipple may be better at resisting bacteria, which can settle into any textured material. Neither silicone nor latex contains bisphenol A (BPA), which is a potentially harmful plastic.

• Whichever type of nipple you choose, inspect it regularly, especially when your baby is teething. For safety's sake, replace the nipple at the first sign of tearing, cracking, stickiness, or other signs of excess wear. Your baby could accidentally inhale small pieces, which could cause injury.

• Match the nipple and bottle. Use the nipple with the bottle it's designed to be used for (typically the same brand). Mixing and matching bottle and nipple brands and types can cause the nipple to feed too fast or too slow.

• Never try to enlarge a nipple hole with a pin. That could cause the nipple to tear and become a choking hazard.