PERSONAL HEALTH : Formula for Heating Bottles

With proper precautions, heating a baby’s bottle in the microwave need not pose a scalding risk to the infant, a study by Pennsylvania State University says.

Madeleine Sigman-Grant, assistant professor of nutrition, and fellow researchers also found that microwaving did not rob formula of nutritional value.

However, the study urged several precautions:

* Use only plastic bottles. Never heat formula or breast milk in glass bottles or in plastic disposable liners; both can explode.

* Keep the bottle open while heating. Lids or nipples trap heat.

* Heat only refrigerated formula. Never warm formula or breast milk from room temperature.

* Stand bottles upright.

* Never warm less than 4 ounces of formula or milk because this increases the risk of scalding. Heat 4-ounce bottles for no more than 30 seconds and 8-ounce bottles for no more than 45 seconds at full power.

* Before serving, put the nipple on the bottle and invert 10 times to distribute any hot spots in the fluid.

* Never serve microwaved milk or formula to a baby without testing. Place a few drops of formula on your tongue or top of your hand--not the wrist, which is less sensitive to heat. Formula should be cool to the touch.