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The current scientific consensus is:

No. It is not necessary to sterilize bottles, not even for newborns.

The only exception are bottle teats made of rubber - the rubber can become porous over time, so occasional sterilization is recommended. However, most bottle teats are made of silicone, which is not affected.

The primary safety measure to take with milk bottles is to not let them sit for too long, because harmful germs do develop if the milk is not fresh. However, if the milk is fresh, sterilizing the bottle does not make a difference.

Of course, this assumes the bottles are thoroughly cleaned just like regular dishes.


"Säuglingsernährung und Ernährung der stillenden Mutter - Handlungsempfehlungen" ("Nutrition of babies and of breastfeeding mothers - practical guidelines"), published in Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde, October 2010.

This is a comprehensive document on nutrition, jointly authored by multiple physicians and nutrition experts from hospitals, research institutes and German government institutes.

It has a paragraph on hygiene:

Hygienische Aspekte.

Das hygienische Hauptrisiko liegt in der Vermehrung gesundheitsgefährdender Bakterien, wie Escherichia coli und Salmonellen. Es wird entscheidend von den Standzeiten der zubereiteten Milchnahrung beeinflusst. Deshalb sollen Milchnahrungsreste entsorgt und nicht wieder aufgewärmt werden. Dies ist die entscheidende hygienische Vorsichtsmaßnahme. Ein Auskochen bzw. Sterilisieren der Flaschen und Sauger bringen keinen weiteren Vorteil. Dies stellen alle Fachorganisationen fest (DGE, DGKJ, FKE).

Gummisauger werden im Gegensatz zu Silikonsaugern porös. Deshalb sollten sie Deshalb sollten sie aus Sicht der Experten/-innen hin und wieder ausgekocht werden.

English translation (by me, no guarantees):

Hygiene aspects

The main hygiene risk is the growth of harmful bacteria, like escherichia coli and salmonellae. This is largely determined by the time the milk is left to stand. Therefore milk leftovers should be disposed of, and not reheated. This is the most important hygiene precaution. Boiling or sterilizing the bottles and teats does not provide an additional advantage. This is the consensus among all professional organizations (DGE, DGKJ, FKE).

Rubber teats, unlike silicone teats, can become porous. Therefore the experts recommend to boil them from time to time.

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Hi sleske - welcome to the site. Thanks for such a thorough answer! –  Joe Apr 24 at 21:41
While I completely accept the evidence you've provided, as an interesting aside, I had heard before that the standard advice in Germany is that there's no need to sterilise. Here in the UK the advice is that all equipment must be sterilised. nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/… Go figure! I would point out that the Germans seem to be surviving their lax attitudes very well! ☺ –  ctokelly Apr 25 at 7:50
@ctokelly: Yes, interesting difference. According to Wikipedia's Baby bottle article, the NHS recommends sterilization, while WebMD.com says it is not necessary. –  sleske Apr 25 at 10:52


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