An in vitro study to assess three different sterilising methods for infant feeding cups and bottles

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: BackgroundDiarrhoea (frequent, loose, watery stools) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality globally and affects mainly infants and children under the age of five years. Unhygienic feeding practices and feeding utensils contribute to diarrhoeal incidences. The most common causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide are infectious agents, such as viruses, bacteria and parasitesAimThe aim of the study was to investigate which out of three particular sterilising methods is the most effective for sterilising feeding bottles and cups.MethodsAn experimental quantitative approach was most appropriate for the current study. An in vitro experimental study with a descriptive design was utilised under controlled laboratory conditions. The study was conducted at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in April 2009.ResultsThe sample size consisted of 16 samples, of which two were used for each method of sterilisation, namely: two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for sunlight; two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for Milton™; two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for Sunlight™ dishwashing liquid; and control utensils that consisted of two (2) bottles and two (2) cups. The target population for the study comprised infant feeding bottles and feeding cups. The analysis for the APC cultures that was compared in the cups vs. bottles, in order to see whether there was a significant difference between the mean bacteria counts, shows that the average bacteria count (on the ln scale) was 6 cfu/ml and 9 cfu/ml for the cups and bottles, respectively. The t-value was -1.17524. As the ρ-value was 0.2595, no significant difference was found between the cups and bottles.The E. coli cultures were compared in the cups vs. bottles to see whether there was a significant difference between the mean bacteria counts.The results show that the average bacteria count (on the ln scale) was 7 cfu/ml and 7.6 cfu/ml for cups and bottles, respectively. The t-value was -0.211902. The ρ-value was 0.835237, and therefore there was no significant difference between cups and bottles.ConclusionThe current study showed no significant difference between the sterilising methods or between the use of either bottles or cups. Therefore, a study with a larger sample size is recommended for further research.RecommendationsThe researcher recommends that future researchers conduct broader studies, with a larger sample size on the topic. Studies with a larger sample size enabled the real differences to be large enough to be significant. The use of sunlight is recommended as a sterilisation method for infant feeding utensils, as it is both time- and cost-effective. Sunlight is an inexpensive and readily available method of sterilisation; therefore, it can be used by relatively under resourced socio-economic communities.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University