Food Safety for Infants After a Natural Disaster

Breastfeeding
- Breastfed infants should continue breastfeeding.

Formula Feeding
- For formula-fed infants, use ready-to-feed formula if possible.
- If using ready-to-feed formula is not possible, it is best to use bottled water to prepare powdered or concentrated formula.
- If bottled water is not available, boil water for 1 minute and let it cool before mixing with formula.
- Use treated water to prepare formula only if you do not have bottled or boiled water.
- Clean feeding bottles and nipples with bottled, boiled, or treated water before each use.
- If your baby is younger than 2 months old, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system, consider taking extra precautions to safely prepare powdered infant formula when ready-to-feed formula is not available.

Hand Washing
- Wash your hands before preparing formula and before feeding an infant. You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer for washing your hands if the water supply is limited
Learn More
- Disaster Safety for Expecting and New Parents
- Further information: Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency
- Physician resource: Infant Feeding in Disasters and Emergencies pdf icon[PDF-245KB]external icon
- Additional Resource: Caring for Children in a Disaster
Connect with Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Page last reviewed: April 29, 2022