Microwaving food, more dangers to your health.

[Zebra 10]

I've written about this before but felt it might benefit other parents.

I saw a woman microwaving her baby's milk in Meadowhall the other day and felt so sorry for the child because the milk changes once microwaved and it loses a lot of the important stuff.

This tells you even more scarey stuff about microwaves.

Again - does this make you think twice about how you heat your and your babies food?

The bit about reheating human blood and killing the recipient makes me feel ill, our microwave has been banished to the top of the fridge freezer, only to be used in emergencies and only for our food, not our kids. I've felt like this a long time but now convinced my fella at last.

Had to buy a popcorn maker so as not to be tempted to get it down. Once it's been up there more than 2 months and we haven't had to use it - I'm going to get rid of it.

[Cyclone 10]

That article is filled with half and mistruths. Can you provide a link to any peer reviewed article which has found any dangers from heating using microwaves?

[Angiej 10]

Not read the full artical as im bfeeding ym little girl at the same time lol,

 

But i hate to see babies bottles being heated in a microwave, My friends little boy had to go to hospital when he was 3 weeks old for burns in his mouth due to a hot spot in the bottle,

 

I used to heat ds's food when weaning in a tub of hot water

[cosywolf 10]

I have to say, I'm a bit wary and weary of health warning after health warning after health warning. But, I will reiterate for those who worry about such things...you do NOT need to warm formula or expressed milk, or most baby foods - grown ups think it's more palatable, but babies really don't mind...it's all about what you're used to.

So you can stop worrying about heating the milk too much and leaving it to sit while baby screams for food, or what awful things the microwave will do to them, lol, give it to them straight from the fridge, freshly expressed, or freshly made at room temperature...it's fine!

[Guest]

That article is filled with half and mistruths. Can you provide a link to any peer reviewed article which has found any dangers from heating using microwaves?

You should know by now that peer-reviewed articles and a substantial body of supporting evidence from independent sources are not required to establish something as the next great health scare. The wonders of the internet and The Daily Mail, eh?

[Shiesh 13]

Amazing isn't it - when my middle child was about 10 mths old we were at a cafe in Manchester airport waiting to fly to Majorca and I asked for a jug of hot water to warm his bottle - they refused as they said it was against health and safety, why I said?? In case you tip the jug of water over yourself and others!! Yet my Hubby was sat there alike many others around us with a hot pot of tea !!!!! She then offered to warm it in the Microwave for me.....aaarrrggghhh, no way I said!

 

I ended up go to the toilet and warming the bottle in running tap water as the hot tap was fortunately very hot.

 

I thought things had improved now and most people are aware of the hazards of using microwaves for heating food and drink for babies and children!

 

Most places do seem have the recommended bottle warmers now also more and more mothers are choosing to breast feed!!

 

[JoeP 11]

Apart from the fact it's possible to get stuff VERY hot VERY quickly in a microwave, and hence burn yourself and your toddler or child, the jury's still out on long terms problems caused by this particular form of heating.

 

I have a theory that part of the 'myths' around microwaved food comes from the fact that it is possible to 'superheat' some foods in a microwave because of the way they cook - from the inside out.

 

You can end up with 'hotspots' in emulsion type fluids, where temperatures get higher than they otherwise would in a conventional cooking environment where convection would shuffle liquids around.

 

This MIGHT, I guess, cause long chain fats to break down during heating, which might not be observed under 'normal' heating. But when push comes to shove, it's just heating by another means.

 

There are some reports - how 'good' they are I have no idea - that microwaving water has a persistent effect on the molecular structure of water - changinng the angle between the hydrogen atoms hanging off the Oxygen atom, but whether this is true or relevant I leave for someone else to find.

[Dude111 10]

I have heard that Microwaves leave RADIATION in the food it was cooked with...

 

Plus it ruins whatever you cook (Makes it soggy)

 

Heating milk for a baby wouldnt be a good idea UNLESS YOU KEEP IT MONITORED EVERY SECOND SO IT DOESNT GET HOT!!! (Best not to do it)

[anniec 10]

They say if you microwave baby milk then it can cause hot spots, however, if you make sure the formula is sufficiently shaken and not given to the infant immediatly it's ok. Yet another thing for parent to be freaked out by. It is not recommended by the formula manufacturers for the reason of hot spots nothing else.

 

Radiation is in pretty much everything, mobile phones especiall.

[Mathom 10]

There's absolutely no need to heat baby milk anyway. Does breast milk come out heated? No. Then no need to heat formula either. Room temp is fine.

 

Nor is there any need to faff with powder dispensers while out. Just make a batch of 2 or 3 bottles, leave them in a cool place (no need to put it in the fridge unless it's a baking hot day) and grab one when you need it. Long as it isn't left longer than 24 hours or re-used and you whizz the contents of a bottle after a feed, it's OK.

[loupoppins 10]

It is so easy to get concerned about things we read. But I have to agree with PPs that that article is full of technically innaccurate statements and sensationalist speculation. There is in fact nothing in it which could be considered as valid evidence in a clinical sense. Any of the data mentioned seems to be taken from random findinggs, and certainly there are no randomized controlled peer reviewed trials to back anything up.Also notice how often the words "may" and "could" are used throughout the article!

It is true, and has been well documented, that microwave heating can cause hot spots in a bottle of milk or in baby food. This is a real danger. Other means of heating are therefore preferrable. However a well shaken baby bottle, gently heated in a microwave may still be perfectly safe. It is also true though that a lot of babies will drink a bottle at room temperature unless accustomed otherwise!

As for making formula in advance - it is really not a god idea to leave a bottle of formula unrefridgerated for 24 hours. There is real evidence that the potential increase in the numbers of bacteria present during that time could be harmful to the baby. It is in fact now recomended that each feed be made when baby needs it to further reduce any risk of introducing any bacteria which may cause gastroenteritis, but if feeds are made in advance, they certainly should be refridgerated.

[Zebra 10]

It is so easy to get concerned about things we read. .......However a well shaken baby bottle, gently heated in a microwave may still be perfectly safe.

 

I've read fairly extensively about microwaving and I'd still very strongly argue this, though I do appreciate each parent has the right to decide and choose for themselves.

A recent report on a study I read, in New Scientist IIRC, was about two fields of crops, side by side, one of which was fed with rainwater and the other with microwaved rainwater. The crop which was doused in microwaved rainwater entirely died.

I don't recall the control methods put in place in that experiment but the salient information was obvious. I wouldn't say that a baby would die of course, but I would say that this isn't necessarily the best thing to feed them, especially as formula and breastmilk both contain water (at least I assume breastmilk is partially made up of water consumed by the mother and filtered through her body) and the microwave would affect the water.

 

I've read plenty of vile things about microwaves enough to put me off for life, we got rid of ours and I haven't missed it at all. Even if only a small part of the information I've read is true, that's more than enough for me to feel it's a bad idea.