Microbial Contamination of Infant Feeding Bottles and Caregiver Compliance to Disinfection and Sterilization Techniques, Pediatric Hospital, Libya

Introduction: Microbial contamination of infant feeding bottles imposes a big health issue that cause increase in the infant morbidity and mortality rate, and this infection can be resulted from poor hygiene practices and using inadequate cleaning and disinfection methods of feeding bottles.

Aim: to evaluate the rate of bacterial infection of infant feeding bottles of infants who were admitted to pediatric hospital.

Materials and Methods: The data were collected by filling questionnaires from the mothers and taking swabs from feeding bottles of infants who were admitted to pediatric hospital. The data included 24 questionnaires and 60 swabs; which 3 swabs were taken from three different area of the same bottle for each 24 children separately. then the swabs were tested in a laboratory to detect the types of isolated bacteria.

Results: This study found that 91.7% of the bottles were infected, and the isolated bacteria from these bottles were staphylococcus, Klebsiella, E. coli and salmonella. Moreover, it found a slight elevation in the bacterial infection rate in plastic bottles more than glass bottles. Besides, it found a positive relationship between bottle body infection and the educational level of mothers. On the other hand, it did not indicate any statistical association between infection of teats, bottles body and covers and occupational status of mothers.

Conclusion: The microbial bottles contamination is caused due to unsuitable cleaning and sterilization methods of feeding bottles and this leads to increase gastrointestinal infection as well as increase the morbidity and mortality rate among infants.