Whether you plan to feed your baby plain formula or not, you can mix breast milk and formula feeding, or if you just want to keep your baby formula “just in case”, then you’re likely to be overwhelmed by the plethora of options. But remember: while there’s no such thing as perfect infant formula, there is infant formula that can meet your child’s unique needs. Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the best infant formula for sweet peas.
What Is Infant Formula?
Indeed, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding only for the first 6 months of a baby’s life during life. But it’s also true that exclusive breastfeeding (or even combination feeding) isn’t always right for everyone. Input: Infant formula. For infants under 12 months of age, infant formula is the best substitute for some or all of breast milk. From birth to 1 year old, babies are three times taller, which makes their nutritional needs at an all-time high. That’s why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the content of all infant formula sold in the United States. This ensures that every infant formula, regardless of price, brand, or form, meets specific federal nutrition guidelines.
Did you know? Infant formula was invented by a chemist in 1865. It consists of milk, wheat, and malt flour, as well as potassium bicarbonate.
What’s in Infant Formula?
Although labels, colors, and prices vary, all infant formula must contain a specific amount of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Here are the ingredients that are definitely included in all infant formulas on the market:
- Calories: Little ones need a lot of calories to support the healthy growth of their brains. Typically, infant formula contains 19 to 20 calories per ounce.
- Carbs: There are no low-carb diets here! Carbohydrates are your baby’s most important source of energy, and they may come from solid corn syrup, maltodextrin, sucrose or lactose (the sugar naturally found in breast milk).
- Protein: Those luscious baby hairs and tiny nails need protein to grow. It is a fundamental building block of cells, hair, skin, and organs. The main sources of protein in infant formula come from skim milk, milk protein isolate, whey, casein, soy and amino acids.
- Fat: Healthy growth and development depend on fat. These are labelled on infant formula as vegetable oil, palm oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or corn oil.
- Vitamins and minerals: Infant formula contains vitamins A, D, K, C, choline, calcium, iron, and more to prevent deficiencies and give little ones the healthiest start possible. All infant formula must contain a minimum of 29 nutrients and a maximum of 9 nutrients. (However, this rule does change for some “special care” infant formulas, such as preterm infant formula, metabolic infant formula, and amino acid-based infant formula.) If you’re not breastfeeding at all, it’s recommended to give your baby an iron-fortified formula that contains 4 mg of iron in the first year.
In addition to the essential ingredients mentioned above, many infant formulas contain additional ingredients such as…
- Long-chain fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA), two long-chain fatty acids found in breast milk. While the AAP notes that this pair is very important for early brain development, not all studies have confirmed the benefits of including them in infant formula.
- Probiotics and prebiotics: Probiotics are healthy live bacteria, while prebiotics are food for probiotics. These two substances are generally beneficial for gut health, however, there is still limited evidence that they are beneficial for infant formula, noted AAP.
- Human milk oligosaccharides: HMOs in breast milk help prevent infections, and studies have shown that the addition of HMO-fortified infant formula <a i=2> can be considered an alternative when breast milk is not available.
- Lutein: Breast milk naturally contains lutein, a carotenoid with antioxidant properties that contributes to eye health and cognitive development. It is unclear how much of an effect the additive has on infant formula, as studies have shown that infants absorb much more lutein during breastfeeding than when consuming fortified infant formula.
What Types of Infant Formula Are Available?
In addition to milk powders, concentrates and liquids, there are many different types of infant formula available. They are both considered healthy and baby-friendly, but there are also key differences.
Cow’s Milk Infant Formula
While regular cow’s milk is dangerous for babies under 12 months of age, cow’s milk-based infant formula is produced in such a way that it is safe and easy to digest. Like breast milk, cow’s milk infant formula also contains lactose, a type of lactose. (For lactose-sensitive infants, sensitive or mild infant formulas often contain lower lactose content.) Today, cow’s milk-based infant formula accounts for 80% of all infant formula< with i=4 > on the market. Most babies tolerate it well. For those who don’t, there is a chance they have a cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), which means their little belly can’t tolerate the whey and/or casein in cow’s milk. CMPA symptoms can affect your baby’s skin, digestion, and even breathing. Do you know? Condensed milk was recommended as a baby food by pediatricians in the 20s and 30s of the 1940th century.
Soy Infant Formula
Soy infant formula is lactose- and cow’s milk protein-free, making it a must for babies born with galactosaemia (i.e., intolerance to lactose) for rare diseases. (Your baby will be screened at birth.) It’s worth noting that many babies would have experienced being introduced to the public in 1929. At the time, soy formula lacked important vitamins and nutrients. Did you know the first soy infant formula? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that in rare cases, soy formula should be chosen over cow’s milk infant formula,but there is no evidence to support this. And, eventually, colic symptoms. While some people believe that soy infant formula can help prevent or alleviate the inability to digest lactose for a period of time, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), severe lactose problems in babies are extremely rare and short-lived
Hydrolyzed and partially hydrolyzed infant formula
While these types of infant formula may sound complicated, they are actually all related to the size of the protein. Infant formula contains a lot of complete proteins, but some babies have problems digesting these proteins. When this happens, babies need infant formula that contains smaller proteins. (Hydrolysis means “breaking down,” so hydrolyzed formula contains smaller, easy-to-digest proteins.) Sensitive and mild infant formulas often contain partially hydrolyzed proteins that may help relieve gas. At the same time, fully hydrolyzed infant formula breaks down more and is best suited for babies with more serious problems such as cow’s milk protein allergy or multiple food allergies.
Do you know? These types of infant formula are often referred to as “pre-digested” because the protein is already small.
Organic Infant Formula
To qualify USDA “Organic” infant formula, at least 95% of the listed ingredients must be organic. Therefore, this means that organic infant formula must come from cows that eat an organic diet. In the case of plant-based formulations, the plant-based source must limit exposure to pesticides and be GMO-free. All in all, organic formulas are expensive, and so far, there is no evidence that they are better than non-organic infant formulas that contain the same nutrients and ingredients. Safe.
Do you know? “Organic” doesn’t mean your infant formula is all-natural. Infant formula needs to contain certain nutrients and preservatives that can only be produced synthetically.
Special Infant Formula
There are other types of infant formula that are designed to meet the unique needs of children with special medical conditions or who were born prematurely. If your baby’s pediatrician recommends special formula, be sure to carefully follow their recommendations regarding feeding amounts, feeding schedules, and preparation, as special infant formula can be very different from regular infant formula.
How to Choose the Right Infant Formula
- Start with standard commercial infant formula. Unless your baby’s pediatrician recommends otherwise, it’s best to start with a standard cow’s milk infant formula – which is what most babies do well. It is important to avoid using non-US brands of infant formula, as the FDA only regulates US infant formula.
- Consider the cost. The price of infant formula will make you regret that you didn’t fill out the baby registration form for 1,000 cans of infant formula! If your baby drinks 25 ounces of infant formula a day, you’ll spend between $821 and $2,920 by their first birthday. Therefore, it’s a good idea to consider your budget before choosing your preferred infant formula. Know that infant formula is always cheaper than liquids.
- Easy to choose. Choose an infant formula that you can easily buy from a store near you. Of course, it’s always possible to order online, but with the risk of shipping delays, you may want to shop locally to avoid added stress.
- Try not to let marketing pitches affect you. If you’ve read the claims on infant formula packaging, you know that some people tout their brain-boosting benefits, while others insist that their efficacy products protect their baby’s immune system. Unfortunately, there is not enough scientific evidence to support most of the claims.
- Get buy-in in the decision-making process. While it can be helpful to get infant formula information from your sisters, neighbors, social media, and Google, among others, you do need to get infant formula advice directly from your pediatrician. They know your baby’s health and medical history best, so they’re great for guiding you through the decision-making process. (They might also have some free baby formula samples in their office!)
- Breathe deeply. Remember, your baby has unique needs, and there’s an infant formula that can help meet them. If your baby starts to have problems, such as severe gas, colic, regurgitation, vomiting, or diarrhea, don’t hesitate to consult a pediatrician to see if your infant formula is the culprit.