Infant Formula Choices
Manufactures are trying hard to mimic breast milk. Cow’s milk based infant formula is the most common. Soy formulas are good for babies who are allergic to cow’s milk. Hypoallergenic infant formulas are made from synthetic monomeric amino acids. Babies with medical complications and ones who are allergic to cow’s milk and soy is a formula to be considered.
Powder, liquid concentrate, and ready to feed, are the forms that infant formula comes in. The types of formulas are soy, cow’s milk, partially hydrolyzed like Good Start and Gentlease brands to improve digestibility, and extensive hypoallergenic.
Which Infant Formula is best?
Each brand, type, and form of infant formula is partially up to you and then up to your baby. Consult your doctor before switching. Babies who are spitting up a lot or is constipated, could be caused by the formula you’re using. Infant Formula reviews have real parents giving their views of what has worked for them. Knowing what each formula does and doesn’t do is half the battle.
What is in Infant Formula?
Lactose is the main carbohydrate in cow’s milk based formulas. Corn maltodextrin is used as a secondary source. Lactose-free, soy and special formulas contain one or more of the following carbohydrates; sucrose, corn maltodextrin, modified cornstarch, or corn syrup solids.
Breast milk contains about 60 percent whey and 40 percent casein. Most infant formulas have similar protein content.
Other formulas contain 100% whey. Soy formulas contain soy protein isolate. Some brands use partially hydrolyzed soy protein for babies to have an easier time to digest. Partially hydrolyzed infant formulas are not hypoallergenic.
Extensively hydrolyzed formulas contain extensively broken-down casein with additional amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. These are used for babies who have a protein allergy.
Breast milk contains a blend of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fat. Infant Formulas uses a variety of oils to match the fat make up of breast milk. They include soy oil, coconut oil, corn oil, palm oil, palm olein oil, and high oleic sunflower oil.
Studies have shown that palm oil and palm olein oil reduce absorption of fat and calcium from infant formulas. Your baby may not absorb as much fat and calcium as he would from a formula that doesn’t contain these oils.
Triglycerides takes less effort to digest and are more easily absorbed. They are used in special formulas for premature infants and for infants who have trouble digesting and absorbing nutrients.
DHA docosahexaenoic acid and ARA arachidonic acid are approved by FDA to be used in infant formulas. Both of these substances are found in breast milk. Both are important for brain and vision development. Babies get DHA and ARA from their mother during the third trimester.
Vitamins and minerals are very important for breast milk and infant formula. Some of these vitamins and minerals names on packages can be a little confusing; ferrous sulfate is iron, sodium ascorbate is vitamin C, and calcium pantothenate is a B vitamin.
The AAP recommends that all healthy babies should be given and iron-fortified formula until they reach their first birthday.
Here’s where the different brands tweak their formulas.
Nucleotides are building blocks of DHA and RNA, naturally present in breast milk. Nucleotides have several functions and on is in aid in immune system development. Each manufacture adds different amounts of nucleotides.
Rice starch is added to “anti-regurgitation” formula. This is added to help in less spitting up and choking. Ask your baby’s doctor before using an “AR” formula.
Soy fiber is added to soy infant formulas for temporary treatment of diaddhea. The only formula containing fiber is Isomil DF, which is clinically shown to reduce diarrhea.