Baby formula - choose and feed correctly

The best food for an infant is mother's milk, but for medical reasons or because of its lack, the full replacement is required. Among the variety of industrial mixtures, it is difficult for mothers to find a suitable option. To make the right choice will help to carefully study the characteristics of nutrition for kids.

Composition of infant formula

It was not possible to completely repeat the formula of breast milk to the producers of the described products. Mixtures for newborns and infants over six months are substances approximated in composition to natural biological fluid. Depending on the age, physiological characteristics and needs of the crumbs, they may contain the following components:

Hypoallergenic infant formula

This type of finished liquids, concentrates or powders is designed for children with a tendency to negative immune reactions to different stimuli. Cow milk protein often provokes an allergy, so the infant formulas in question contain it in a hydrolyzed (partially digested) form. Molecules of the stimulus after chemical treatment are so small that they do not affect the immune system.

Manufacturers offer products with several degrees of protein digestion. The choice of a particular product should be based on the severity and frequency of immune reactions, pediatrician recommendations. There are hypoallergenic mixtures for newborns, absolutely not containing irritant ingredient. They are based on the adapted goat milk or soy. It is not recommended to buy such food on your own, it should be prescribed by a doctor.

Quality products:

Sour milk mixture

The described kind of compositions is used temporarily and only on the recommendation of specialists. It contains pre- and probiotics, which ensure the normalization of the balance of the intestinal microflora. An acid-milk mixture for newborns and infants older than 6 months is necessary for the following problems:

Good compositions with pre- and probiotics:

Baby Milk Blends

The presented type of food is suitable for kids with normal digestion and not suffering from allergy or intolerance of some substances. The considered product type is classified into 3 large groups according to their composition and key components:

  1. Adapted infant formula. Produced on the basis of processed whey of cow's milk with the addition of lactose and other important ingredients. This product is as much like a natural biological fluid.
  2. Partly or less adapted mixtures. These compounds are made from casein, a protein from cow's milk with minimal processing. They are more difficult to digest by the body of the child, so they are recommended for feeding children 6 months and older.
  3. Unadapted baby formula. The presented form of powders is based on untreated dry milk (cow). Pediatricians advise them to enter into the diet of crumbs closer to 1 year, when the functions of its digestive system are stabilized.

Recommended milk substitutes:

Baby formula on goat milk

Some children experience negative immune reactions even when using hypoallergenic compounds. In such cases, intolerance is suspected of a particular protein that is part of the structure of cow's milk - alpha-S1 casein. Splitting the molecule does not help to cope with the symptoms of allergies and digestive problems. Infants with this pathology require a pediatric mixture on goat hydrolysed milk with a predominance of whey proteins. It does not contain alpha-S1 casein, so it does not provoke rashes, diarrhea, redness and peeling of the skin.

Compositions based on goat milk:

Blends without palm oil

Vegetable fats are added to nutrition for infants to ensure the entry of valuable components into the body. Baby formulas predominantly include the following oils:

The latter kind of vegetable fat is considered a controversial ingredient because of its effect on metabolic processes. There is evidence that this type of oil causes:

All of the above facts are true, but only with respect to pure palm oil. Mixtures for babies do not contain it, in them separate acids - oleic and palmitic acids are added. Thanks to this, the nutritional composition is as close as possible to the mother's milk. It is not only not dangerous, but it also contributes to normal growth and full development of crumbs more than a children's mixture without palm oil. Check the quality of the products easily, if you pay attention to the label. It should be indicated that the described ingredient is added in a modified form.

Powders without the addition of palm oil:

Which mixture to choose for a child?

On the shelves of pharmacies and shops a huge number of described goods of domestic and foreign production, among which it is easy to get lost. Focus on cost as an indicator of quality is mistaken. The rating of children's mixtures shows that often cheap products are better than expensive ones. It is important for parents to study the nutritional composition and the degree to which it corresponds to the age and needs of the baby.

Which mixture is better for the newborn?

The described group of early food for all producers is marked with the number "1" on the package. Baby formulas from 0 to 6 months should be maximally adapted for infants, approximate the content of chemicals to natural breast milk (unless there are other medical recommendations). It is desirable that the product does not include rape and sunflower oil.

The rating of mixtures for newborns, based on the opinions of pediatricians:

  1. Nutrilon from Nutricia. Produced in Holland, enriched with nucleotides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, prebiotics, vitamins and minerals. This is the best mixture for newborns, but expensive.
  2. Baby (producers - Russia and Ukraine). Very popular product due to excellent quality and low price. The mixture is maximally adapted for infants aged 0-6 months, well absorbed and similar in composition to breast milk.
  3. Similac from Abbott. Produced in Denmark, contains prebiotics, iodine, taurine and lactose. The product has a favorable effect on digestion, prevents colic and reduces gas production.
  4. NAN from Nestle. The Swiss mix, but subsidiaries can be located in any country. This food contains a complex of valuable vitamins and trace elements, so it strengthens the immunity of crumbs and helps the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
  5. Nestogen, the manufacturer is also Nestle. The mixture contains prebiotics, which provide comfortable digestion and absence of such problems as flatulence, excessive regurgitation, constipation or diarrhea.

The rating of products, including specialized therapeutic series (hypoallergenic, with intestinal problems, lactose intolerance and others):

Mixture for children from 6 months

After six months, babies learn more easily cow's milk, their food can contain partially hydrolyzed proteins. Such children's mixtures are marked with the number "2" on the package. They are less saturated with vitamins and minerals, pre- and probiotics, because from the age of 6 months, the introduction of complementary foods begins. A rating that allows you to determine which infant formula is better at the specified age:

What kind of mixture to choose a child after a year?

A child older than 12 months digests milk protein well, but is not yet ready for a natural product, both cow and goat. Children's dry mixtures, concentrates or ready-made liquids for one-year-olds are marked with the number "3" on the label. They are part of a group of partially or unadapted food, can include dry processed milk. List of recommended mixtures of pediatricians:

Which mixture to choose for premature babies?

Prematurely born baby needs nutrition with increased energy value and increased concentration of vitamins, micro- and macronutrients. What kind of mixture to choose for a newborn preterm baby should be advised by a pediatrician. This type of product is marked with the number "0" or with the letters "pre", "pre" in the name. The best mixture for newborns that are born before the term can be selected from the following list:

How correctly to feed the child with a mixture?

If you are getting a ready-made liquid, you only need to preheat it and offer crumbs. Dry and concentrated infant formula from 0 months and older should be diluted with clean (filtered or purchased) boiled water. Parents should remember and follow the following rules:

  1. Strictly observe the proportions recommended on the packaging by the manufacturer.
  2. Carefully monitor hygiene.
  3. Preheat the mixture to the child's body temperature (36-37 degrees).
  4. Do not combine products from different manufacturers.
  5. Monitor shelf life and storage conditions.
  6. Do not heat the solution in a microwave oven.
  7. After shaking, wait for the bubbles to float.
  8. Give the baby a freshly prepared product.

How to feed a mixture of the newborn?

Getting food - the moment of union of the baby with the mother, setting up a close emotional connection, even if the baby does not eat from the breast. It is important to follow such recommendations in the process:

  1. To place the child is identical to breastfeeding, to hug and iron.
  2. The head should be just above the rest of the body, on the same line with the spine.
  3. The elongated part of the nipple is completely captured by the baby's mouth.
  4. Watch that the baby does not swallow the air and does not hurry.
  5. Take breaks during feeding, take the baby in your arms and hold a "bar", helping to regurgitate.

How much mixture should eat a newborn depends on its weight. The daily amount of nutrient fluid is 1 / 5-1 / 6 of the body weight of the baby. You can calculate a more accurate solution volume (for 24 hours) according to the age of the baby:

To what age should the child be fed a mixture?

Some parents stop giving babies special food from 12 months and offer them whole milk. This is a wrong tactic, children's adapted mixtures are better absorbed and much more useful than a natural product. They provide crumbs with valuable minerals and vitamins, support immunity and correct digestion. Cow or goat's milk are strong allergens and overload the gastrointestinal tract due to high fat content. Pediatricians are advised to abandon these products until the baby is older.

Experts do not indicate a clear time frame, to what age it is necessary to feed the child with a mixture. You can exclude her from the diet after a year, but as a recommendation, doctors suggest that you continue to give the nutritious solution to the crumb until he himself refuses. It is advisable to diversify the baby's menu with a milky mixture and in 2-3 years, especially if there are problems with the digestive system, propensity to constipation or diarrhea.