How to choose milk formula

Mother's milk is the best food for an infant. But if a woman can not feed the baby or wants to transfer it to a mixed diet, she buys milk formula.

Content

1. The composition of the milk mixture
2. Purpose
3. Child's age
4. Adapted and non-adapted mixtures
5. Which mixture to choose

What to look for when choosing

The composition of the milk mixture

When creating many dairy mixes used cow's milk. Some substitute products are made from goat milk or soy protein. If the baby is diagnosed with lactose intolerance, he is assigned a mixture based on soy. Goat milk is used for cow protein allergies. But the body crumbs can not eat on the basis of goat protein.

The formula should be similar to mother's milk. Therefore, it contains proteins, vitamins, nucleotides, lactose, vegetable oils and other beneficial substances.

Sometimes added to the product:

1. Prebiotics. Increase the spread of beneficial lactic and bifidobacteria in the intestine. Useful in treating constipation, help get rid of intestinal problems. With a lack of prebiotics dysbiosis, atopic eczema develops, the functioning of the immune system deteriorates.

2. Probiotics. These bacteria improve the immune system, are used for meteorism, promote digestion. They are used to prevent allergic reactions.

3. Bifidobacteria. They are recommended for intestinal infections, help the body absorb food, improve immunity.

4. Starch. Contained in antireflux mixtures that prevent frequent and abundant regurgitation. It is added to conventional milk replacers to normalize stools and improve the nutritional value of the product. When used at an early age can cause flatulence and abdominal pain.

5. Gluten. This vegetable protein is added to the composition of most milk formulas. But it can cause allergies or intestinal upset in children younger than a year. Sometimes babies have gluten intolerance.

6. Iron. Used to prevent anemia.

Often in the baby food is palm oil, which contains a lot of fatty acids. But some doctors claim that his regular consumption causes bone loss.

Milk mixture should not contain sugar. Sucrose can cause allergies, lead to flatulence and cause abdominal pain.

Before using any mixture should consult a pediatrician.

Purpose

For premature babies, high-calorie milk substitutes are used, which contain more protein and useful components as compared to conventional mixtures. They are included in the diet of babies who weigh less than 3 kg.

Anti-reflux blends contain starch or other thickeners. They help children who suffer from frequent regurgitation.

If the baby has problems with intestinal microflora, sour-milk mixtures are prescribed. They have a positive effect on immunity and increase the growth of "good" microorganisms in the intestine. They can be given after antibiotic therapy.

Hypoallergenic products are suitable for children who are prone to the development of allergies.They contain hydrolyzed protein, which, unlike bovine protein, does not cause an allergic reaction.

Sometimes for the prevention or treatment of anemia (anemia) mixtures enriched with iron are prescribed.

There are foods that do not contain milk sugar. They are prescribed to children with lactose intolerance. If the disease manifests itself in a mild form, the mother feeds the baby with a mixture of low milk sugar. It is impossible to feed a child with treatment-and-prophylactic mixtures without the consent of a pediatrician.

Milk formula for moms

Not only children can use milk formulas. There is a special food for moms that increases lactation and improves the composition of breast milk. It contains many minerals (potassium, iodine, sodium, zinc, chromium), vitamins (B2, B9, C, retinol, nicotinamide), taurine, pectin and other beneficial compounds.

Child's age

The composition of the infant formula depends on how many months a baby has. The more mature the crumb, the more nutrients and unadapted milk protein contained in the product. Therefore, manufacturers always indicate the age and degree of the mixture.

1. The “0” stage is designed for premature babies and small babies.

2. "1" - designed for children from birth to six months.

3. "2" - designed for 6-12-month-old children.

4. "3" and "4" - is used in the diet of one-year-old children.

5. "5" - designed for children older than two years.

When moving to the next step, it is recommended to feed the child with a mixture of the same manufacturer.

Adapted and non-adapted mixtures

Adapted products are created from demineralized whey. They contain many vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Due to this, the composition of baby food is similar to the composition of breast milk. Because of this, it is more expensive. Adapted mixtures are used for children from birth to one year.

Unadapted goods are made from whole milk, therefore they cannot be used for children under 6 months. They are worse assimilated and are often "poorer" adapted mixtures on the content of nutrients.

Even with the use of adapted nutrition, your baby may have health problems: intestinal upset, rash, colic, and flatulence. Therefore, the mixture should be introduced into the diet gradually. If, while observing all instructions, the baby’s body still does not accept the product, the mixture should be changed.

Which mixture to choose

1. For babies with a low weight, you should choose a zero-grade milk formula with increased nutritional value. For kids younger than six months, the product must be adapted. And in the presence of allergies or intestinal disorders, treatment-and-prophylactic mixtures should be chosen, but they cannot be used without the approval of the doctor.

2. When choosing a formula, pay attention to the type of formula. Liquid products need only warming up. They are convenient to take on a trip or a visit. After opening the package can not be stored.

3. Dried milk substitutes should be filled with boiled water before feeding. They can be stored for a month after opening the package.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.