Artificial feeding is always a necessary measure, since there can be no better nutrition for a baby than breast milk. Feeding with donor milk and mixed feeding is always preferable to using artificial substitutes. Most of the mixtures are based on cow’s milk, and the basis of hypoallergenic mixtures is goat’s milk and soy. For newborns, highly adapted mixtures are used, and after six months they are adapted and partially adapted. Mixes are dry and liquid, fresh and fermented milk. There are special foods for feeding premature babies.
What is the adaptation of the Infant formula?
Adaptations are mainly protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin and mineral components. In most mixtures, the amount of the main protein of cow’s milk (casein) and whey of breast milk is reduced to a ratio of 40:60 or 50:50, while casein is subjected to special treatment, which increases its digestibility by the body of the child. There are also casein formula mixtures, in which the proportion of this protein can be up to 80%. In adapted mixtures, milk fat is completely replaced with a mixture of vegetable oils, and lactose or dextrin-maltose is usually used as a carbohydrate component. In cow’s milk also reduce the content of calcium, potassium, sodium, and add iron, zinc, copper, iodine, fluorine and missing vitamins. In partially adapted mixtures (“subsequent formulas”), cow’s milk protein is less processed, instead of lactose they are often added sucrose or starch.
Such mixtures are intended for feeding children over six months, their protein content, iron and energy value is higher, which corresponds to the needs of children in the second half of life. In the names of these mixtures there is a number 2. In highly adapted mixtures contains vitamin D and therefore in the summer there is no need for its additional reception, as significantly increases the risk of overdose. With an overdose of vitamin D, vomiting, dehydration and General symptoms of poisoning are observed, as well as possible kidney damage, excessive calcium excretion in the urine (calcium) and calcium deposition in the organs (organ calcification), bone demineralization.
What to consider when choosing a Infant formula?
First of all, you need to remember that you need to choose a mixture for artificial feeding only after consultation with a pediatrician. But there are some universal rules. The smaller the age of the child, the more he needs a highly adapted mixture. In the first three weeks of life the child is better to give the fresh mix, as milk can increase regurgitation. A child under six months should not be given “follow-up formula” and the non-adapted milk formulas. There are cases when a child may be allergic to one of the mixtures, then, in consultation with a specialist, you can pick up another.
How to cook Infant formula?
It is important to follow the instructions on the packaging of the mixture. If you overdo it with the powder, the mixture will be oversaturated with all nutrients, which can lead to regurgitation, indigestion and excessive weight gain of the child. If the powder is not enough, the child will remain hungry after feeding, will be capricious, sleep worse and nedoberet in weight. Dilute the mixture should only be boiled water 36-37 ° C. The prepared mixture should pass through the nipple in the feeding bottle at a rate of about one drop per second.
Can I store the prepared Infant formula?
The rest of the mixture in the bottle, which the child did not finish, can not be left until the next feeding. If the child is less than a month old, all baby dishes and items necessary for feeding and preparation of the mixture should be washed immediately after feeding under warm running water, after which the dishes should be sterilized (or hold 10-15 minutes in boiling water), after which all accessories should be left on a clean towel to cool to room temperature. Starting from the second month of the child’s life, it will be sufficient to simply wash the baby dishes after feeding with boiled water. Open jar of the mixture should be stored in the refrigerator, closed jar-in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
How and when to change the Infant formula?
Best of all, selecting one compound and making sure that the child responds to it well (he’s not allergic, he gains weight), and to continue personal this brand. Frequent transitions to mixtures of different manufacturers are always accompanied by a period of addiction and represent a certain stress for the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to either make a stock of the mixture, or make sure that the purchased mixture in the future will be easy to find on sale. It is also a good idea to make sure that the company, the mixture of which is selected for feeding the child from birth, produces a mixture of “subsequent formula” (with a deuce in the name). Mixtures of one manufacturer are always close in composition, and the transition to a new diet will be less problematic for the baby.