Be that as it may, the best infant formula for babies is mother's milk. However, some children from birth have intolerance to breast milk for various reasons: increased fat content or, conversely, reduced allergic reaction due to improper nutrition of the mother. And sometimes a woman just needs to go to work and stop breastfeeding. In these cases, artificial nutrition (mixtures, milk) will help.
As mothers usually define, what are some good mixes for babies?
- Buy a mixture of the brand that is given in the hospital. More often it is Nutrilon, Nan, Nestogen, Nutrilak, but each institution has its own option. This method is not suitable for all children.
- Buy a mixture of the brand that other mothers recommend. This process takes place in the form of numerous experiments, where the mother monitors the well-being of the child and clean skin when introducing a new mixture. This method can harm the health of the baby if the mother is chasing budget savings.
- Buy the mixture in a pharmacy or children's store on the recommendation of a consultant. This option is not safe for the baby. Firstly, the “specialist” will sell the goods at a higher price, and secondly, this consultant can be well versed in the brands of the goods, but not know the features of the newborn.
- Buy a mixture of the brand that the pediatrician recommended. This method is optimal. Firstly, the doctor observes the baby from the first days, is familiar with its "sores." Secondly, when choosing a mixture, the doctor takes into account the age, weight of the child. And thirdly, the pediatrician gives several options for mixtures, revealing their advantages and disadvantages.
Types of milk formula
What good mixes for newborns to choose if there are a lot of them in stores, and they vary in content and consistency. The following types of milk mixtures can be distinguished:
- dry in powder form, which are diluted with water or milk;
- liquid, ready to eat;
- mixtures with additives for treatment;
- fresh;
- sour milk.
Powder mixtures are convenient for shelf life, while liquid mixtures after opening are only suitable for a few hours. For children with gas, diathesis or other diseases, it is possible to choose a “medical” composition, that is, substances causing unpleasant symptoms will be excluded from the mixture. Most often, up to six months they give fresh mixtures for newborns.
Mom’s reviews only confirm this, since in such cases the risk of allergic manifestations, diathesis is reduced, and fewer bacteria develop in the oral cavity. But fermented milk mixtures are best administered to older babies, since not everyone has a stomach that can digest this food.
By similarities with breast milk, mixtures are adapted, partially similar, and not adapted. Adapted mixtures are numbered in units; they are suitable for a newborn from the very first days. Partially similar in composition to breast milk, mixtures are suitable for infants who alternate breasts and artificial nutrition. Non-adapted mixtures are suitable for six-month-old babies when complementary foods are introduced.
When choosing, note that some mixtures are made from cow's milk (Nan Gold Premium, Nutrilon, Hipp), while others are made from goat's milk (Cabrit, Nanny, Nutricia). Each child may have an individual reaction to a particular mixture.
How to determine that the mixture is suitable for the child?
Many mothers cannot explain professionally which good mixes are for newborns and which are not, but they know several rules that testify to the harmony of the mixture with the baby’s tummy:
- On the day a new product is introduced, do not give breast milk.
- Track the baby’s reaction to new foods for 1 day.
- Keep a baby diary for 2 weeks.
Typically, in newborns, an allergic rash, redness, regurgitation occurs a few minutes after feeding, and problems with stool are noticeable after a few hours or days.
Sometimes it happens that from the beginning of the introduction of the mixture, the baby feels good, and allergic reactions appear after a few weeks. Also, a child can "say" about individual intolerance by behavior: crying, anxiety, stomping. Thus, when buying a mixture, use the recommendations of your pediatrician and monitor the well-being of the baby. Children feel which good mixes are for newborns and which are not.