Mother’s milk is the ideal type of nutrition for newborn babies. Most women usually do not have major problems with breastfeeding, but there are many who feed their babies with a bottle.
Frequent reasons why breast milk is replaced/supplemented with formula
– Lack of milk. The small amount of milk in the breast causes malnutrition of the baby and the associated poor weight gain. That is why some moms take lactation powder from www.lovemajka.com/ to help increase and enrich their milk supply.
– Baby’s health. Prematurity, allergies, reflux – special conditions in which a child is fed with a special therapeutic mixture.
– Psychological unpreparedness. Sometimes breastfeeding causes negative associations, and feelings of discomfort. In this situation, the decision not to feed naturally will be the mother’s own choice.
In other situations, the need for the introduction of the initial/next formula is determined by the doctor.
Types of infant formula
According to the adaptability of milk formula qualitative and quantitative characteristics should be selected with orientation on breast milk – approximate proportions of proteins of whey and casein fractions, the necessary nutrients – fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins are included.
It is very important to take into account the age of the child because for every period of development, a child needs a certain amount of vitamins and trace elements. According to this factor, mixtures can be divided into the following stages:
– initial (first formula) – the first half of the year
– The next (second formula) – the second half of the year
– Aging (third formula) – after one year of age
– Multifunctional – from birth to one year
According to the basic components, we can distinguish between formulae on the basis of cow’s or goat’s milk, soy formulas, hydrolyzed or lactose-free, which can be chosen depending on the health condition of the baby. For more information on all types of formula, visit organicsbestshop.com.
But knowing the types of formula is not enough. You should talk to your baby’s doctor when choosing the best formula for your baby. Knowing your baby’s health, he or she will be able to advise you individually on which formula to choose. The doctor will also explain the important characteristics and differences between the various formulas, including the one you are planning to buy.
Breast milk substitutes from different brands tend to differ in nutritional value. A line is developed with a mandatory standard set of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins according to age-appropriate standards. Some manufacturers (not all companies) offer improved formulas that include probiotics and prebiotics – this enhances beneficial bacterial flora, establishing comfortable digestion and stimulating immunity. Also, for the development of immunity, brain, vision additionally introduce nucleotides, DHA, lutein and other components that make the formula more similar to breast milk.
It is always important to remember that each infant is individual, as are their nutritional needs. Infant formula replaces breast milk in the first and second half of life, and after one year is used in addition to other foods. The variety of baby formula takes into account the age and nutritional needs of healthy children and children with special developmental needs.
So everything about choosing the best baby formula for your baby is a joint effort between the parents and the pediatrician.
What to look for when introducing a new formula
Your doctor will justify your first choice or replacement. If you choose again, it will usually not just be a different brand of formula, but one with a different quality and taste.
Key points
– Time of day for the new formula: first half of the day.
– How much formula to give: in the first reception, a minimum volume of 10-30 ml is administered to track the reaction of the body. If there are no negative reactions, the portion increases gradually to the full age norm within 7-10 days.
– How to understand that the mixture is not suitable: pain, gas in the stomach, skin rash, diarrhea, mucous discharge with blood streaks when emptying – signs of food rejection, talk to your doctor. The formula may need to be changed.
The best baby formulas, according to pediatricians, are those that contain “biotic”.
What is the “biotikós” family? The term “biotic” comes from the Greek word biōtikós, which means “concerning” life. Biotic refers to a biological ecosystem that consists of living microorganisms together with their physical environment, that is, the child’s body. To date, we know that the biotic’s family includes:
– Prebiotics are food components that affect the growth and vitality of a baby’s gut microflora. They are essential “food” for beneficial bacteria. Prebiotic oligosaccharides are found in considerable quantities in breast milk, and are also added to high-quality baby formula.
– Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient quantities, benefit the health of the host. They are primarily lactic acid bacteria, such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. They also happen to be present in breast milk and are necessary for a baby to form a healthy gut microbiota, develop the immune system, develop food tolerance, synthesize many nutritional elements, including vitamins, and strengthen the integrity of the intestinal barrier.
– Symbiotics are “synergistic mixtures of probiotics and prebiotics that have a positive effect on the host by improving the survival and colonization of live beneficial microorganisms in the host’s GI tract. Symbiotics are also found in breast milk.
– Postbiotics are the result of bacterial fermentation, and they can be used quite safely in combination with nutrients to promote your baby’s health. In other words, probiotics (bacteria) feed on prebiotics (carbohydrates), resulting in postbiotics – beneficial bioactive substances.
A breakthrough in infant nutrition – infant formula with postbiotics
It turns out that many of the expected health benefits associated with the addition of live probiotic bacteria to food rely on the possible production by these microorganisms of short-chain fatty acids and other beneficial components derived from their vital activity. These effects have contributed to a rethinking of the food fermentation process and gave birth to the concept of post-biotics.
Today, postbiotics include carbohydrates, proteins, peptides, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, co-factors, organic acids, cell wall components and complex molecules.
Postbiotics have a positive effect on the formation of the gut microbiota in newborns. They can significantly improve the situation in the microbial community of the gut, while being absolutely safe, which allows even more convergence of nutrition, microbiology and individual prevention or treatment of the child.
Postbiotics have proven topical effects:
- Immunomodulatory.
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antimicrobial
As well as systemic effects on the health of the newborn:
– Antioxidant
– Antidepressant
– Reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels
– Contribute to the prevention of obesity.
Scientists have proven that fermented infant formula with added galacto- and fructooligosaccharides is a quality food option for formula-fed babies. It reliably better approximates the functional performance of breastfed infants to that of breastfed children, reducing the frequency of functional digestive disorders, i.e., colic, constipation, anxiety, crying, frequency of daily crying, thus promoting comfortable digestion of the baby. In a study it has been shown that such a formula reduces the risk of colic by 8 times.
Infant formula – how to choose?
Thus, breast milk certainly remains the ideal “gold standard” of nutrition for infants and young children. However, if for one reason or another the baby has to switch to artificial feeding, then with the use of modern milk formula, based on the latest findings of nutrition science, it will not be for her and her physiological development and metabolism a biological disaster, as it was some 20-30 years ago. It seems that we are entering a new era of “biotic” research, which will continue to expand the range of safe compounds and nutrients that can be used in specialized nutrition, for the health benefits of children and adults alike.
