3 Categories of Formula for Infants

Breast-fed

If a baby is not being breast-fed, the most common alternative is to use a commercially made formula. It is possible to make formula on your own, but today you would be ill advised to bother because commercially available formulas are varied enough and nutritionally standardized to work very well for most babies. Formula is not just a container of regular milk with some sugar and oil in it. On the contrary, formula today duplicates mother's milk to the greatest possible extent.

Formula is made with everything your baby needs, including iron, and has many essential vitamin added to it as well. For the most part, there is little reason why a formula-fed baby would be given vitamins (though the often area). soon we may even be using molecularly engineered formula with protective antibodies already added.

Formula Level for Infants

Formula manufacturer are constantly reformulating and improving formulas as they increase their understanding of the composition and change in breast milk that occur over time. That's why formula products are now being offered in stages. There are subtle differences in each level intended to adapt to infant's nutritional needs the way breast milk does. it's not entirely clear whether the adaptations are enough to merit the extra cost of these formulas. With time and research, formulas may become so well tailored to infant nutritional need as to breast feeding,  in the amounts and kinds of fat, minerals, vitamins, and protein manufacturer are getting better and better at "matching" breast milk in the laboratory.

3 Categories of Formula for Infants

1. Formula based on cow's milk are the most common type of formulas. These formulas replicate breast milk using cow's milk as the base. The advantage of cow-milk formula is that it contains the amino-acid chains that are found in all mammal milk product, including human breast milk.
2. Based on soybean protein (soy formula). It different in many ways from the composition of formula based on cow's milk. a variety of important fast and sugars are added to make it adequate for feeding infant. For children who are not breast-fed and who cannot tolerate cow-milk formula, soy-based formula is currently the recommended substitute.
3. The third category is hydrolyzed protein formula for babies who have difficulties digesting soy and cow-milk formulas. These are also refferent to as hypo allergies might benefit from starting their baby on a hypoallergenic formula. These Formulas are partially metabolized and, in some cases, are lactose-free, making digestion easier.

When Should I Change Formulas?

• baby could be allergic to cow's milk. If your baby cries with feedings and produces occasional blood-tinged stool, he is likely to be suffering from milk protein allergy. Other signs include vomiting and a blotchy hive-like rash. If you see these signs, consult your pediatrician about it immediately. If your baby has discomfort every time he eats-he cries, pulls up his legs, turns red in the face, & trows up-call your baby's doctor. This may be due  to the formula that your baby is drinking, but it could also relate to medical conditions such as reflux or lactose intolerance. your doctor can help make the diagnosis.
• Baby could be lactose intolerant. Many babies are gassy, but gassy an uncomfortable may mean that your baby is lactose intolerant. Although it is often suspected, it is not very common. Lactose-free cow-milk formulas are available, Although they are not as easy to find and tend to cost more. soy formula does not contain lactose. soy tends to constipate babies, so a parent will lament.
  You might switch to that third category-hydrolyzed formulas. These are made by breaking down the protein component so that the child who is allergic to the protein in cow's milk will be able to digest it more easily. It still originates from cow's milk and is more similar than soy-based formula to human milk, which is the " gold standard" it also harder to find and more expensive, but certaily worth trying if it relieves suffering. The not-so-good news is that infants who use this formula smell "funny" you can always tell a nutramigen or an Alimentum baby by his distinctive odor. Also be prepared for stools that will be very watery and dark green. This is expected and does not mean anything is wrong or that baby is not getting enough nutrients.
• Babies have taste buds, too! Why else might you change formulas? well, let's say your baby is not interested and just won't drink it. Its flavor may not appeal to her. we don't know everything about infant's taste buds, but we do know they work, because babies grimace and spit out foods with certain tastes. If your baby repeatedly spits out the same brand of formula, maybe she just doesn't like it. Try a different brand, or try changing from cow-milk to soy-based formula.

sources & references Dr. Paula's good nutrition guide 

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