Thursday, August 6, 2009

Artificial formulas for infant feed in bottles

A baby who is not receiving breast milk should be fed infant artificial formula. Cow’s milk is not suitable for children under 12 months of age. Most infant artificial formulas are based on cow’s milk but contain other important ingredients as well. They are suitable for the majority of healthy full term infants.

All artificial formulas sold in Australia conform to the Australia New Zealand Food Standard Code . There is little difference in nutritional value or quality between differently priced brands. There are a variety of artificial formulas available. They include:

• Standard infant artificial formulalabeling ‘suitable from birth’, this is for babies up to 12 months of age. Standard infant artificial formula is usually cow’s milk based, but may be soy or goat’s milk based. Soy may be preferred by vegan mothers or if the baby cannot tolerate cow’s milk protein. However, unless there are compelling reasons against using cow’s milk based artificial formula, it is the recommended choice.

• Follow-on infant artificial formula – labeling ‘suitable only for babies over six months’, this is for babies aged six to 12 months. There is no research to show these preparations are any better than standard artificial formula, and they are not considered nutritionally necessary.

• Thickened artificial formula – is sometimes recommended for babies who frequently ‘posset’ or regurgitate large amounts after feeding. However, a thickened artificial formula may not solve the problem and should not be used without guidance from a qualified health professional.

• Premature infant artificial formula – is specifically designed for the nutritional needs of a premature baby. This is not suitable for healthy term babies.

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