Infant formulas are food products designed to provide for the nutritional needs of infants under 1 year old. They include powders, concentrated liquids, or ready-to-use forms.
See also:
Alternative NamesFormula feeding; Bottle feeding
Food SourcesA variety of formulas are available for infants younger than 12 months old who are not drinking breast milk. Infant formulas vary in nutrients, calorie count, taste, ability to be digested, and cost.
Guidelines for infant formulas and normal infant feeding based on human breast milk are available from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
SPECIFIC TYPES OF FORMULAS
Standard milk-based formulas:
Soy-based formulas:
Hypoallergenic formulas (protein hydrolysate formulas):
Lactose-free formulas:
Special formulas that should be used only under a health care provider's supervision:
Newer formulas with no clear role:
Most formulas can be purchased in the following forms:
The AAP recommends that all infants be fed breast milk or iron-fortified formula for at least 12 months.
Standard formulas contain 20 Kcal/ounce and 0.45 grams of protein/ounce. Formulas based on cow's milk are appropriate for most full-term and preterm infants.
Infants who drink enough formula and are gaining weight usually do not need extra vitamins or minerals. Your doctor or nurse may prescribe extra fluoride if the formula is being made with water that has not been fluorinated.
Infant formula can be used until a child is 1 year old. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend cow's milk for children under 1 year old. After 1 year, the child should only get whole milk, not skim or reduced-fat milk.
PREPARING, FEEDING WITH, CLEANING, AND STORING FORMULA
Clean bottles and nipples with soap and then boil them in a covered pan for 10 minutes. They should cool while still covered.
Parents can make enough formula to last for up to 24 hours.
Feeding:
O'Connor NR. Infant formula. Am Fam Physician. 2009;79:565-570.
Labiner-Wolfe J, Fein SB, Shealy KR. Infant formula - handling education and safety. Pediatrics. 2008;122 Suppl 2:S85-S90.
Heird WC. The feeding of infants and children. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007: chap 42.
Infant formulas are food products designed to provide for the nutritional needs of infants under 1 year old. They include powders, concentrated liquids, or ready-to-use forms.
See also:
Alternative NamesFormula feeding; Bottle feeding
Food SourcesA variety of formulas are available for infants younger than 12 months old who are not drinking breast milk. Infant formulas vary in nutrients, calorie count, taste, ability to be digested, and cost.
Guidelines for infant formulas and normal infant feeding based on human breast milk are available from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
SPECIFIC TYPES OF FORMULAS
Standard milk-based formulas:
Soy-based formulas:
Hypoallergenic formulas (protein hydrolysate formulas):
Lactose-free formulas:
Special formulas that should be used only under a health care provider's supervision:
Newer formulas with no clear role:
Most formulas can be purchased in the following forms:
The AAP recommends that all infants be fed breast milk or iron-fortified formula for at least 12 months.
Standard formulas contain 20 Kcal/ounce and 0.45 grams of protein/ounce. Formulas based on cow's milk are appropriate for most full-term and preterm infants.
Infants who drink enough formula and are gaining weight usually do not need extra vitamins or minerals. Your doctor or nurse may prescribe extra fluoride if the formula is being made with water that has not been fluorinated.
Infant formula can be used until a child is 1 year old. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend cow's milk for children under 1 year old. After 1 year, the child should only get whole milk, not skim or reduced-fat milk.
PREPARING, FEEDING WITH, CLEANING, AND STORING FORMULA
Clean bottles and nipples with soap and then boil them in a covered pan for 10 minutes. They should cool while still covered.
Parents can make enough formula to last for up to 24 hours.
Feeding:
O'Connor NR. Infant formula. Am Fam Physician. 2009;79:565-570.
Labiner-Wolfe J, Fein SB, Shealy KR. Infant formula - handling education and safety. Pediatrics. 2008;122 Suppl 2:S85-S90.
Heird WC. The feeding of infants and children. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2011: chap 42.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 08/02/2011
Jennifer K. Mannheim, ARNP, Medical Staff, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Seattle Children's Hospital; and Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Deciding to feed your baby breast milk or formula is a personal matter. If you do choose formula, it's designed to be a nutritional source of food for infants. Let's talk about infant formula.
A variety of formulas are available for infants younger than 12 months old. Infant formulas vary in nutrients, calorie count, taste, ability to be digested, and cost.
Standard milk-based formulas are made with cow's milk protein that has been changed to be more like breast milk. These formulas contain lactose and minerals from cow's milk, along with vegetable oils, minerals, and vitamins.
Soy-based formulas are made using soy proteins. These formulas are useful when parents do not want their child to eat animal protein, or the child has a rare metabolic problem and can't tolerate other formulas. Also, soy formulas do not contain lactose. Other lactose-free formulas are available to help babies with lactose problems.
Hypoallergenic formulas may be helpful for babies who have true allergies to milk protein. They can also help babies with skin rashes. One caveat: you'll pay a lot more for them.
Your baby's doctor may recommend other special formulas. Reflux formulas are pre-thickened with rice starch. They can help babies with reflux problems who are not gaining weight. Formulas for premature and low-birth weight infants have extra calories and minerals. Other special formulas are available for babies with heart disease and digestion problems.
So, what's the best way to take care of infant formula and bottles?
You'll need to clean bottles and nipples with soap, then for very young babies boil them in a covered pan for 10 minutes. Once the bottles are cooled, you can make enough formula to last 24 hours. Make it exactly as the package directs you to. Once you make formula, store it in your refrigerator in individual bottles. During the first month, your baby may need at least 8 bottles of formula a day
When it's time to feed your baby, warm the formula slowly in hot water. Always test the temperature of the formula before feeding your baby. Hold your child close to you and make eye contact. Hold the bottle so the nipple and neck of the bottle are always filled with liquid. This helps prevent your child from swallowing air, which can cause gas and vomiting. Once you're finished feeding your baby, throw away any formula left in the bottle.
Children should get breast milk or formula at least throughout the first year. This is the centerpiece of infant nutrition.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 10/25/2011
Alan Greene, MD, Author and Practicing Pediatrician; also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Infant formulas that approximate human milk are fed to infants all over the world, sometimes as their sole source of nutrients during the first months of life
The Act authorized the FDA to implement quality control regulations and recall procedures, labeling and nutrient requirements, and requirements for exempt infant formulas
to match the function of breast milk in regard to meeting the infants nutritional needs.
Infant digestive systems are not fully developed so starches, which can cause gas and discomfort, are harder to digest than dextrins and maltose.
soya milk (a milk substitute containing soybean flour and water; used in some infant formulas and in making tofu
We need to be able to compare data in the health field so there are standard formulas of health such as infant mortality rate.
infant my friend marsheley is crazy infant infant my friend marsheley is crazy infant
Protein powder is usually used in infant formulas and people with malnutrition and starvation to build the body as proteins are the main building factors for muscles.
Similac is a brand of infant formula owned by Abbott Laboratories. Alimentum is one of the names used to market their formulas. This word means 'food' or 'sustenance'.
soy as wells as nuts, are a better source of protein than meat. being a better quality protein hormones in the body will be better balanced.
I am looking for warm weather clothing for an infant.
Well, the nutritional values are on the labels of the infant formula can. I can tell you that when a mother can not or chooses not to breast feed, they need to give their baby something, and infant formula is made with baby's nutritional needs in mind. Check out the labels on the cans, or take a look at the Store Brand Formula website for a nutritional label comparison with store brand formulas, and their much more expensive name brand counterparts!