Most babies do well with a cow's milk based formula
(Enfamil or Similac), but you may need to change
to another type of formula if your baby has an
allergy to lactose or the proteins in these formulas.
If necessary, consider changing formulas to those
that are lactose free (Lactofree) or that are
based on soy protein (Isomil or Prosobee). Another
type of formula has the proteins hydrolyzed or
broken down into their most basic parts to aid
in digestion (Nutramigen or Alimentum).
Signs that your baby has a formula intolerance
include being fussy all of the time (especially
during or right after a feeding), vomiting or
having diarrhea, or if they are not gaining weight.
Talk with your doctor if you think you need to
change your baby's formula.
You should probably not change formula type
if your baby has colic or if he is spitting
up a lot, but gaining weight well. These
conditions require no treatment.
Most importantly, do not change to a low iron
formula. These types of formula do not contain
enough iron to meet your baby's nutritional
needs and can lead to iron deficiency anemia.
It is important to remember that iron has never
been shown to cause problems with constipation,
colic, or spitting up. |
