Infant Formula Feeding FAQs
Q: Which formula do you recommend for bottle fed babies?
The choice whether to breast feed or bottle feed is yours. Although we encourage breast feeding, we respect a woman's right to choose which method to feed her own child. In cases of choice or circumstance (such as adoption, women not comfortable with or able to breast feed, various life circumstances, etc.) we recommend cow's milk based formula supplemented with iron for the average healthy full-term newborn. Examples of such formulas are Similac® Advantage and Enfamil® Lipil. We do not recommend "Low Iron" formulas.
Q: When should I change from formula to milk?
In general at about one year old. Some parents switch all at one from formula to whole cow's milk and others do this more gradually. Most parents switch all at once, although a gradual transition to cow's milk probably makes it somewhat less likely that problems will occur.
Q: Will cereal in the bottle before bed help my baby sleep through the night? Does feeding before bed help a baby sleep through the night?
No to both questions. First: No, it is usually a bad idea to put cereal in the bottle before bed. This may lad to children waking up at night with gas and stools. It may also lead to a baby learning to become dependant on having a "full belly" to fall asleep. Also, cereal is only "empty calories" for babies under 4 to 6 months old, with little nutritional value except in older babies. Second, feeding before bed usually does not help a child sleep though the night (at least, in most babies over two or three months old.) Feeding to sleep can lead to dentition, so called bottle caries. Maybe sometimes feeding before bed helps a baby under two or three months old sleep through the night, but it often leads to problems as listed above. For older babies it rarely helps them sleep through the night, and often leads to dependence on feeding before bed that can lead to tooth decay, obesity, and sleep problems that begin at nine to twelve months of life. In short, when kids get in the habit of feeding to sleep, it's very hard to break them of that habit. Also, feeding with a bottle in bed can lead to recurrent ear infections.
Q: Which is best: ready-to-feed, concentrate or powder?
50-50-50. The choice should depend upon cost, convenience, and the quality of the local water supply.
Q: When should I introduce cereal and other solid foods?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing solid foods (baby cereal, fruits, vegetables, etc.) beginning at 6 months of age. Here is a link to the policy statement from 12/1/97.
Q: What foods should I begin with?
Most parents begin with rice cereal. For the first feed or two it is customary to "extra dilute" the cereal with breast milk or formula. It is equally acceptable to begin with other cereals, strained fruits or vegetables. Many parents overfeed in the beginning. Breast milk is the most important part of nutrition, so we recommend beginning with small feeds only once or at most twice a day until the baby is older.
Q: Can I give occasional baby cereal or fruit in small amounts to a crying 2 or 3 month old?
Not our first choice, although it usually doesn't cause any problems as long as you don't feed much and don't feed at bedtime.. The food must be of soft texture, be carefully given in small amounts occasionally, and you must understand that there is some association between early feeding and likelihood of developing allergies later on in life. Of course, the risk of aspiration of food into the lungs is greater with higher texture food introduced earlier in life.
Q: What are the most "hypo-allergenic" formulas?
Pregestimil® and Neocate®, but this is unnecessary and far too expensive and for most babies. In general, Alimentum® and Nutramigen® are very hypoallergenic compared to other soy and cow's milk based formulas. They are also expensive and most parents dislike the smell of both formulas, but they are hypoallergenic.
Q: When should I begin to give fruit juice and water?
Children usually do not need any fruit juice or water when they are babies. Most babies usually do fine with breastmilk or formula and no other liquids at all.
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