Things You'll Need:
- baby formula
- bottles
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Step 1
Discuss this problem with your infant's physician. He/she may have some suggestions on which formula to try now that your baby won't be using a standard cow's milk formula such as Enfamil or Similac.
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Step 2
When in the store on the baby formula aisle, look at formula containers for the following words: hydrolysate, whey protein hydrolysate, soy, lactose free, and follow-up. Elemental formulas such as Neocate and EleCare are not typically available at the grocery store and may require a prescription from your baby's physician.
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Step 3
Once you find formula containers with those words, it is time to decide which one. It may just be trial and error for what works best for your little baby. Keep in mind that if your baby has a severe milk allergy (anaphylaxis, hives) as opposed to just a sensitivity, then he might be likely to react to soy formula as well since soy is a potential allergen. When this is the case, he may need an elemental formula such as NeoCate or EleCare. Elemental formulas do not contain any casein or whey (2 milk proteins) at all, yet they tend to taste bitter. Elemental formulas are a necessity for some medically involved babies. The only other option for a baby who is allergic to casein is to drink breastmilk from the mother or donor who doesn't consume dairy in their diet, so that they do not pass it on through the breastmilk.
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Step 4
For babies who do not have a severe allergic reaction to milk proteins, then more options are available. Since you may be trying more than one type of formula, you may want to choose the type based upon the cost. Also, powdered formulas are cheaper than concentrate, and those two are both cheaper than ready to use containers. This article will not list out the cheapest to most expensive brands, as this can change on a regular basis.
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Step 5
When looking for hydrolysate formulas know that the common choices are Alimentum, Nutramigen, and Pregestimil. They have cow's milk protein in them but the hydrolyzation process minimizes the risk of allergic reactions. This type of formula works for many babies with mild allergic reactions or sensitivities to standard cow's milk formula such as gas, colic, spitting up, and diarrhea.
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Step 6
For babies less sensitive to whey than casein, two proteins that are in milk, then look at whey protein hydrolysate formulas as a choice. Carnation Good Start is an example of this type of formula. Since cow's milk casein, the curd-like protein in milk, is harder to digest than whey, the liquidy protein in milk, a whey formula often helps. FYI, the casein found in human breast milk is much more easily digestable, therefore allergic reactions are less likely to occur.
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Step 7
If wanting to try soy formulas, look for ProSoBee, Alsoy, and Isomil.
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Step 8
If wanting to try a lactose free formula then look for LactoFree. Be aware that this is not typically the place to start, but instead a hydrolysate formula is usually the place to begin. Truly, very few babies need this formula. This is because lactose intolerance is due to an deficiency in the lactase enzyme breaking down the lactose. There are a couple of disorders that have this problem, but usually with a baby it is only a short term problem after a viral or bacterial infection. Yet, older kids and adults do have lactose intolerance at a higher rate than babies.
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Step 9
If your infant is 6 months or older, then a Follow Up formula such as Carnation Follow-Up or Enfamil Next Step Soy may be good choices.
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Step 10
If none of these choices work for your baby, then consider breast milk. If you are still able to produce breastmilk, then great! If not, you may be blessed enough to have a lactating friend who makes extra milk and is willing to share it with you; of course, the lactating person has to refrain from eating/drinking dairy. For medically involved babies, donor breast milk from a milk bank may be a possibility.
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Step 11
Unless your baby loses excessive weight, becomes ill from, or has an allergic reaction to a formula, it is wise to give your choices a two week trial before trying a different formula. Many babies will drink anything whereas others need repeated exposure to acquire a taste for a new formula.
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Step 12
Do not substitute rice milk or soy beverages for formula as they do not have enough protein or fat. Also, do not substitute formula with goat's milk as it is low in folic acid and iron. Do not introduce nut milks (Almond, Hazelnut, etc) as infants may be more likely to become allergic to nuts if introduced to them at such a young age.
Comments
lee-lee said
on 7/20/2009 Such great information --- Carnation Good Start changed our lives...our baby was not "colicky" -- she was allergic to the first formula! Thanks so much for the great advice!
southernotmom said
on 7/17/2009
I updated the article. New to e-how, but I figured out how to edit.
southernotmom said
on 7/15/2009 Forgot to say, that for babies with severe milk allergies such as anaphylaxis, then due allergy testing to figure out to which protein. If it is to whey and casein, then the only formula that is okay to use is Neocate, a elemental formula. The other choice is breastmilk, but of course the lactating mother would need to eliminate dairy from her diet. Most babies do well with the hydrolysate formulas because of the proteins being broken down. Lactose-free formulas are for babies who have a lactase deficiency, but the formulas are still milk-based, so a severely milk allergic child should not use lactose-free formula. Sorry I didn't add this in the article
lisa10 said
on 7/14/2009 Good information- so many parents are not sure how to find special formulas- This is helpful