Feeding a child is a very responsible process. And it all starts with the choice of mixture. What to feed a newborn or a month old baby? For babies in the first half of life, it should be highly adapted, that is, as similar as possible to.
This mixture is called "initial", and the packaging will show a unity. For children older than six months, “follow-up” mixtures are intended, the composition of which meets the needs of a grown organism.
They have more protein, fats and trace elements. Packages are marked with the number "2".
If the child spit up often and more than expected, an anti-reflux mixture will help. In case of violation of the digestion of food, sour-milk mixtures, mixtures containing beneficial bacteria, will come to the rescue.
When choosing a mixture, it is advisable to consult a doctor. When buying a mixture, you need to pay attention to the expiration date and integrity of the package.
There are also mixtures that include special components that have a specific therapeutic effect. So, if someone in the family suffers from allergies, it is advisable to start with a hypoallergenic mixture.
Specially prepared dishes
Bottles that are used for feeding must be pre-washed with a brush and sterilized. This can be done by boiling them for 5-10 minutes or using a special sterilizer. The bottle in which the mixture is diluted must be dry.
The nipple should be selected with the expectation that the mixture will flow out of it not in a trickle, but drop by drop. This will ensure active sucking, and not just swallowing the pouring mixture. What is important for the development of the maxillofacial apparatus.
Diet and routine
This is a very important point. The baby gets his food on demand. How many times should a child eat on IV? Schedule depends on age. So, a newborn eats 7 - 9 times a day, a child of 2 - 5 months - 6 - 7 times, a six-month-old child needs to eat 5 - 6 times a day.
To do this, you first need to determine the daily amount of food. How much a baby should eat depends on its weight and age. So, up to two months, a child needs a volume of food in the amount of 1 ̸ 5 of his weight, at 2 - 4 months - 1 ̸ 6, at 4 - 6 months 1 ̸ 7 of body weight, over six months - 1 ̸ 8.
For example, a child weighs 4.5 kilograms at 1 month, then he needs 900 milliliters of the mixture per day. It must be remembered that this volume should not exceed 1 liter.
To determine the amount of formula needed for one feeding, divide the daily amount by the required number of feedings. This will be 100 - 130 milliliters of the mixture.
It happens that the child eats a little less or more. A small gap is possible. Systematic overfeeding or underfeeding should not be allowed. For a child, this is fraught with obesity or.
The bulk method described above is the simplest and most convenient to use. If necessary, or if there are problems with weight, the doctor can calculate the volume of a certain mixture for a particular child using the caloric method and taking into account the age-related need for proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
How to prepare a mixture?
Only boiled water should be used. The volume of water required for one feeding at a temperature of 50 ° C is poured into the bottle and the prescribed amount of the mixture is poured (details are indicated on the package). Everything is thoroughly shaken and mixed.
How to formula feed?
How to properly feed a child? Before feeding, you need to make sure that the optimal temperature of the prepared mixture. To do this, drop it on your wrist (on the palmar surface). Its temperature should not be felt by the skin.
Wash your hands with soap. Get into a comfortable position. Special pillows will help with this, with the use of which you can comfortably position yourself and your child. In this case, feeding will become a pleasant rest for the nursing person and a source of the necessary tactile contact for the baby.
Therefore, it is better to take it in your hands. If the child is prone to excessive spitting up, it is better to hold him upright. In other cases, it is semi-vertical.
Turn the bottle upside down so that the mixture completely fills the nipple and neck, and the air rushes to the bottom. This will prevent the child from swallowing air and developing colic.
Care must be taken to ensure that the mixture from the nipple drips, and does not pour. Over time, nipples wear out and need to be replaced.
If the mixture remains
According to the rules, the mixture remaining after feeding must be poured out. But it can still be stored for a while. With one - two hours and no more than half a day in the refrigerator. Before you feed this mixture, it must be heated to an acceptable temperature.
Soldering
The artificial nutrition of the child must be supplemented with liquid - water, weak decoctions of wild rose and tea (not the usual one that we drink daily, but children's, herbal).
In the heat and in a room with dry air, the amount drunk should be increased by 50-100 ml. It is also worth monitoring the health of the child.
Formula-fed babies begin to introduce complementary foods earlier than infants. From 4 - 4.5 months they are already beginning to be given, from 5 - porridge.
How do you know if a formula is not suitable for a baby?
Often it is not possible to pick up a mixture the first time. What will testify to this?
- indigestion;
If, after eating, the child spits up a lot and ̸ or diarrhea or constipation begins, the mixture is not suitable. When there are violations, but they are insignificant, it can be left for a week. If during this time nothing changes, the diet must be changed;
- allergic manifestations.
The very first sign of an allergy is a rash (dermatitis). These can be both single elements of it, and merging spots throughout the body.
Reactions to mixtures based on cow's milk develop more often. You can replace them with a mixture based on protein hydroisolate and soy isolate or mixtures that are prepared on the basis of;
- scarce states.
The development in a child of iron deficiency anemia, malnutrition or other disease associated with a lack of certain substances requires the selection of a special mixture with a therapeutic effect.
Complete and adequate nutrition is the key to the harmonious growth and development of your baby!
At a wonderful time of her pregnancy, almost any expectant mother is sure that she will definitely breastfeed her baby. But, unfortunately, sometimes there are situations in which breastfeeding is impossible for various reasons.
Undoubtedly, a young woman needs to try to save her milk and for this, by all means, stimulate his tides, but if this does not work out, then you should not be upset. Many children have grown up quite healthy and just need to familiarize themselves with the necessary information in advance and know until what age the child should eat the mixture.
Advantages of artificial feeding
There is a widespread belief that cow's milk is such a product that it is better not to give children at a certain age, since it contains much more phosphorus than mother's. Therefore, such an excessive concentration of this microelement can have an unnecessary effect on the kidneys, which subsequently leads to poor absorption of vitamins and calcium by the baby's body.
For this reason, many are in favor of artificial feeding. Parents who do not want to include animal products in their baby's diet in the early years of his life have their own opinions about how old to formula feed their children. Behind the use of mixtures in the diet, you can see those who are going to give all the necessary nutrients in this way to their baby until the age of three.
Another advantage of artificial feeding is that the mother knows exactly how much her baby ate, unlike the one who breastfeeds and cannot understand whether her child is getting the right amount of milk. The mother of an artificial person only needs to know for sure until what age the child should eat the mixture in order to understand when it is right to include one or another product in his diet.
disadvantages
Of course, there is no such person who would not understand that dairy products for babies are a necessary measure. There are those whose composition meets all the needs of the baby. But then, until what age should a child be fed with an adapted mixture? Many people wonder if it is worth using it at all when the baby is already eating everything from the common table? Why, in this case, dilute the mixture from the pack, if he can be given real products?
Therefore, supporters of such a theory are sure that they know for sure. The arguments against the use of this complementary food for a child are based on the experience of our grandmothers, since cow's milk, and not a mixture, has always been considered the food of children who have reached one year of age. After all, even the generation of modern mothers was fed only on natural dairy products and semolina. Therefore, many do not believe in the fact that it can harm the children's body, but on the contrary, they consider it the right nutrition for their children, in contrast to artificial feeding. But even despite any disadvantages of infant formula, it is better to give preference to them, since they are hypoallergenic, which cannot be said about cow's milk.
How to find the right solution?
There will never be equal opinions, and there will always be those who decide to argue until what age to feed the child with formula. We are looking for a golden mean in this matter. For example, the famous pediatrician Komarovsky Oleg Evgenievich claims that the harm from cow's milk for a baby older than one year has been greatly exaggerated. At the same time, he does not speak out at all against feeding with infant formula and believes that it is possible to feed children up to three years in this way. Many experts also do not see anything criminal in giving a toddler a dairy product or kefir.
But you need to take into account the protein tolerance of the baby and then already draw a conclusion about how old children should be fed with a mixture and when they can be transferred to natural products. Mom will have to decide this issue herself, of course, with the assistance of a competent pediatrician.
Doctors' reviews
Experts also have their own opinion on the age until which children should be formula-fed. Their advice on this issue is as follows: you need to clearly follow the recommendations on the product boxes and carefully monitor the condition of your child (how he reacts to this or that complementary food).
If the mixture is chosen correctly and the baby is gaining weight, then in this way it can be fed up to about two years, gradually removing nighttime snacks. But you should stick to one chosen brand and not jump from one mixture to another in order to avoid its poor absorption and not cause allergies. Doctors' advice on up to what age to formula feed babies varies, so you should always supervise your baby and never overfeed him.
Opinions of nutritionists
If you ask specialists the question of up to what age to feed a mixture of children, their arguments will be such that when choosing the right product formula, you can give adapted dairy products until they reach the age of three.
They are simply necessary, according to nutritionists, for the full development of the child, especially for those who live in the cold regions of the country. Mixtures can be given both in pure form and added, for example, to tea or porridge. These products create a small load on the children's body as a whole, so there will be no harm from them, but only benefit.
The World Health Organization has advice on how old to feed formula milk to babies. These experts believe that a low-weight baby who is not able to receive mother's or donor milk should be bottle-fed after discharge from the hospital and until he reaches six months. They also argue that for such babies, it is necessary to purchase not a standard mixture, but enriched with nutrients.
Healthy artificial babies, according to WHO, can include this product in their diet for up to two years.
Reviews of experienced moms
In many forums for newly minted parents, you can often find the question: in general, up to what age should I give the mixture? But it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to it, since each mother proceeds from her personal experience and is guided by how her baby tolerated this or that mixture.
Many say that this complementary food can be given to children under three years old, others - that after a year and a half the mixture should be gradually replaced with kefir and natural milk. Therefore, it is better not to rely on the advice of even experienced mothers, but to monitor the well-being of your child and periodically do not forget to consult with experts in these matters.
When can I stop night feedings?
This question is decided as individually as the one that asks up to what age to feed formula to children. Reviews on this subject by experts suggest that it is not worth it at all costs to wean the baby from night snacks. All children are different, and some babies can sleep through the night after six months, while others continue to use formula milk for up to three years.
But there is no need to worry about this: a healthy child will gradually give up nightly feedings and mixtures altogether when his time comes. When the baby switches to four meals a day, then in the dark, dairy products can be replaced simply with water.
How to choose the right mixture?
In order not to be afraid to give your baby such complementary foods and know exactly until what age to feed children with milk formula, when buying it, you need to follow the main recommendation from leading nutritionists and pediatricians.
When purchasing, you must carefully read its composition. It should not contain starch and sucrose. The obligatory components of this product should be Omega-3 and probiotics, which the child needs at an early stage of his development. Therefore, it is recommended by many experts to include mixtures in the diet of children under the age of three.
As the child grows, his need for fluids and different nutrients becomes different, which is the reason why the composition of the mixtures is different and appropriate for a particular age.
What are infant formulas?
Several types of this children's product have been developed, and they all have a different purpose:
- Standard are recommended for babies who do not experience any problems with the intake and digestion of food.
- A lactose-free product is prescribed for children who are lactose intolerant.
- Hydrolyzed ones are used to feed a child who is allergic to cow protein.
- Probiotic products - for babies with impaired bowel function.
- Powder mixtures containing goat's milk.
- Anti-reflux - suitable for a child suffering from frequent spitting up.
- Soy products - for children who do not tolerate animal milk at all.
- Product for premature babies, which contains properly balanced components that help to quickly gain weight.
Naturally, nothing can replace mother's milk, but if circumstances have developed in such a way that the child will grow up on artificial complementary foods, then the choice of the mixture must be approached thoroughly.
Cooking rules
Before using this product in baby food, you must adhere to the following rules:
- The temperature of the liquid in the bottle should be approximately +37 degrees Celsius.
- It is necessary to carefully adhere to the rules of personal hygiene during the dilution of the mixture, and also use only boiled filtered water.
- Strictly observe the necessary proportions that are indicated on the jar, as improper preparation can cause problems with the child's digestion.
- Pay attention to the expiration date after opening the package.
- Never mix mixtures from different manufacturers.
- Do not heat the bottle in the microwave, and after shaking, make sure that there is no air left in the form of bubbles, which can lead to colic and belching.
- Give your child only freshly prepared food.
Myths about artificial feeding
Many people think that if more powder is added to the water when preparing the mixture, then in the end it will turn out to be more caloric - this is not true. Such food will take longer to digest, and also overload the kidneys of the crumbs.
All mothers try to give their child as much milk as indicated in the table on the pack, as they are sure that the child should eat just such a portion - this is a myth. Each baby has individual needs, so for each crumb, it is his portion that should be selected. If it suddenly seems that the child eats little, you need to go for a consultation with a pediatrician.
Every mom needs to know
Newly minted parents try to listen to the advice of each specialist, but they can be different. Therefore, you just need to know a few generally accepted rules:
- You should never feed your baby through force and through sleep, as he can swallow too much air, which will subsequently lead to colic.
- A bottle-fed baby needs to be fed on demand in the first months of his life, just like one who is breastfed.
- When the baby catches a cold or gets sick and refuses to eat for these reasons, you do not need to force him. But he must definitely drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
- When the baby eats, you should always tilt the bottle correctly, and if he swallows too quickly, buy a smaller nipple.
There are no unequivocal answers about the age at which to stop artificial feeding. It's just that parents need to listen to the needs of their crumbs, who will decide for himself when he no longer needs mixtures. Only one thing is known that this product, with the right choice and use, cannot harm the baby's body.
Despite the fact that the benefits of breastfeeding are well known, sometimes a child has to be switched to formula. Of course, mom needs to try to keep breast milk as long as possible and stimulate its production in every possible way, but if it doesn’t work out, you shouldn’t despair. Many children grew up quite healthy and on artificial mixtures.
Unfortunately, no one can give an exact answer. The opinions of doctors and experienced mothers can be diametrically opposed. Some claim that milk and sour-milk products are harmful, and you need to feed your child with mixtures for at least 3 years. Others are sure that there is nothing better than a natural product, and from a year you can give your baby kefir and milk, giving up powder mixtures.
There is an opinion that cow's milk is a product that should not be given to a child until a certain age. The fact is that this product contains a lot of phosphorus. The content of this trace element many times exceeds the amount contained in breast milk.
An excessive concentration of phosphorus creates an unnecessary burden on the kidneys, and can create additional difficulties in the absorption of calcium and vitamin D by the child's body. Difficulties also arise due to the fact that farm animals are fed artificial feed with hormone supplements, which, of course, cannot but affect milk quality.
Read also: Why does the baby spit up after feeding? Causes and Treatments
Therefore, supporters of the rejection of milk believe that it is necessary to feed the child with adapted mixtures for at least three years. Only the mixture must be chosen correctly, focusing on the age indicated by the manufacturer on the product. That is, for babies who have already celebrated their first birthday, you need to select mixtures that indicate that they are intended for children from a year and older.
Of course, a one-year-old baby cannot be fed exclusively with formula milk. By this age, children should receive vegetables, a variety of cereals, meat, sea fish. The mixture is usually given at night, as the last feeding.
At night, it is not necessary to give the mixture, and indeed any other product, to a child older than a year. Moreover, it is even recommended to wean the child from night feedings, so that at 1-1.5 it is already sleeping without an additional portion of food.
Arguments against the use of mixtures
There is hardly a person who would not understand that adapted formulas for an infant are a necessity, since this, although not quite complete, is an alternative to breast milk. But is it worth giving mixtures when the child is already practically transferred to the general table?
Why dilute a powder from a can if a child can be fed with natural products? Proponents of this theory rely on the centuries-old experience of their ancestors, because milk has always been considered exactly “children's” food. They drank it just like that, cooked porridge on it, fermented kefir, etc.
Read also: Why does the fontanel in a child not overgrow? What to look out for
After all, even the generation of current mothers was mainly grown on milk, so not everyone believes in its harm to the child's body. And allergy sufferers in previous generations of children were much less than now.
Looking for the golden mean
As always happens when there are two opposing opinions, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
For example, Dr. Komarovsky believes that the harm of milk for children older than one and a half years is greatly exaggerated. This famous children's doctor, by no means, does not deny the option of feeding children with mixtures up to 2 or even up to 3 years. But he does not see a particular tragedy in the fact that children of toddler age are given kefir or milk.
If the mother still doubts, then you can give goat's milk to children after a year. Despite the fact that there is also a bit too much phosphorus in it, it is much better absorbed by the child's body than cow's.
Children who cannot tolerate milk protein deserve a separate discussion. Some babies cannot drink milk, but they perfectly absorb kefir and cottage cheese. Others simply do not perceive milk protein. In their body there are no enzymes that break down this substance. In this case, it is impossible not only to give milk, but special mixtures should be selected.
After all, most mixtures are made on the basis of cow's milk, just its composition is somewhat modified. And if there is intolerance to milk, it is necessary to select mixtures on a different basis.
Of course, it is considered to be a reliable defender of the newborn's immune system.
It contains a whole complex of vitamins that serve as a shield against diseases for the baby at the initial stage of his life.
However, it often happens that for a number of reasons (the most common problem is the poor health of a woman and the need for her to take medication), milk disappears and / or decreases in quantity.
In this case, in order to avoid starvation of the crumbs, the young mother is forced to switch to artificial feeding. About the advantages and disadvantages of this type of feeding and about up to what age mixtures are useful, in this article.
Today, the trend towards an increase in newborns raised on artificial feeding is becoming more and more noticeable.
The lack of lactation in a young mother, the production of breast milk in small quantities, or its “gluttony” - all this is a number of different factors that ultimately lead to its partial or complete loss after a few months.
The list can be supplemented with diseases that manifest themselves in a woman, difficult childbirth and other reasons due to which the milk in the parent’s breast disappears, and the baby is forced to switch to mixtures.
What is artificial feeding? Many women worry when it comes to transitioning their child to formula feeding. And this is no coincidence. Breast milk is rightfully recognized as the best defender of the baby's body. Each mother has it individually according to the components contained in it, which are necessary for her baby. What about milk formulas? How will their composition affect a small body?
There is undoubtedly a risk of not accepting one or another "milk" in infants, however, today's mixture manufacturers are very careful in creating their products.
On the shelves of pharmacies you can find a very wide range of "feeds": based on cow's or goat's milk, soy (for those babies who suffer from lactose intolerance), hypoallergenic, medicinal, with the addition of cereals, fruits, Omega-3 acids, prebiotics and probiotics , nucleotides, with or without sugar, gluten…
The list goes on depending on the age of the child.
Before transferring the baby to artificial feeding, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. Only a doctor, taking into account the characteristics of the child's body, can prescribe exactly the product that suits the baby, and choose the right diet.
So, if artificial feeding cannot be avoided, it should be approached fully armed. To do this, it is important to know the pros and cons, so that starting from them, make the feeding process safe and beneficial for the baby.
- Mom can always leave the child with one of the relatives or friends, without fear that her baby will be hungry.
This advantage is by far the most “convenient” plus of artificial feeding.
While the baby is breastfeeding, the mother is firmly attached to him: do not go anywhere far alone, do not leave the child with relatives.
When a newborn is fed mixtures, a woman can easily leave the house, leaving her husband or her mother with a ready-made bottle of food for the crumbs.
This advantage allows a young mother to go out into the world and take a break from everyday life, which only has a positive effect on the mood of a woman.
- Confidence that the baby is full.
Today's mixtures are formulated in such a way that they fully contain all the components necessary for the child. Having prepared the required volume, the mother will definitely be sure that her baby is full. In addition, children on artificial nutrition gain weight faster than their peers on breast milk.
During the day, the baby in the first months of his life should eat approximately 800 ml of the mixture (for 8-10 sets). From 3 months, the amount of food increases to 900 ml.
- The time between meals increases.
The advantage of mixtures is that they are more satisfying and take longer to digest, which means that the baby needs more time to digest food. The interval between feeding increases. In numbers: children are fed mixtures every 3-3.5 hours.
Compare: sometimes you have to breastfeed babies almost every hour!
- If a child has an allergy, it makes no sense for the mother to revise her diet, as it would be with breastfeeding. The “artificial” has one reason for the rashes - a mixture that did not fit. The problem is solved by changing the product that caused the allergy.
- With artificial feeding, a woman feels more free.
As mentioned above, those mothers who breastfeed have a very limited diet. Most products are prohibited, so as not to cause or. In addition, they should not use medicines; you need to abandon laser hair removal and a number of cosmetic procedures. When a child is on formula, all these prohibitions are removed from women.
- You can walk at any distance and do not constrain yourself with a certain wardrobe.
A very controversial advantage, but it has a place to be. In the heat, you can’t go far with milk mixtures, fearing that they don’t turn sour (but you can always get a thermal bag and fix this problem!), But in any other case, food in a bottle clearly makes life easier for mothers. There is no need to look for a place to sit down and feed the child without causing discontent among some especially sensitive person.
As for the wardrobe, today there are many tops with special slit pockets. Thanks to them, no one will even notice what mommy is doing.
- The chest does not lose shape.
The most frightening prospect for a woman: in connection with feeding, lose their former shape and size of the breast. For this reason, many young mothers refuse breastfeeding, depriving their child of the necessary elements. But the breasts will really remain the same if the baby is fed from a bottle.
In addition, a woman forgets what cracks in the nipples and their drying are. No pain and no worries!
Many women who, for one reason or another, were forced to refuse breastfeeding, often feel guilty before the baby.
Reason: the baby does not receive proper attention from the mother. Problem solved! During bottle feeding, the baby can be picked up, thereby adopting a position in which babies are breastfed.
How about no downsides?
In medicine, artificial feeding is called "metabolic stress". And this is not surprising.
The transition to mixtures in almost all babies causes a number of unpleasant reactions: allergies, colic, pain in the tummy, problems with stools, restless behavior ...
After a few days, some babies get used to the new food, and for some, you have to look for new mixtures that are more suitable for them.
Hence the cons:
- Unsuitable mixtures that cause allergies in children.
Sometimes you have to change more than one brand before the food suits the baby. During this time, the baby will have time to break his voice more than once and fray the nerves of the mother. But the trouble is that after a while, namely from 6 months, the selected mixture will need to be changed, since they are intended for different age groups. And this means that it will be necessary to go through all the “circles of hell” again.
- The mixture is not for age.
Non-compliance with age restrictions in the use of "milk" can cause serious problems with the stomach and intestines in children.
- Colic as well.
Another "sore" inherent in "artificial" babies.
Most often, the cause is a poor-quality nipple that allows excess air to pass through, or an excess of the dry base content when diluting the desired volume.
- Sterility.
Bottles require constant monitoring of their sterility. Otherwise, non-compliance with their cleanliness (as well as nipples) can lead to dyspeptic disorders in crumbs.
- Extra movements.
This implies the need to take more bags with you on a hike, therefore, to prepare in advance all these bottles with a mixture, sterilizers, additional nipples. In addition, when feeding at night, it is not enough just to get up and take the baby out of the crib; you need to go to the kitchen and prepare food for him.
The mixture can be prepared in advance, but it is important that it is stored in the refrigerator and does not stand for more than a day.
- Parents of formula-fed babies need to remember that in the future their babies are more susceptible to colds and allergies than their peers raised on natural breast milk. The reason is simple: despite the full range of all vitamins available in mixtures, some enzymes are difficult to recreate, they are only in mother's milk.
- Financial expenses.
Good blends are expensive. The price of some can reach 800 rubles for one package! But it only lasts about 3-4 days. It turns out that about 10 cans are needed for a month ... But still, the average price per jar is 250-300 rubles.
Feed until...
The question that every mom asked was: “until what age should I formula feed my baby?”
Most often, the packages initially have markings, thanks to which you can navigate what age this or that product is designed for.
The first assumes the age from 0 to 6 months, the next - from 6 to 12 months.
The following question arises: “is there really no need for milk mixtures after a year?”
Pediatricians look at this problem differently, yet in the end they agree that introducing "milk" up to 3 years into the child's diet is desirable, since even breastfeeding is better to keep the baby up to 2 years. But this does not negate the fact that complementary foods must be carried out and the nutrition of the child after the first year of life should be as close as possible to the diet of family members!
There is no consensus regarding the end age of infant formula use. The decision should be made only by the mother in close cooperation with the pediatrician. Will it be a year and a half or three? It is important to look at the condition of the child and build on his preferences.
Milk formula is the best substitute for mother's milk. She saves modern parents in a variety of life situations - from a lack of breast milk to the need for an early mother to go to work. However, high-quality milk formula is not a cheap pleasure. And therefore, young parents who are forced to artificially feed a baby often wonder how nutritious and important it is for a growing infant's body.
Composition
Despite the abundance of brands, the composition of infant formula, in terms of quality and safety, is approximately the same. After all, the registration process for infant milk and fermented milk formulas is quite complicated, and the quality criteria are so strict that unscrupulous manufacturers simply do not affect
The composition of the milk mixture:
- Powdered milk is the basis of the milk mixture. It is made from whole cow or goat milk. Also, there are mixtures based on soy.
- Vitamins and minerals serve as a mandatory supplement for milk formulas. Their number is strictly controlled at the legislative level.
- Nucleotides are the building blocks of human cells.
- Prebiotics help the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut and have a direct effect on the baby's digestion.
- Probiotics are directly beneficial microbes.
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids are included in a group of substances that affect the development of the brain, vision and immunity.
Thinking about the age until which you need to feed the child with a mixture, it is worth, first of all, to think about what benefits it can bring to the baby.
Benefit
Strict quality control of mixtures forces manufacturers to bring indicators as close as possible to the composition of mother's milk. However, the same substances found in the mixture and in breast milk are absorbed in the infant's body in different ways. Therefore, it is extremely important, even with minimal production, to fight for the fact that the child receives mother's milk, and not a mixture. But in the absence of such an opportunity, clearly, replacing breast milk with a mixture is the only reasonable way out.
The question of up to what age a child can be fed with a mixture is, rather, something else. Most often, milk formula is used from a bottle. And therefore, many mothers are concerned whether sucking on a pacifier will affect the proper development of the child, changes in bite or speech? Infant formula is a healthy, balanced product, and if you are afraid of bottle feeding your baby for a long time, just let him drink it from a mug.
Can I breastfeed my baby with cow's or goat's milk?
Milk mixtures appeared relatively recently, and, some 100 years ago, no one could have thought of any substitutes, except for cow or goat milk. In this regard, a quite reasonable question arises: until what age should a child be fed formula milk and when can it be replaced with regular milk?
It is strongly not recommended for feeding babies who are not yet a year old. This is due to the fact that the amount of substances such as phosphorus and calcium significantly exceeds the norm contained in breast milk. Immature infant kidneys cannot cope with the removal of excess substances from the body, as a result of which, the baby has various symptoms of intoxication.
For these reasons, formula milk is the only safe substitute for human milk. In exceptional cases, when the mixture cannot be obtained, it is permissible to feed with animal milk, but only in a diluted form.
How to choose the right milk formula?
Since the composition of the mixtures is approximately the same, the choice should be based primarily on financial capabilities. Having decided on the price, pay attention to the labeling. The number "1" indicates that the mixture is adapted for a child under 6 months old. The number "2" marks mixtures for babies from 6 months to a year. Troika says that it can be given to children starting from the second year of life.
The choice of special mixtures should be discussed with the pediatrician who is watching your baby's development.
Until what age should I formula feed my baby?
Since formula serves as a substitute for mother's milk, feeding up to 6 months is not even up for discussion. For feeding a child of this age, any mixture is suitable, including fermented milk, marked with the number "1".
When wondering until what age you need to feed a child with a mixture, you should pay attention to the recommendations of pediatricians regarding natural breastfeeding. And they, therefore, say unambiguously about the occasion: feeding must be continued for up to six months, it is very desirable up to a year, and if possible, preferably up to two. The mixture, although inferior to breast milk in its qualities and composition, is nevertheless a balanced diet that contains everything necessary for the proper growth and development of babies.
What does Dr. Komarovsky say about artificial feeding?
At one of the lessons of the "School" the question was asked, until what age should a child be fed formula? Komarovsky gave detailed explanations.
If the mixture is not an addition to breast milk, but has become the only means of feeding, then it can be replaced with cow's or goat's milk only after the baby is one year old. However, if the material resources of the family allow, then it is highly desirable to give the child exactly the mixture, and not milk, after a year, because the mixture is healthier and certainly safer than milk.
Lure
Starting to feed the baby, some mothers tend to part with expensive mixtures as soon as possible. How important is formula at the time and until what age to feed the child with formula if he receives complete complementary foods?
Complementary foods for babies begin at six months, but up to a year it should remain just complementary foods, that is, an addition to the mixture. Some believe that the mixture is a complete balanced diet, and the introduction of complementary foods in the diet of a child up to a year is not necessary.
However, after six months, the child becomes quite mobile, and for this he needs a lot of energy. No matter how wonderful the composition of infant formula is endowed with, it still remains liquid food, which is not capable of providing the required amount of energy reserves to the baby. Therefore, the introduction of complementary foods at this age is mandatory. Your baby will be full and full of energy, and you will save money by reducing the number of feedings with expensive formula.
After a year, the situation has changed radically. The child should receive good nutrition, and the mixture, in this case, becomes a useful addition to food.
Night feeding
Almost every mother asks a quite reasonable question, until what age should a child be fed a mixture at night? After all, it is night feedings that are associated with inconvenience and discomfort for parents.
Up to 6 months, night feedings are associated, rather, with necessity, therefore, at least six months will have to endure. An older baby can easily sleep through the night, provided that he is properly fed, and he eats up during the day. A hungry child will not let parents sleep peacefully. This should be remembered, especially for those who believe that it is not necessary to give complementary foods for up to a year.
In itself, the fact that there are mixtures labeled "4", intended for feeding children from one and a half years old, suggests that feeding does not end at one and a half years. More precisely, it is desirable to give the mixture, and not whole milk, even after the child reaches one and a half years.
Firstly, as has been repeatedly said, the substances necessary for the growth and development of the child, which cannot be said about milk. Secondly, it is ideal for children prone to allergic reactions, especially if you choose it correctly and take into account all the recommendations of the pediatrician.
By and large, the mixture will not harm and will be useful at any age. Therefore, the question of up to what age to feed a child with a mixture is fundamental only from the point of view of necessity and material possibilities. Since after 3 years the body of any healthy child perfectly absorbs cow's or goat's milk, and the child at this age receives a full-fledged varied diet, the need to buy expensive mixtures disappears by itself.