If you’re considering formula feeding your infant or toddler, you’ve possibly encountered a lot of criticism and judgment from other people. However, such criticism of baby formula is often baseless. There are so many myths about formula feeding babies that you can drown in them, but which of them are actually accurate and which can be unraveled quickly? Here are some of the most common myths regarding formula feeding infants and the facts that prove or disprove them.
Hopefully, after reading this post, you’ll be better informed and able to make your own decision based on facts.
Myth #1 Can baby obesity be caused by formula?
It’s a fact confirmed by the CDC that babies who breastfed – whether breastfeeding only or combination feeding (breastfeeding + formula) – for 9 months have a 30% lower risk of infant obesity. But this doesn’t mean baby formula causes obesity. In fact, it’s the wrong feeding habits that do. Drinking from a bottle often can be easier for infants because the milk pours into their mouths at a quicker pace and a bottle doesn’t require much sucking from a baby. To prevent your little one from overfeeding you need to regulate the amount of formula you give him/her – don’t prepare more milk than recommended by a pediatrician and don’t force your infant to finish the bottle if he/she refuses to continue eating, as this usually means that your baby has had enough. Another good tip is to use a slow-flow bottle nipple that will slow down the pace of drinking.
Myth #2 Do formula-fed babies have a higher risk of allergy, eczema, or constipation?
This myth is easily busted. Different stomach issues are a normal thing for infants, as their digestive system isn’t fully developed yet. Breastfed babies also have colic, constipation, acid reflux, and other problems. But unlike with breast milk, you can change the composition of baby formula according to existing health issues – there are special formulas created specifically for the mentioned cases, and you can improve your baby’s sensitive stomach issues by using the right infant formula. Moreover, children with mild lactose intolerance or milk allergy can drink hypoallergenic formula and get all the needed nutrition from it. Such baby foods even lessen the symptoms of eczema, acid reflux, flatulence, and constipation due to the formula’s components.
Myth #3 Can infants get all the needed nutrients from formula?
Breast milk is the best possible nutrition for a baby, but when breastfeeding is not an option, organic baby food is the next best infant food. Formulas are not just animal milk or soy milk, although they are based on animal or plant protein. Their composition is complicated and designed specifically to give a baby the nutrition he/she needs. Among the ingredients of baby formula, you can find proteins, fatty acids, carbs, vitamins and minerals, and other important substances an infant has to get in order to grow and develop properly. All the ingredients of baby formula are balanced perfectly, so you can be certain your little champ gets enough nutrients. And if combination feeding is possible, then it’s an ideal situation.
