Choosing the right baby formula for your infant is crucial. This is a huge part of their developmental growth and how healthy they are. If they have food allergies this can make them very uncomfortable or extremely sick.
If your baby has an allergic reaction there are warning signs you will notice. Some symptoms of allergies are:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Rash/Hives
Gas
Blood in Stool
Stomach pain/swelling
Irritable
Your baby will be very uncomfortable and sometimes in pain. If not treated right away the symptoms could progress and your baby will not thrive like other babies. Before I switch my son over to GentLease he had a few of these symptoms. Your baby might not exhibit all of them for you to know they have an allergic reaction to the formula.
The main cause of food allergies in infants is from milk and soy based formulas. There are 3 different groups of allergenic formulas that will help babies with food allergies. They are;
Extensively Hydrolyzed Formulas (EHFs) these are based on soy or milk protein that has been broken down. Most infants can tolerate these formulas. Elemental Formulas (EFs) these are made with free amino acids instead of the EHFs where the protein is broken down. This group is for babies that have severe allergic reactions to infant formulas. They will run a higher risk of an allergic disease, and possibly an onset of other health problems. Partially Hydrolyzed Formulas (PHFs) this infant formula is easier to digest. This may still cause allergic reaction to soy or milk in your infant, and because of this it is not considered hypoallergenic.
Here are some samples of different formulas available for babies with allergies:
Nutramigen
Pregestimil
Similac Alimentum Advance
Peptamen
Neocate
Elecare
Vivonex
Nutramigen AA.
Carnation Good Start
Enfamil Gentlease
Carnation Good Start Soy
My son is actually is in the group (PHFs) all milk based and soy formulas were too much for him to digest. We were able to get him on Gentlease we have been using the Walmart generic brand Gentle, for awhile now. He is a happy little baby again I wished I would have discovered this formula sooner. If a generic version of your formula is available you can save a lot money. The Nutramigen formula costs two times the amount as regular formula. The majority of these formulas are very expensive, but it is worth it to help your little one.
Whenever you start your infant on a new Baby Formula you should always talk to their Pediatrician. More allergic problems could arise when switching to a different formula. The Doctor can monitor your baby to make sure that they are happy and healthy.
Sources:
Daniel More MD, Baby Formulas and Food Allergies, About.com
Formula Feeding Facts, Kidshealth.org
