The most ideal food for a baby is breast milk. It is useful and does not require extra time spent on its preparation. However, there are cases when breastfeeding is simply not possible. What then? There is only one way out – adapted milk formulas. Currently, their choice is very large and varied. When you start bottle-feeding, you’ll face a huge number of unfounded rumors about infant formulas. Here are the most common bottle-feeding myths.
Myth 1
Bottle-fed babies have low immunity and often get sick. Children get sick regardless of the type of feeding. Of course, formulas cannot have the same contents as breast milk but such active substances as polyunsaturated fatty acids, taurine, bifido, and lactobacillus, which participate in the metabolism and in the formation of immunity are in the contents of most formulas.
Myth 2
Formulas contain oils that can harm a kid. Modern manufacturers of infant milk add polyunsaturated fatty acids to contents, but if at least one component is harmful to the health of a child, the formula simply would not go on sale because baby products are thoroughly tested.
Myth 3
Breastfeeding is a reliable way to protect a baby from allergies. Thanks to the unique composition of breast milk, proper digestion is ensured and the kid’s immunity receives powerful protection. Unfortunately, this does not mean that breastfeeding reduces the risk of allergies. One of the most common reasons for allergy is heredity. If both mom and dad are allergic, the likelihood of allergic reactions is quite high – 40-50%.
To minimize the risk of allergies, there are specialty organic formulas with clean contents to help reduce the symptoms. The content of the best organic baby formula will provide a baby with a complex of probiotics and prebiotics, natural fatty acids, and taurine to ensure that despite the allergy a kid will receive essential nutrients for development.
Myth 4
If a kid is bottle-fed, it will often burp. A baby usually burps after each feeding. This process depends on the period of adaptation and it goes away with age. Some babies are burping up to 4 months of age.
Myth 5
Only bottle-fed babies suffer from constipation. The problem of constipation is directly related to what a kid eats. Human milk, being the most useful and valuable food for a baby, nevertheless, can be the cause of difficulties with stool. The fact is that the content of milk changes depending on what a mother eats. If a child is bottle-fed, then the presence or absence of constipation is also related to the content of the formula.
Myth 6
They say that bottle-fed babies need to be fed on demand. In the case of bottle-feeding, it’s best to give a newborn food whenever it cries. Over time, you will create a specific feeding schedule. Once you learn to understand its needs and signals, you can create your feeding plan according to the kid’s daily routine.
Myth 7
Bottle-fed babies don’t need a pacifier. All babies are born with the innate sucking reflex. Breast-feeding also satisfies the sucking reflex thus a baby not only gets satiated but also calms down. So breastfed kids can easily do without a pacifier. On the contrary, it is difficult for a bottle-fed baby to satisfy the sucking reflex, so a nipple will come in handy.
There is nothing more important than the health of your child, so it’s better to check every piece of advice you receive from your friends or relatives with your pediatricians.
