Taking care of a baby isn’t as simple as it used to be. These days, some babies are picky with the cow milk feeding. Some exhibit dairy milk sensitivities while others show severe allergy symptoms.
It is triggered by your baby’s inability to digest complex nutrients of protein. I had a firsthand experience when my little daughter reacted to regular milk formula.
I wrote this article to tell you (nearly) everything I learned about hypoallergenic formula for babies: how much money you should budget and what to expect during its use.
- What Is A Hypoallergenic Baby Formula and What Are Some Popular Products?
- What Are They Made Of?
- Do Producers Include Oil from Soybean?
- Are There Any GMO-Free Hypoallergenic Formulas?
- What Should Be My Budget For My Baby’s Hypoallergenic Formula?
- What Makes Hypoallergenic Formula for Babies So Expensive?
- How Can I Tell If My Baby Is Allergic?
- What Should I Do If My Baby Is Sensitive to Milk?
- Finding the Perfect Hypoallergenic Formula for Your Baby
- What to Do If Your Baby Dislikes Hypoallergenic Formula?
- Final Thoughts
What Is A Hypoallergenic Baby Formula and What Are Some Popular Products?
When babies show signs of allergy from feeding, the most predictable line of action is to go for an elemental or hypoallergenic baby formula.
Wheezing and skin reactions are some allergy signs you’d notice about your baby. These reactions are caused when the digestive system of your baby can’t handle the complicated protein nutrients in regular formula.
Producers of hypoallergenic formulas process protein nutrients into their more basic forms. Hypoallergenic formulas can be hydrolyzed incompletely, fully hydrolyzed formula or made into elemental amino acid forms as seen in amino acid based formula brands.
There are various hypoallergenic formula products on the market, therefore in my research I compared Elecare vs Neocate but Nutramigen is famous, too or Gerber, Similac.
What Are They Made Of?
There are several ingredients used but the most popular are goat milk, oil from sunflower, vegetable lipid, soil lecithin, minerals like iron, manganese, aluminum etc.
When the hypoallergenic formula is made up of slightly hydrolyzed nutrients, it is incompletely hydrolyzed. If the nutrients are well broken down and hydrolyzed, it is referred to as fully hydrolyzed. However, if its constituents are the tiniest blocks of milk protein, it is an elemental amino acid formula.
Elemental amino acid formula is the costliest of the three but it’s only prescribed when the other two doesn’t solve your baby’s allergy.
Do Producers Include Oil from Soybean?
Though some babies do exhibit an allergy to it, some producers utilize lipids from soy seed to dissolve fat soluble vitamins. It is also used as a plant-based alternative for nutrients found in cow milk formulas. Some hypoallergenic formula brands such as Elecare do have some level of Soy lipid and lecithin from soy.
The high amounts of phytate present in soy, alongside aluminum have raised concerns regarding its suitability for babies weighing below 4lbs or those born preterm. This is because the minerals can inhibit cerebral or bone development in those babies. Otherwise, there is risk about using formulas having soy constituents.
EleCare by Abbott is one of the popular hypoallergenic formulas in the market.
Are There Any GMO-Free Hypoallergenic Formulas?
Some hypoallergenic formula brands such as Neocate have openly stated that GMO materials are not included in their products. We cannot pass that vote of confidence for other brands because other brands have not issued any statement to particularly rule out their use of it.
What Should Be My Budget For My Baby’s Hypoallergenic Formula?
Based on my experience, it actually involves a lot of money. Considering the money you would spend trying to resolve the side effects of using hypoallergenic formula and the cost of purchasing the formula, the use of Hypoallergenic formula involves quite a lot of money.
You can get a can for $40 or more. [1] You can exhaust a can per week or even three cans per week. How long a can of formula last largely depends on your baby’s age. Expensive!
If an insurance plan covers your baby’s health care, you would have to get a prescription from a child doctor.
Using a hypoallergenic formula does involve a lot of money but I think you should look at the brighter side of things, such as your baby’s health.
What Makes Hypoallergenic Formula for Babies So Expensive?
The production of hypoallergenic formula involves many technical processes. These processes disintegrate heavy nutrients you would find in milk formula to basic ones so that your baby can digest them easily.
How Can I Tell If My Baby Is Allergic?
Babies can’t explain to you whether they are comfortable or not; they’ll simply cry or wait for you to figure things out. Generally, there are symptoms [2] which show that your baby may be having a cow milk allergy. They include:
- Sleeplessness
- Discomfort
- Skin irritation and patches
- Incessant pooping
- Slight difficulty in breathing
- Frequent throwing up
What Should I Do If My Baby Is Sensitive to Milk?
Sensitivity to milk isn’t actually an allergic reaction. Sensitivity traits are not severe and they occur most times as backward flow of food from the baby’s gut to the mouth.
To become sure about your baby’s sensitivity to milk or about some allergic reactions, you should consult with a specialist. Don’t just go ahead buying a hypoallergenic formula.
This is also what we did with my fiancée in my daughter’s case. We went to our pediatrician, described the situation and we were told that we should try out various formulas. Then I started digging into the literature, as well as others’ experiences.
Finding the Perfect Hypoallergenic Formula for Your Baby
You can buy them in drug stores, retail vendors or supermarkets. If your baby has insurance, you may have to get the product from a certain supplier.
One of the best ways to find the best product is via trial and error. Go for the ones suggested to you by your pediatrician. Try out different ones and soon you’ll know which one(s) will solve your baby’s problems and which one your little one will like most.
What to Do If Your Baby Dislikes Hypoallergenic Formula?
Your baby’s refusal to drink it could be due to the typically unpleasant odor and flavor which comes with these hypoallergenic baby formulas. However, you can dilute it with the mother’s milk or you can add fruity flavors.
Alternatively, you can also dilute it with cereal meals. This should help your baby like it more.
Final Thoughts
Your baby’s feeding is a major factor of his/her health. Hypoallergenic formula for babies is your sure-fire way to deal with allergies to regular dairy milk feeding. As expensive as hypoallergenic formulas can be, if your baby’s health is important to you, I believe it’s worth the money.
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Last update on 2024-09-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API