From the very beginning of pregnancy, and sometimes at the planning stage, the expectant mother is inspired with one simple truth - mother’s breast milk is the best food for the newborn. And, as a rule, expectant mothers during the entire period of pregnancy study all the possible information about breastfeeding. But circumstances dictate their conditions, and in some cases, breast milk is replaced by infant formula.
Indications for feeding with the help of mixtures .
There are not so many medical indications in the nutrition of newborns, however, all of them are associated with serious health problems of the mother and / or child. Baby formula for newborns is used only if the level of milk produced by the material is not sufficient to meet the baby's food needs. Such mixtures are prescribed by the pediatrician in the case of a complete lack of milk in the mother or an insufficient quantity of it.
Another indication for the use of formula for feeding are diseases of the mother. These include HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis of all three types, acute mental illness. In this case, breastfeeding is prohibited, and the baby is required to receive adapted infant formula.
The situation is slightly different with a mother with thrush of the breast, the so-called “Childhood diseases” (chickenpox, mumps, measles), viral infections. In this case, the baby is temporarily, for the period of treatment of the mother, transferred to artificial feeding.
The third indication is the low birth weight of the newborn or birth for up to 37 weeks with identified serious disorders of the development of internal organs. In this case, infant formula for newborns act as an application to breast milk or, until lactation is established, the main type of food.
An optional, but still common factor in the transfer of a newborn to artificial feeding is the mother's refusal to breastfeed.
Types of mixtures
If it becomes necessary to transfer the newborn to artificial feeding, it is necessary to choose the right mixture. Modern manufacturers of baby food represent a wide variety of mixtures. Therefore, it is not surprising that parents can get confused in the variety of the product.
All infant formula for newborns are divided into two groups - dry infant formula and liquid. Dry milk mixtures are a powder, a kind of concentrate, which is diluted with boiled water to obtain the final product (for example, NAN 1, Nestle Nestogen 1). Liquid milk mixtures are a ready-made food product (Agusha 1).
The second division of the mixtures for feeding is carried out according to the principle of maximum adaptation to the composition of breast milk. They are usually divided into the most adapted milk mixtures (NAN 1, Nutrilon 1), less adapted milk mixtures (Friso 1, Bebi 1) and simple mixtures. The first two categories of mixtures are products of the children's food industry. Simple mixtures are the breeding of cow or goat milk with cereals, usually semolina.
The third type of division is made according to the basic component: fresh (Grandma’s basket 1, NAN 1) and sour milk (Semper Bifidus 1). Fresh mixes are made on the basis of goat or cow milk. Sour milk - based on starter cultures (bifidobacteria, kefir).
How to choose baby formula for newborns?
If, while breastfeeding, the nursing mother must monitor the components of her diet, then in the case of artificial feeding, attention is drawn to the composition of the mixture. But, before you go to the pharmacy to choose a mixture, parents should get advice from a pediatrician.
During artificial feeding, the main emphasis is placed on the physical condition of the newborn: Apgar scale assessment, birth and discharge weight, indicators of the baby’s tests, quality and quantity of stool. Based on these data, the mixture is assigned.
But not only the doctor’s recommendations are based on the choice of infant formula. After introducing the selected mixture to the baby, parents are required to monitor its mental and physiological development. If the baby has frequent constipation, colic worsens, and the baby becomes restless, then the selected mixture does not suit the baby.
It is forbidden to feed the baby with different mixtures at the same time. In this case, it will not be possible to determine the reaction of the body to a specific mixture, and the digestive system of the newborn will experience an increased load.