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Health
Infant health insight: 4
formula-feeding mistakes
and misconceptions
(BPT) - Whether you’re expecting your first child or you’ve been around the baby block a few times before, there are always a lot of questions when preparing for parent- hood. Feeding often tops the list, leaving moms puzzled at which are the best ways to nourish their little ones.
Experts agree that breast milk and/or formula should be the primary sources
of nutrition for infants 6 months and younger. While 92 percent of mothers plan on breastfeeding, more than two-thirds of them rely on using infant formula, accord- ing to the new “Feeding Realities” survey by Perrigo Nutrition.
Infant formula is used for a variety of reasons, including by mothers who have trouble breastfeeding, limited milk supply or opt to by personal choice. There are a wide variety of formulas available, but that doesn’t make formula feeding intuitive. The survey results uncovered common mistakes and misconceptions moms of babies and toddlers have about formula feeding.
Using more water than necessary
On formula containers there are specific measurements that typically call for mix- ing powder and water, yet an alarming 21 percent of moms say they have used more water than required by the instructions when preparing formula. Nearly half stated their primary reason was to help save money or make formula last longer.
“Many new moms have the miscon- ception that diluting formula with water will help save money or make it easier for baby to digest,” says Dr. Jennifer Gardner, family physician and co-author of The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby’s First Year. “Diluting critical nutrients in formula
at a time of rapid growth can be dangerous for their baby. No cost savings is worth the risk of poor health and infant mortality. Parents should always follow preparation instructions on the product label and con- sult with their pediatrician to talk through infant-feeding options.”
Microwave bottle preparation
Bottle preparation often causes con- fusion for moms. When warming infant formula, half of moms said they always or sometimes use the microwave to make a bottle. The problem is microwaving formu- la bottles can affect ingredients and cause hot spots that might burn a baby’s mouth.
What many parents don’t realize is for- mula does not need to be warmed before it is given to baby. If your child happens to prefer a warm bottle, place it under warm running water and make sure that water isn’t getting into the bottle, accord- ing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before feeding, test the temperature of the bottle by putting a few drops on the back of your hand to ensure it’s not too hot.
Reusing and storing formula
If baby doesn’t finish a bottle, it’s tempting to put it in the fridge for later, but this can be a mistake. The survey found 51 percent of moms have thrown a partially used infant formula bottle back in the fridge to use for the next feeding time. This is dangerous be- cause bacteria can grow and the nutritional profile of the formula can diminish.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), formula not fed to baby can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours if you are making it ahead of time. However, once you feed a bottle to baby, you must discard the remaining contents after one hour from the start of that feeding.
Store-brand formula confusion
According to the survey, 20 percent of moms worried about what formula to pur- chase in the first few months of their baby’s life. Babies can be expensive, but one way to stretch budgets without sacrificing quality is to use store-brand formulas that meet the same FDA standards as nation- ally advertised brands. All formula brands - including store brands - offer complete nutrition for infants. Learn more at www. storebrandformula.com.
“New moms can feel confident that store-brand formula will provide complete nutrition for baby just like any brand- name formula,” says Gardner. “All infant formulas are required to meet the same FDA standards, which means store-brand formula has the same quality as other brand names but costs less. More impor- tantly, there’s no need for parents to take unnecessary risks such as diluting formula to save money when they can trust that store-brand formula is a high-quality and affordable option.”
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