How to feed a formula-fed newborn baby. Regime of a bottle-fed baby. When a child is transferred to artificial feeding

Breast milk is the optimal nutrition for a one-month-old baby and older. Together with this product, the baby can receive the most important and useful substances, as well as initial communication skills and, of course, maternal love.

However, due to certain circumstances, some mothers are unable to breastfeed, and the newborn is transferred to an alternative feeding regimen.

Artificial feeding of an infant poses many problems for the new mother: what formula to choose, how it should be prepared and given, how much the baby should eat in the first month of life.

Artificial feeding should not be introduced just like that, at the request of the nursing mother. Not a single high-quality formula is capable of transferring to a newborn baby all the necessary substances that breast milk provides.

Experts have identified several compelling reasons when adapted nutrition for newborns is necessary and even desirable.

First of all, you should try to restore breast milk with the help of folk remedies and medications that enhance lactation.

Adaptive nutrition of newborns is carried out only if such medications do not bring the required results.

Experts do not advise completely switching to artificial feeding if a woman has breast milk, even in minimal quantities. A few drops of a natural product will bring invaluable benefits to an infant.

Before switching to artificial feeding of newborns, every mother needs to know all the advantages and disadvantages of adapted nutrition.

Quite often, new parents switch to formula because of some far-fetched principles, thereby depriving their children of important vitamins and minerals.

The advantages of IV are as follows:

  • The newborn can be fed by the father and other close relatives. The woman is freed from being next to the child every minute and is now able to go away for quite a long time, without worrying that the baby will remain hungry (it is better, of course, not to stay long).
  • While breastfeeding, the mother cannot always control the amount of portion, so the baby sometimes remains hungry or, on the contrary, overeats and then burps. In addition, bottle feeding allows you to monitor deterioration in health, which is manifested by a decrease in appetite (you can see this by the volume of the remaining formula).
  • If newborns who eat formula begin to have an allergic reaction, the mother always has a specific “suspect.” If breastfeeding, a woman will have to seriously reconsider her diet and give up many foods.
  • Artificial nutrition takes a long time to digest (much longer than breast milk), which is why the number of meals a baby can eat can be reduced.

These are the advantages of adapted feeding, however, in the opinion of many experts, the disadvantages of artificial feeding are much more significant and serious.

  • Children on IV are more likely to experience colds, infectious diseases, and allergic reactions during the first month of life and in early childhood. Doctors explain this phenomenon by the fact that the formulas lack the most important antibodies that the mother must pass on to the infant along with the milk.
  • The use of feeding containers requires regular washing and even sterilization. If such conditions are not met, the newborn may develop an intestinal disorder or other dyspeptic factor.
  • It is quite difficult for an infant on IV to digest a product that is not typical for his gastrointestinal tract. This is why artificial babies often suffer from colic due to swallowing air.
  • When traveling long distances with a baby, the mother needs to prepare and take with her a large number of things, including the dry formula itself, clean bottles, and a suitable sterilizing device. That is, you will have to pack a whole bag and prepare food somewhere else.
  • It is not always possible to immediately select the ideal formula for newborns, so new mothers are often forced to change different types of food in order to choose the most suitable one for a particular child.
  • Adapted nutrition for children requires certain monetary expenditures from the mother. A balanced and complete product cannot be cheap, especially since an older infant will need a much larger amount of formula.

Thus, there are still advantages from artificial feeding, but this diet has more disadvantages. That is why it is extremely undesirable to give up breastfeeding for the sake of your own principles, the opinion of the media and the desire to feel “freedom” in the first months of a child’s life.

Pediatrician Komarovsky, who is an indisputable authority among many mothers, is convinced that breast milk is an irreplaceable product, despite the latest scientific and technical achievements.

Breast milk contains so many essential components (antibodies, hormonal substances, digestive enzymes) that its composition cannot be surpassed for a long time. Komarovsky never tires of repeating that under any circumstances, breast milk is preferable to formula.

Artificial feeding of a child is a problem that worries many young mothers who, due to various circumstances, are not able to breastfeed their newborn.

Komarovsky suggests focusing on 2 most important axioms:

  1. No formula, even adapted, can completely replace breast milk.
  2. Cow's or goat's milk is not as good a product for an infant as a balanced formula.

Komarovsky notes an interesting pattern: over the past three decades, the number of cases of food allergies or intestinal disorders in children of the first month has decreased many times (a thousand or more times), as mothers switched from animal milk to industrial formulas.

Dr. Komarovsky convinces new mothers who cannot breastfeed that feeding their babies with diluted or whole milk from a cow or goat is a huge mistake. And you shouldn’t listen to grandmothers who call mixtures a set of chemical reagents.

Komarovsky cites data that newborns under one year old should not be fed cow's or goat's milk. After 12 months and up to three years, the volume of this product should be minimal, and from preschool age the child can consume this milk in reasonable quantities.

Such restrictions are associated with the increased content of phosphorus and calcium compounds in animal milk. Such an excess of the norm of these minerals is fraught with kidney disease and pathological development of the musculoskeletal system.

So, you have weighed all the pros and cons and decided that your baby needs artificial feeding. It is important to follow certain principles and take into account certain conditions. Among them:

  • choice of adapted nutrition;
  • feeding mode and serving size;
  • baby feeding technique.

To choose quality products for children, you need to follow the advice of an experienced doctor. Parents are offered formulas for complete feeding of healthy newborns, babies with digestive disorders, allergies and premature newborns. Let's take a closer look at them.

Adapted mixtures

These products are made from cow's milk, but the volume of protein components in it is significantly reduced by introducing demineralized whey.

For children in the first month, you need to purchase products with primary or initial formulas. On the box with the mixture this is indicated by the number 1, for example, “Nutrilak 1”.

By 6 months, the infant should be given products with the so-called follow-up formula. They are also called less adapted mixtures. They contain higher amounts of milk proteins and carbohydrate components to meet increased energy needs.

They differ from the previous product not in quantity, but in the quality of protein elements.

Milk protein is subjected to a special enzymatic action, which means it is brought to a curdled state. As a result, the composition of the mixture approaches breast milk.

Due to this technological process, the mixture is better digested in the newborn’s gastrointestinal tract and is absorbed more quickly. Curd ingredients form optimal intestinal microflora, introducing beneficial bacteria into the body.

Such products are indicated for feeding newborns with dysbiosis, stool disorders, and a predisposition to allergies.

Also, such artificial feeding is prescribed for a weak and premature infant.

Unadapted mixtures

They are made from fresh or dried animal milk. The volume of protein components in their composition is significantly higher than in human milk.

Since the main element of such products is casein, which is unnatural for newborn babies, the development of some unsafe conditions is possible:

  • disturbance of intestinal microflora;
  • digestive disorders;
  • small in an infant;
  • delayed development.

IV experts do not recommend giving this product to an infant under 12 months of age. It does not meet the needs of babies and even threatens their well-being. Also, experts do not allow the use of cow or goat milk for cooking porridge.

Selection rules

If you cannot breastfeed your baby and it is the turn of an alternative product, it is better to coordinate the choice of formula with a specialist. The pediatrician, knowing the characteristics of the child’s body, will recommend the most gentle nutrition.

To choose the optimal product, it is necessary to take into account certain nuances and important criteria.

When introducing a child to a dairy product for the first time, you need to constantly monitor his reactions and behavior: see how alert he is, monitor the color of his skin, the frequency and nature of feces.

It should be understood that regardless of whether you are breastfeeding your baby or he is bottle-fed, you need to serve the “dish” correctly.

Before production, you should definitely study the packaging to understand how to prepare the purchased mixture. The standard requirements for the preparation of a dry milk product are as follows:

In some situations, you may want to cook multiple servings at once. To prevent the mixture from disappearing, it should be placed in the refrigerator (for a day) or in a special one (for up to 4 hours). Of course, if you stored the product in the refrigerator, the mixture needs to be warmed up before feeding the baby.

Stores sell special heaters; hot water (or tap water) is also suitable for heating. Warming up is not recommended, since the product heats up too unevenly, which means the child can get burned.

Experts identify two main ways to feed a bottle-fed newborn: clockwise and free-feeding.

Hourly mode

Artificial feeding must be precise. Experts often advise new mothers to follow a routine, maintaining certain intervals between feedings and following dosage standards.

How many times should newborns be fed formula? The number of meals by month looks like this:

  • From 0 to 3 months. You cook and feed the child every 3 hours, at night the break is 6 hours. There are about 7 feedings per day.
  • From 3 to 6 months. After 3.5 hours during the day, break for about 6 hours at night. That is, during the day, an infant will need to be fed 6 times.
  • From six months. By 6 months, an artificial baby begins to be introduced to complementary feeding. At approximately the same age, complementary foods are also introduced to breastfed children. As the baby grows up, one feeding should be replaced with porridge or pureed vegetables. Now the number of meals is 5 every 4 hours, night sleep is approximately 8 hours.

Free feeding

Human milk and artificial formula differ in composition. If a natural product does not lead to heaviness even with frequent breastfeeding, then diluted milk powder is not considered a “light” dish.

However, other experts suggest using partially free feeding - a method characterized by a certain feeding time. The volume of the mixture in this case depends on the child’s wishes, but is within specific limits.

You prepare and pour the mixture into a container about 25 milliliters larger, but the food should be given at a strictly fixed time. This will allow you to more accurately determine the optimal portion size needed by the child. If he leaves milk in the bottle, you should not force feed him.

Breastfeeding a baby is not so easy, let alone an artificial baby. In some situations, the child does not gain weight well, in others they talk about overfeeding. That is why mothers should follow certain rules for artificial feeding.

Do not think that an artificial child needs less mother's care than a natural child. It seems that his father or other relative can give him a bottle, and a pacifier can comfort him. However, experts recommend that mothers ensure the closest contact with the baby, holding him close to her and laying him side by side.

Ideally, a one-month-old baby should be fed only by the mother. You should not entrust artificial feeding to other family members. Let him suck the bottle only in his mother's arms, turning to face her. As soon as he falls asleep, the pacifier is removed from his mouth and placed in bed.

How much formula does a newborn eat?

In a simplified diagram, the nutritional norms for an artificial diet are as follows:

  • in the first 10 days, the daily volume of the formula can be calculated based on the number of days of the child’s life, multiplied by 70 or 80 (depending on body weight, 80 - if birth weight is more than 3200 g);
  • from 10 days to 60 days – the child eats up to 800 milliliters of adapted nutrition 7 or 8 times;
  • from 2 to 4 months – the maximum volume of milk increases to 900 milliliters (or is a sixth of the child’s weight).

When should the mixture be changed?

Feeding must correspond to the characteristics of the baby. However, not all artificial products are suitable for children, so each mixture is given at first in a small volume and not for very long, carefully monitoring any reaction.

Experts advise changing the product in the following situations:

  • the child cannot tolerate the mixture, a rash, redness, regurgitation, constipation or diarrhea appears;
  • the baby has reached a certain age limit when it is necessary to switch to a less adapted formula (in this case, it is recommended to change the product to a mush of the same brand);
  • there is a need to switch to a special therapeutic food (an allergic reaction, for example), and then return back to the usual product.

You should proceed sequentially, observing some nuances. First, a new product is introduced, mixing it with the old one (two-thirds of the old mixture and one-third of the introduced one). Then proportionality begins to be observed, and by the end of the week the child completely switches to a previously unfamiliar product.

If a mother feeds her child with formula, her pediatrician can tell her everything about artificial feeding. Expert advice is especially valuable when choosing the first product and when replacing adaptive nutrition. Although the formula is not capable of becoming an absolute copy of breast milk, if all the basic rules are followed, the artificial baby will definitely grow up strong and healthy.

Feeding a child is a very responsible process. And it all starts with choosing a mixture. What to feed a newborn or one-month-old baby? For babies in the first half of life, it should be highly adapted, that is, as similar as possible to.

This mixture is called a “starter” and will have a 1 on the packaging. For children over six months of age, “follow-up” formulas are intended, the composition of which meets the needs of the growing body.

They contain more protein, fats and microelements. The packages are marked with the number “2”.

If the child burps frequently and more than expected, an anti-reflux mixture will help. If food digestion is disrupted, fermented milk mixtures and mixtures containing beneficial bacteria will come to the rescue.

When choosing a mixture, it is advisable to consult a doctor. When purchasing a mixture, you need to pay attention to the expiration date and integrity of the packaging.

There are also mixtures that contain special components that have a specific therapeutic effect. So, if someone in the family suffers from allergies, it is advisable to start with a hypoallergenic mixture.

Specially prepared dishes

Bottles used for feeding must be washed with a brush and sterilized in advance. This can be done by boiling them for 5 - 10 minutes or using a special sterilizer. The bottle in which the mixture is diluted must be dry.

The pacifier should be selected with the expectation that the mixture will flow out of it not in a stream, but drop by drop. This will ensure active sucking, and not just swallowing of the pouring mixture. Which is important for the development of the maxillofacial apparatus.

Diet and routine

This is a very important point. The baby receives his food on demand. How many times does a child need to eat on IV? The schedule depends on age. So, a newborn eats 7 - 9 times a day, a child 2 - 5 months old - 6 - 7 times, a six-month-old child needs to eat 5 - 6 times a day.

To do this, you first need to determine the daily amount of food. How much a baby should eat depends on his weight and age. So, up to two months, a child needs a volume of food in the amount of 1 - 5 of his body weight, at 2 - 4 months - 1 - 6, at 4 - 6 months 1 - 7 of his body weight, over six months - 1 - 8.

For example, a 1 month old baby weighs 4.5 kilograms, then he needs 900 milliliters of formula per day. It must be remembered that this volume should not exceed 1 liter.

To determine the volume of mixture required for one feeding, divide the daily amount by the required number of feedings. This will be 100 - 130 milliliters of the mixture.

It happens that a child eats a little less or more. A slight run-up is possible. Systematic overfeeding or underfeeding should not be allowed. For a child, this is fraught with obesity or...

The volumetric method described above is the simplest and most convenient to use. If necessary or if there are problems with weight, the doctor can calculate the volume of a certain mixture for a particular child using the caloric method and taking into account the age-related needs for proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

How to prepare the mixture?

Only boiled water should be used. The volume of water required for one feeding at a temperature of 50˚C is poured into the bottle and the prescribed amount of mixture is poured (indicated in detail on the packaging). Everything is thoroughly shaken and mixed.

How to feed formula?

How to feed a child correctly? Before feeding, you need to make sure that the prepared mixture is at the optimal temperature. To do this, drop it on your wrist (on the palmar surface). Its temperature should not be felt by the skin.

Wash your hands with soap. Find a comfortable position. Special pillows will help with this, using which you can comfortably position both yourself and the child. In this case, feeding will become a pleasant relaxation for the nursing mother and a source of necessary tactile contact for the baby.

Therefore, it is better to take it in your arms. If your baby is prone to excessive spitting, it is best to hold him upright. In other cases - semi-vertical.

Turn the bottle upside down so that the mixture completely fills the nipple and neck, and the air rushes to the bottom. This will prevent the baby from swallowing air and developing colic.

It is necessary to ensure that the mixture drips from the nipple and does not flow. Over time, nipples wear out and need to be replaced.

If there is a ready-made mixture left

According to the rules, the mixture remaining after feeding should be poured out. But it can still be stored for a little while. For one to two hours and no more than half a day in the refrigerator. Before feeding this mixture, it must be heated to an acceptable temperature.

Additional soldering

The child's artificial nutrition must be supplemented with liquid - water, weak infusions of rose hips and tea (not the regular one that you and I drink every day, but children's herbal tea).

In the heat and in a room with dry air, the amount drunk should be increased by 50 - 100 ml. It is also worth monitoring the child’s health.

Formula-fed babies begin to introduce complementary foods earlier than infants. From 4 - 4.5 months they begin to be given porridge, from 5 months.

How do you know if formula is not suitable for your baby?

Often it is not possible to select a mixture the first time. What will indicate this?

  • indigestion;

If after eating the child spits up a lot and or diarrhea or constipation begins, the formula is not suitable. When there are violations, but they are minor, it can be left for a week. If nothing changes during this time, the diet needs to be changed;

  • allergic manifestations.

The very first sign of an allergy is a rash (dermatitis). These can be either individual elements or merging spots throughout the body.

Reactions to formulas based on cow's milk develop more often. They can be replaced with mixtures based on protein hydroisolate and soy isolate or with mixtures prepared on the basis;

  • deficiency states.

The development of iron deficiency anemia, malnutrition, or another disease in a child associated with a lack of certain substances requires the selection of a special mixture with a therapeutic effect.

Complete and adequate nutrition is the key to the harmonious growth and development of your baby!

All young mothers are well aware that in the first months of life there is no more beneficial food than breast milk for a newborn baby. But sometimes a situation arises in which it is necessary to switch the child to a different diet (there is no breast milk or the mother cannot breastfeed). Artificial feeding of a newborn baby requires the right approach to both choosing a formula and following a new diet. Consultation with a pediatrician is mandatory before starting IV.

Indications for switching to IV

Feeding even the highest quality formulas will not be able to replenish the microelements that the baby receives with mother’s milk. Therefore, the introduction of adapted nutrition should always be justified. Pediatricians identify several circumstances when artificial feeding is considered necessary:

  • Difficult childbirth, after which the mother must restore her strength;
  • Taking certain groups of vital medications by a woman;
  • Infectious diseases of the mother;
  • Lack of milk in the breast glands or its insufficiency. Lack of milk is determined by control weighing the baby after feeding;
  • Inability to feed the child due to temporary absence. This indication is justified when there are no conditions for storing expressed milk or the period of mother’s absence lasts for weeks.

Insufficient milk production must first be restored with the help of drugs that enhance lactation. Artificial feeding of the child begins only if these drugs do not bring the expected result. There is no need to introduce formula completely at once; even a few grams of breast milk are beneficial for the baby’s body and it is impossible to deprive him of this benefit.

Pros and cons of using artificial mixtures

Not all young mothers seriously think about what awaits them and their baby when switching to using infant formula. Often, just because of her convenience, a woman deprives her child of microelements necessary for his immunity and general health. Before deciding to switch to IV with a formula recommended by a pediatrician, you need to weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of the new diet. The obvious advantages of artificially feeding a child include:

  • Possibility of feeding the baby with other relatives. That is, the mother can calmly go away on her business and not worry that the baby will cry from hunger;
  • When feeding a baby from a bottle, the mother always knows how much he eats at one time and, if there are problems with his health, he immediately notices this by the amount of food remaining;
  • The appearance is always related to the type of mixture. In order to determine the allergen in a breastfed baby, a nursing mother has to completely review her diet;
  • The formula takes longer to digest than milk, so the number of times your baby eats is reduced.

These are some of the advantages of formula feeding, but there are many more disadvantages:

  • Artificial children are more likely to suffer from colds and allergies in subsequent years. This fact is explained by the lack of special enzymes in their body, which the baby can only get from mother’s milk;
  • The use of bottles requires that they be kept sterile at all times. If cleanliness is not maintained, then the development of dyspeptic disorders is possible;
  • Formula-fed babies often suffer from periodic regurgitation - a low-quality nipple contributes to the swallowing of air;
  • When traveling with a child, you have to take with you a separate bag with formula, bottles, sterilizers, that is, excess luggage;
  • It is often necessary to change several types of mixtures in order to find the most suitable one;
  • Artificial feeding of a child also involves certain financial costs. A good formula cannot be cheap, and as the child grows up, more and more of it is needed.

There are many more disadvantages of formula feeding than advantages, and therefore you should first try to restore hypolactation, and only then resort to such an extreme measure.

How to choose a mixture

The selection of the mixture must be coordinated with the pediatrician. The doctor knows the health characteristics of your child and will recommend the most gentle nutrition. It is necessary to independently show increased attention to the choice of mixtures and be sure to comply with the following criteria:

  • Best before date– the most important condition for the absence of unwanted reactions. Choose those boxes that have a reserve of several months of use;
  • The packaging must not be opened or deformed. The presence of dents and scratches indicates non-compliance with transportation conditions, and such a mixture may be spoiled;
  • Meals are provided according to age categories. A newborn baby should not be given formula intended for older children; the unformed stomach and intestines can react with serious illnesses;
  • You need to accustom your baby by introducing hypoallergenic mixtures;
  • If a child has certain health problems, then the food may contain additives that are useful to improve the functioning of the organs. Mixtures may contain herbs to boost immunity, iron to treat anemia.

How to prepare food

When bottle-feeding a baby, his well-being will directly depend on how you prepare the formula. The instructions must be read and its points must be followed.

  • For dilution, it is best to use special bottled water; when boiling, some of the beneficial substances are lost. If water is taken from the tap, it must be boiled;
  • The dosage must be fully observed. Excessive amounts of dry mixture or lack of water can lead to oversaturation of the intestines with nutrients, and this is reflected in colic and dyspeptic disorders. The lack of a dry base leads to the fact that the baby is capricious and asks for a bottle at the wrong time;
  • The mixture is diluted directly in a bottle, into which water with a temperature of no higher than 50 degrees is first poured. Higher temperatures destroy beneficial bacteria;
  • After dilution, shake the mixture and make sure there are no lumps. Before feeding, check the temperature - it should not be higher than 37 degrees;
  • The hole in the nipple should be such that the baby makes some effort to suck. Flowing out in a thin stream leads to complete refusal of the breast and to the fact that the stomach begins to quickly stretch.

The mixture can be prepared in advance, but it should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day and heated in hot water.

Video instruction:

How to feed your baby correctly

Formula-fed babies often weigh much more than their peers who drink their mother's milk. This is not as good as it seems, and with increased obesity comes a variety of health problems. To avoid this, you do not need to overfeed your baby; you must take into account how much he drinks and how long he can go without a bottle.

  • A bottle is chosen when the baby is completely fed with formula or the amount reaches 2/3 of the total nutrition. The nipple must have a narrow hole, this will not allow the baby to wean off the breast ();
  • A teaspoon is used when the child feeds mainly from the breast, and receives the missing amount of food in the form of formulas;
  • Sometimes a child refuses both a bottle and a spoon, but he needs to be fed. In this case, the diluted mixture is poured through a syringe without a needle in small doses.

Feeding technique

Note to moms!


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  1. The baby should be in an almost vertical position, this is convenient for sucking and will not allow you to choke.
  2. Make sure that the milk completely covers the nipple and air accumulates at the bottom of the bottle. This will prevent air from entering the stomach.
  3. After feeding, the baby must be held in an upright position so that trapped air can escape.

We read:


If you feed your baby formula, this does not mean that he should be left alone. The baby may choke on milk or lose the bottle. The emotional contact between mother and baby is also important, so holding him in your arms you can calmly watch the baby’s concentrated face and take a break from household chores.

The nipple on the bottle needs to be changed periodically; it quickly becomes thinner, and the mixture flows through the hole in a continuous stream. You should always use the mixture after preparing it or store it in the refrigerator. The remaining food is poured out immediately.

The “artificial” baby needs more, this will make up for the deficiency of missing microelements.

How much formula should a baby eat:

A newborn baby in the first month of life eats from 700 to 800 ml of the adapted mixture 8-10 times. At 2-3 months of life, the amount of the mixture increases to 900 ml. When complementary foods are introduced, the volume of mixtures decreases.

It is believed that a child needs enough nutrition, which is 1/5 of his body weight per day. That is, if a baby weighs 4 kg, then he should drink 800 ml of milk per day. In the first days of life, the baby can drink 30–40 ml at a time, then up to 100 ml. In this regard, the frequency of feedings after the first month of life decreases. See material:

Frequency of sterilization of feeding bottles and nipples:

In the first month of life, all bottles and nipples should be sterilized after each feeding. First, the remaining mixture is removed with warm water and a brush, then all devices are boiled for 10 minutes. It is best to purchase a special sterilizer; using it, you will always be sure that the dishes are clean.

After the first month of life, it is enough to wash the nipple and bottle and rinse them with boiling water. But still make sure that the bottles are washed thoroughly, special attention should be paid to the threads, hard-to-reach places where bacteria can multiply in a few hours.

Is it possible to store the prepared mixture:

The prepared mixture is stored at room temperature for no more than 2 hours, in the refrigerator for no more than 12 hours. The remaining mixture after feeding is poured out; drinking such milk after an hour can lead to poisoning.

Video: Proper bottle feeding

Free IW

A baby's need for food at different times of the day is not the same. But you still need to adhere to a certain schedule with a deviation of half an hour in one direction or another. This way you will always know what time your baby usually eats and will be able to guess the time of a visit to the clinic or for a walk. If the regimen is followed, the baby falls asleep easier and is less susceptible to excessive weight gain,

Situations in which it is necessary to replace the mixture:

  • The mixture is not suitable, it causes diarrhea or constipation, allergic reactions;
  • Reaching a certain age. There is no point in giving a 6 month old baby formula for newborns;
  • The need to use special medicinal nutrition.

Problems with artificial feeding:

Artificial feeding of a child is considered “metabolic stress” in medicine and therefore causes a wide variety of reactions. Allergies, problems with stool, colic occur in the first days in most babies. Some of them get used to it, others have to change mixtures.

Komarovsky

Note to moms!


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It is nature's intention to feed a newborn with breast milk. However, there are situations when this is not possible for various reasons. In this case, the child is fed with artificial formulas, and the process is called artificial feeding.

Reasons for switching to IW:

  • insufficient production of breast milk by the mother;
  • medical indications;
  • the impossibility of the mother being near the baby.

After childbirth, a woman’s reproductive function is gradually restored. The arrival of menstruation signals this. The method of feeding directly affects the production of hormones and the time it takes for the body to resume the menstrual cycle.

Attention! Against the background of artificial feeding, the restoration of the cycle occurs earlier than with breastfeeding.

Advantages and disadvantages

Before transferring a child to IV, you should consult with a pediatrician and weigh all the pros and cons.

Pros:

  • The mother gets the opportunity to leave the baby for a while and not be afraid that he will remain hungry.
  • It is always possible to accurately track the volume of formula consumed by the child.
  • If an allergy occurs, the problem can be easily solved by replacing the mixture.

Despite the undeniable advantages, IW has more negative than positive aspects. Therefore, you should resort to it only when absolutely necessary.

Minuses:

  • Breastfeeding is a natural process that should not be deprived.
  • The baby will not receive enough enzymes that are generated only in breast milk. This may cause decreased immunity.
  • Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the mixture and the sterility of the process, as the risk of infection increases.
  • Formula-fed babies often have colic problems, as well as indigestion.

Another disadvantage that can be critical is that high-quality formulas are expensive, which entails significant costs for feeding the child.

Photo

Below is a photo of babies eating formula with IV:







Types of IW

Artificial feeding can be complete or mixed.

  1. Complete– feeding when breast milk substitutes are used in full or in an amount of two-thirds of the total nutrition.
  2. Mixed– the formula takes up less than half of the total nutrition the child receives. This regimen is preferable to complete IV, since the baby still receives the necessary elements from the mother along with breast milk.

Mixtures

Kinds

Breastfeeding formulas are:

  • Fully customized– as close as possible to the composition of breast milk.
  • Partially adapted– the composition of milk is approximately imitated.

Important! Fully adapted formulas are more suitable for newborns.

In addition, the product for IV can be dry or liquid. The first option lasts longer and costs less, however, the second has a ready-made appearance, which may be more convenient to use.

Basic rules for feeding newborns

Basic rules for formula feeding:

  1. Preparing the mixture is a process that needs to be given enough attention. The dishes and bottle must be sterilized, and the preparation process must be followed.
  2. Your baby may eat a different amount of formula at each feeding. This is fine. The baby himself knows how much he needs to eat in order to be satisfied.
  3. In order for gases that entered the stomach during feeding to be released, the baby must take an upright position.
  4. It is necessary to select formula for artificial feeding in accordance with the age and characteristics of the baby. It is advisable to consult a pediatrician first.

Komarovsky's opinion

Like other children's specialists, Dr. Komarovsky believes that the best food for a newborn is mother’s breast milk and no advanced developments can replace natural nutrition. However, if necessary, it can be replaced with adaptive milk formulas. You cannot feed your baby cow's or goat's milk on a regular basis. The reason is that such a product contains a large amount of calcium and phosphorus, and children’s kidneys are not yet able to remove such compounds.

If a child switches to artificial feeding, parents need to be careful about the quality and quantity of the formula eaten.

We invite you to watch a video in which Dr. Komarovsky talks about artificial feeding:

Other rules

There are a number of rules that should be followed when artificial feeding:

Problems in a newborn with IV

Artificial formula is a heavier food than breast milk, so it is more difficult for the baby to digest and can lead to problems with the digestive tract or cause an allergic reaction. Most often they occur in the first days of switching from natural nutrition to formula.

Regurgitation and allergies

Regurgitation is a physiological process that occurs in almost all children in the first year of life. It may be due to excess pressure in the stomach or to the fact that the baby swallows air while feeding. If there is a problem with frequent regurgitation, parents need to pay attention to the correctness of the feeding process and consult a doctor.

The cause of regurgitation may be overfeeding the baby. If this problem occurs, parents should pay attention to the amount of formula consumed during the day.

An allergy to artificial formula manifests itself in the form of a rash on the body, regurgitation and, in rare cases, coughing or nasal congestion. It is not always possible to determine on your own that the problem is in the diet, so parents should consult a specialist if symptoms appear. However, if an allergy is suspected, the concentration of the mixture should be reduced by diluting it with water. This will reduce the burden on your digestion and relieve symptoms. If the allergy is pronounced, the mixture should be replaced.

Problems with stool

It is important to monitor the frequency of your child's trips to the toilet., located on the IV. If there is no stool for more than a day, this can lead to hardening of the stool and constipation. This is one of the most common problems in IW. If the problem occurs regularly, you should consult a doctor and think about changing the formula. Abdominal massage and physical activity will help relieve the pain.

Diarrhea, on the contrary, more often occurs in breastfed babies, however, it can also occur in bottle-fed babies. Typically, this stool disorder is accompanied by bloating and an unpleasant sour odor after bowel movement. The main cause of diarrhea is dysbacteriosis. In the intestines and stomach, the balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria is disrupted, which leads to disruption of the digestive system. Dysbacteriosis can occur after taking antibiotics or when an infection occurs.

To avoid dehydration, a child needs to drink a lot during diarrhea.

The color of stool is an important indicator for determining health problems. Green stool indicates digestive problems, but may be normal for some formulas. Additional reasons for concern may be a foamy structure, black spots and a general deterioration in the baby’s well-being. If these symptoms occur, parents should contact their child's doctor.

Another problem for babies on IV is colic.. They occur when there is increased gas formation in the intestines. The reason may be a switch to artificial nutrition, a sudden change in formula, or an incorrect preparation process.

Table of mixture consumed per day by month to year

The amount of formula consumed per day depends on the child’s age and body weight:

Example. If a child at the age of 1 month weighs 3.5 kg, then his daily food intake is 1/5 of his body weight, that is, 700 ml. At this age, according to the table, 7 - 8 meals per day are recommended, therefore, at a time the child should eat approximately 85 - 100 ml of the mixture.

The volume of food consumed per day should not exceed 1 liter.

Nutritional features of a premature baby

Most manufacturers of artificial formulas have in their arsenal certain day products for premature babies, because low birth weight babies need food rich in energy and protein, as well as vitamins and microelements. A pediatrician should prescribe formula to a premature baby.

Nutrition must not only be well absorbed, but also meet the needs of a fast-growing baby. The frequency of feeding depends on body weight, degree of prematurity and general condition of the body. It is worth remembering that the smaller the child, the less formula he will eat during the day. The digestive system of such children is less developed than that of full-term peers, so you should not overfeed.

Procedure for introducing complementary foods

Complementary feeding can be introduced at 4-6 months of life. If the child is bottle-fed, it is better to start with smooth purees from zucchini, potatoes, squash, cauliflower or peas. It is not recommended to feed pureed red or yellow vegetables as they may cause an allergic reaction.

You should not choose porridge for the first complementary feeding, as it can lead to excessive weight gain in a child on IV.

You should never introduce two foods into complementary foods at the same time. This way, parents will not be able to track the baby’s reaction to the new food. The child’s body must get used to new food, so there is no need to rush into volumes.

The first time the puree should be given less than one spoon. Gradually the quantity must be increased, bringing it to a full serving. A child on IV feeding is given complementary foods before the main formula feeding. It is better to do this during the daytime meal. If your baby refuses to try a new dish, you can mix it with the usual mixture. When one feeding is completely replaced with complementary foods, you can also begin to gradually replace the second, and then the third, etc.

Feeding a child with artificial formula requires increased attention from parents. It can cause digestive problems, allergic reactions, regurgitation or colic. If these symptoms appear regularly, you should visit your pediatrician and think about changing the formula.

Artificial nutrition often leads to excess weight Therefore, it is important to monitor the amount of food that the baby consumes during the day and correctly introduce complementary foods. IV cannot fully replace the benefits of breast milk, however, with a competent approach, it compensates the body for the components necessary for full growth and development.