Medicine today 

Artificial feeding. Artificial feeding of newborns

Breast milk is 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 cannot breastfeed, and the newborn is transferred to an alternative diet.

Artificial feeding of an infant poses many problems for a new mother: what mixture 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 a nursing mother. Not a single high-quality mixture is capable of transferring to a newborn baby all the necessary substances that breast milk gives.

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

First of all, you need to try to restore breast milk with the help of folk remedies and medicines that increase lactation.

Adaptive nutrition of newborns is carried out only if such drugs have not brought the required results.

Experts do not advise to completely switch to artificial feeding, if a woman has breast milk, albeit in a minimal amount. A few drops of this 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, newly-made parents switch to mixtures because of any far-fetched principles, thereby depriving children of important vitamins and minerals.

The pros of IoT are as follows:

  • The father and other close relatives can feed the newborn. The woman is freed from being next to the child every minute and is now able to be absent for quite a long time, without worrying that the baby will remain hungry (it is better, of course, not to stay for a long time).
  • While breastfeeding, the mother cannot always control the amount of portions, so the child sometimes remains hungry or, on the contrary, overeats, and then regurgitates. In addition, bottle feeding allows you to track deterioration in health, manifested by a decrease in appetite (you can see this by the volume of the remaining formula).
  • If an allergic reaction begins in newborns eating formula, the mother always has a specific "suspect." In the case of 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 have colds, infectious diseases, allergic reactions during the first month of life and in early childhood. Doctors explain this phenomenon by the fact that the mixtures lack the most important antibodies that the mother should pass on to the baby along with the milk.
  • The use of feeding containers requires regular rinsing and even sterilization. If these conditions are not met, the newborn may develop an intestinal disorder or other dyspeptic factor.
  • It is quite difficult for a baby on IV to digest a product that is not characteristic of his gastrointestinal tract. This is why artificial people often suffer from colic due to swallowing air.
  • When traveling on a long journey with a baby, the mother needs to prepare and bring along a large number of items, including the dry mix itself, clean bottles, and a suitable sterilizing device. That is, you have to collect a whole bag and prepare food somewhere else.
  • It is not always possible to immediately find the perfect formula for newborns, so new mothers often have to change different types of food in order to choose the most suitable for a particular child.
  • Adapted nutrition for children requires a certain amount of money from the mother. A balanced and complete product cannot be cheap, especially since an older baby will need a much larger amount of formula.

Thus, there are still advantages from artificial feeding, however, such a diet has more disadvantages. That is why it is highly undesirable to give up breastfeeding for the sake of one's 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 technological advances.

Breast milk contains so many essential components (antibodies, hormonal substances, digestive enzymes) that its composition will not be surpassed for a long time. Komarovsky does not get tired of repeating that, under any circumstances, breast milk is preferable to formula.

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

Komarovsky proposes to focus on 2 most important axioms:

  1. No formula, even an adapted one, can replace breast milk entirely.
  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), since mothers switched from animal milk to industrial mixtures.

Dr. Komarovsky convinces newly minted mothers who cannot breastfeed that feeding babies with diluted or whole milk of 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 with 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 such 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 diseases and pathological development of the musculoskeletal system.

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

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

To select quality products for children, you need to follow the advice of an experienced doctor. Parents are offered mixtures for complete feeding of healthy newborns, babies with digestive disorders, allergies and premature newborns. Let's consider them in more detail.

Adapted mixtures

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

For children of 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 the age of 6 months, an infant should be given a so-called follow-up formula. They are also called less adapted mixtures. They contain more dairy proteins and carbohydrates to meet the increased energy requirements.

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

Milk protein is subjected to a special enzymatic effect, which implies bringing it to a curdled state. As a result, the composition of the mixture is close to breast milk.

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

Such products are indicated for feeding newborns with dysbiosis, stool disorder, 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 women's milk.

Since the main element of such products is casein unnatural for newborn babies, some unsafe conditions may develop:

  • violation of the intestinal microflora;
  • digestive disorders;
  • low weight gain in an infant;
  • retarded development.

IoT experts advise against giving this product to an infant under 12 months old. He does not meet the needs of babies and even threatens his 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 the turn has come for 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.

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

When a child first gets acquainted with a dairy product, you need to constantly monitor his reactions and behavior: watch how vigorous he is, track the color of his skin, the frequency and nature of feces.

It should be understood that regardless of whether you are breastfeeding or artificially fed, the "dish" must be served correctly.

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

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

Special heaters are sold in stores, and hot water (or tap water) is also suitable for heating. Heating in the microwave is not recommended, since the product warms up too unevenly, which means that the child may get burned.

Experts identify two main ways of feeding a bottle-fed newborn: hourly regimen and free feeding.

Hourly mode

Bottle feeding must be accurate. Experts often advise new mothers to follow the regimen, maintaining certain intervals between feedings and observing the norms in dosage.

How many times to feed newborns with formula? The number of meals per month looks like this:

  • 0 to 3 months. You cook and feed your baby every 3 hours, with a 6 hour break at night. There are about 7 feedings per day.
  • From 3 to 6 months. After 3.5 hours in the afternoon, stop at night for about 6 hours. That is, during the day, the baby will need to be fed 6 times.
  • Six months. By the age of 6 months, an artificial child is introduced to feeding. At about the same age, complementary foods are also introduced to children who are breastfed. For an older baby, one feeding should be changed to porridge or mashed vegetables. Now the number of meals is 5 after 4 hours, the night's sleep is approximately 8 hours.

Free feeding

Human milk and formula differ in composition. If a natural product does not lead to heaviness even with frequent latching on to the breast, then diluted milk powder is not considered a "light" dish.

However, other experts suggest using partially free feeding, a method characterized by a specific feeding time. The volume of the mixture in this case depends on the child's desire, but is within specific boundaries.

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

Breastfeeding a baby is not so easy, what can we say about an artificial baby. In some situations, the child is not gaining weight well, in others they talk about overfeeding. That is why the mother should follow certain rules of artificial feeding.

Do not think that an artificial person needs less mother's care than a natural person. It seems that a father or another relative can give him a bottle, and a nipple can comfort him. However, experts recommend that mothers ensure the closest contact with the baby, pressing him to her, laying next to her.

Ideally, only the mother should feed a one-month-old baby. You should not entrust artificial feeding to the rest of the family. Let him suck the bottle only on his mother's hands, turning to face her. As soon as he falls asleep, the nipple is removed from his mouth and put to bed.

How much formula does a newborn eat?

In a simplified diagram, the nutritional norms of the artificial are as follows:

  • in the first 10 days, the daily volume of the mixture 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 the birth weight is more than 3200 g);
  • from 10 days to 60 days - the child eats up to 800 milliliters of adapted food for 7 or 8 times;
  • from 2 to 4 months - the maximum milk volume increases to 900 milliliters (or makes up one sixth of the baby's weight).

When should the mixture be changed?

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

Experts advise changing the product in the following situations:

  • the child does not tolerate the mixture, there is a rash, redness, regurgitation, constipation or diarrhea;
  • the baby has reached certain age limits when it is required to switch to a less adapted mixture (in this case, it is advised to change the product to gruel of the same brand);
  • it becomes necessary 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 of the nuances. First, a new product is introduced, mixing it with the old one (two-thirds of the old mixture and a third of the introduced one). Then proportionality begins to be observed, by the end of the week the child completely switches to a previously unfamiliar product.

If the mother feeds the child with a formula, then the pediatrician can tell her everything about artificial feeding. Especially valuable is the advice of a specialist when choosing the first product and when replacing the adaptive power supply. Although the formula is not able to become an absolute copy of breast milk, if all the basic rules are observed, an artificial child will certainly grow up strong and healthy.

Hello, I am Nadezhda Plotnikova. Having successfully completed her studies at SUSU as a special psychologist, she devoted several years to working with children with developmental problems and consulting parents on raising babies. I use the experience gained, including in the creation of articles of a psychological orientation. Of course, in no way do I pretend to be the ultimate truth, but I hope that my articles will help dear readers to deal with any difficulties.

The main reason why constipation occurs during artificial feeding is a violation of the child's diet.

Regular and painless bowel movements in a baby indicate normal digestion. Regular stool of a child is an individual norm and can mean emptying the intestines both twice a day and once every two days. The popular assertion that stool should be strictly once a day is not suitable for babies - their digestive system is still unstable.

Parents' excitement

Parents should be worried when:

  • it is difficult for the child to empty the intestines;
  • the process of defecation causes pain;
  • the stool is tight and separated by sausage or lumps;
  • stool frequency is more than two days.

The state of the child serves as a guideline for the correctness of the process - if the stool is rare, but painless, the baby is in a good mood and plays, grows well, the problem of constipation exists only in the heads of loving parents.

Features of the stool in babies

  • stool retention for a day or more;
  • separation of dense, hard and dry feces;
  • bowel movements that require effort;
  • feeling of incomplete emptying of the intestines.

Having discovered a rare stool in a baby, mothers begin to worry, often in vain. The stool is shaped by food, and the approach to assessing its regularity in a baby who eats an almost ideal food - breast milk or adapted formula milk, should be different. Doctor Komarovsky constantly draws the attention of parents of babies to the fact that:

  1. the more formula and breast milk are suitable for the child, the better they are absorbed;
  2. with good digestibility, there is a minimum of waste that is excreted from the body in the form of feces.

Cleansing the intestines in a child depends on the age and type of feeding:

  • the first emptying of the intestine most often occurs after the first intake of food into the body, the stool is very dark in color, odorless, has the consistency of a paste;
  • during the first days of life, stool occurs no more than 2-3 times a day and depends on feeding - breast milk forms a yellow semi-liquid stool with the smell of milk, milk formulas - denser masses with a characteristic odor;
  • up to three months of age, the norm for a bottle-fed child is painless stool once or more per day;
  • as the digestive system matures in children, the number of bowel movements decreases and is up to twice a day at the age of 6 months. The stool should be soft and free of sour or putrid odor.
  • After six months, the chair should be regular, no more than twice a day. Its appearance changes after the child begins to receive more varied food. The child's feces darkens, becomes denser, and has a specific smell.

In most cases, a bottle-fed child should have a chair at least once a day. The reference point will be the child's well-being, normal weight gain, and the absence of pain during bowel movements. All consultations on this matter to worried parents should be done with the treating pediatrician and his recommendations should be followed.

Constipation, types and causes

The problem with delayed bowel movements will first manifest itself in the child's behavior. An attentive mother will pay attention to the following symptoms:

  • moodiness and frequent crying;
  • poor appetite;
  • restless sleep;
  • hard, swollen tummy;
  • separation of gases with a rotten smell;
  • too tight stools;
  • pressing the legs to the stomach;
  • redness of the face, frequent attempts to push;
  • screaming and crying when emptying.

Constipation in a bottle-fed baby can be manifested by the retraction of feces that have already appeared into the anus.

Parents should pay attention to the structure of feces and the presence of blood residues in it, consult a doctor to identify the cause of constipation and eliminate it.

The main reason for problems with stool is the imperfection of the digestive system of a child under one year old, its immaturity - digestive enzymes will begin to be produced as they grow older. Against this background, disturbances in the process of food digestion and bowel emptying will inevitably be present.

Types of constipation

Depending on the cause of constipation in newborns with artificial feeding, it can be divided into:

  1. physiological, which is caused by congenital disorders in the structure of the intestines and can manifest itself as the baby grows up;
  2. functional, the cause of which is various disorders in the activity of the digestive tract of the newborn.

Congenital pathologies in bowel disorders include a too long sigmoid loop, an overgrowth or congenital absence of the anus, a violation of the innervation of the colon (Hirschsprung's disease).

Constipation in infants can be caused by insufficient intestinal motility, which is provoked by congenital disorders of the child's nervous system, rickets, and malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.

Delayed bowel movements can be:

  1. one-time, or acute, caused by a specific reason, after its elimination, quickly return to normal;
  2. persistent, or chronic, which is manifested by long-term problems with bowel movements.

Stool problems that occur systematically indicate improper treatment of acute constipation or the existence of problems with the baby's diet.

Causes of the condition

Constipation in a bottle-fed newborn is most commonly caused by:

  1. improper selection of a mixture for food;
  2. a sharp transition to a new mixture;
  3. frequent feeding with different mixtures;
  4. a small amount of drinking water;
  5. attempts to feed too early;
  6. antibiotic treatment;
  7. violation of the intestinal flora;
  8. psychological trauma.

Quite often, babies are born with physiological immaturity - during intrauterine development, for various reasons, the innervation of the intestinal wall has not formed. As a result, a one-month-old baby suffers from food stagnation in the intestine, which is not yet able to contract in a timely manner and transport the food gruel to the anus. In a two-month-old child, this disorder disappears on its own.

Violations in the selection of mixtures

Most often, constipation in children develops due to the fact that the formula for feeding the child is not selected correctly. If breastfeeding is not possible, then the formula that is offered to the child should be as close as possible to human milk.

According to the degree of similarity, milk formulas are divided into three categories:

  1. highly adapted;
  2. poorly adapted;
  3. limited adapted.

Formulas of high adaptation are marked with the number 1 and most of all resemble breast milk in composition. They are recommended for feeding children up to six months. There are formulas specially designed for feeding children with various disorders - premature babies, with allergies to certain components of conventional formulas, etc.

From six months you can switch to mixtures of little adaptation, and after a year - to limitedly adapted ones.

In pharmacies, mixtures of various manufacturers are presented, their cost is quite high. Recommendations for the selection are given by the pediatrician, but with a possible choice, the mixture should:

  1. well tolerated by the child, does not cause digestive disorders, allergies;
  2. produced by a company with a good reputation and reviews;
  3. be constantly available (on sale);
  4. ensure the weight gain and development of the child.

If a child is offered a mixture with a large amount of fatty acids and components that the child's body cannot digest due to age, the parents are provided with sleepless nights.

The mixture must be diluted and prepared strictly according to the instructions on the package, too thick food with a reduced amount of liquid will cause flatulence and constipation.

Switching to a new mixture

The transfer of the baby to a new mixture should be carried out only in case of severe necessity - if it causes intolerance or does not meet the needs of the child (he has stopped gaining weight). If the child is full, he is not worried about digestive disorders (gas, stool disorders) - nothing should be changed in the diet.

When a one-time disorder of the stool is noted, the causes of the phenomenon should be analyzed, and not rushed to change the mixture or reduce its amount - perhaps there is an oversight in the violation of the cooking process, or there is a disease. If the phenomenon does not go away, the baby should be shown to the doctor and act on his recommendations.

If you still need to transfer, it is best to do this gradually, over several days, first feeding the baby, and then completely replacing the feeding with a new formula. It is considered optimal to switch to a new mixture within a week.

Constipation that occurs when switching to a new food is often called false - this reaction of the body to a change in diet passes after adaptation. A similar reaction can occur when the feeding periods change; when the usual conditions return, the disturbances disappear.

Drinking disorders

The presence of dense feces indicates a lack of water in the child's body. A. Komarovsky, in his addresses to parents, notes that for normal bowel movement, the child must receive a sufficient amount of water. Pediatricians believe that breastfeeding fully meets the child's need for water, and it is not necessary to give it to infants up to 6 months, an exception is made in case of illness, high temperature in the room.

To prevent constipation in newborns who are fed formula, they need to offer water between feedings. It is important that it was just pure drinking water, but not broths or teas.

If the baby refuses water, he does not need to be forced to drink, but it is imperative to offer drink.

An important trace element on which the intestinal activity depends is potassium, its sources are raisins and prunes. Komarovsky recommends giving babies a decoction of raisins or prunes for the prevention of constipation.

Violation of the rules of complementary feeding

Modern pediatrics has a different point of view on complementary foods than the school of Soviet pediatricians, which recommended starting feeding a baby from 2 months. This was due to many reasons, one of which was the lack of nutritional value of breast milk substitutes.

Now this problem is not, high-quality adapted formulas allow the introduction of complementary foods when the child is ready for it. The criterion is the appearance of at least one tooth and the age of at least 6 months. All attempts to feed the child with food that he cannot digest will end up with constipation, bloating, and calling the doctor.

Psychological causes of constipation

Bottle-feeding constipation can be psychological. Separation from mom can be difficult for a child, which will affect his appetite and, accordingly, the process of emptying the intestines. After reunification, occasional constipation subsides.

Another of the psychological reasons is the child's unpleasant experience when emptying - a cold pot, an unpleasant smell from it, can cause the child's desire to endure the urge to the last, which provokes constipation. Komarovsky draws the attention of parents to the fact that the habit of regular emptying can be developed only by creating comfortable conditions for the baby.

Overfeeding or force feeding is often the cause of untimely evacuation. Constipation in this case is a subconscious protest reaction of the baby.

Treatment and prevention

Parents of toddlers should know what to do if a child has constipation and how to treat it. All ways to help with this condition can be divided into several groups. This:

  1. massage and laying on the baby's tummy before feeding;
  2. selection of a suitable formula for feeding;
  3. treatment with lactulose preparations;
  4. the use of enemas and other mechanical methods of irritation of the rectum.

Massage

Gentle massage will help stimulate the baby's bowels and improve gas waste and soothe him. To perform massage movements, you do not need to have special knowledge, they are simple and effective. To begin with, they put the baby on the back and perform the following actions:

  1. With warm warm palms, stroke the tummy around the navel in a circular motion for a minute;
  2. Holding the baby's feet and ankle joints in warm palms, they take turns bending and unbending the legs at the knees, gently pressing the thigh to the tummy. You need to do such movements 5-7 times;
  3. Do the same as in the previous paragraph, only with two legs at the same time;
  4. To continue the massage, the baby must be turned over on a tummy on a hard, flat surface or laid on his mother's lap. With warm palms, draw along the spine in the direction from the shoulder blades to the buttocks with light pressure. Carry out such movements at least 5-7 times.

Laxatives

If there is an urgent need to help the baby, medications can be used. Komarovsky recommends for lactulose syrup, which is sold in all pharmacies under different commercial names (). These are not synthetic drugs, their use will not harm the child. You need to start giving syrup with small doses, since it causes increased gas formation.

Mechanical methods

Young parents often hear from grandmothers and mothers about "folk" methods of treating constipation - mechanical irritation of the rectum or a mercury thermometer. Why this should not be done. These methods are quite barbaric, in addition, they form a habit, from which it is very difficult to wean a baby. With constipation, cracks in the anus may occur. What should parents do in this case? Can help or sea buckthorn candles to relieve pain and speed up healing.

The best food for a newborn is mom's breast milk. And no nanotechnology and the latest advanced developments of modern science are able to make the mixture as close as possible to the composition of natural milk, which only a mother can give to a baby.

However, breastfeeding is not always possible. Unfortunately, there are reasons that prevent the baby from breastfeeding normally. It can be a serious illness of the mother, which requires treatment with strong antibiotics, anticancer drugs, and a banal lack of breast milk or its complete absence. When the prospect of artificial feeding becomes a reality, parents have many questions, which the authoritative doctor and favorite of millions of mothers Yevgeny Olegovich Komarovsky gladly answers.

Dr. Komarovsky will tell you more about artificial feeding in the next video.

Komarovsky about children - "artificial"

It is impossible to replace breast milk with any, even the most expensive "premium" formula. Its value is not only in vitamins and enzymes, but also in immunoglobulins. Mom's milk gives the child that very immune protection, thanks to which the baby is quite reliably protected from most viruses in the first six months of its life, until its own immunity begins to actively form.


This does not mean at all that artificial children are completely deprived of their mother's immunity. They still have innate immunity, which was formed during pregnancy, and with proper care, it can also protect the baby, not as effectively as with breastfeeding, but something is better than nothing.

Evgeny Komarovsky notes that artificial feeding should be carried out only with the use of adapted milk formulas. They cannot be replaced with either cow or goat milk.

Even 30 years ago, the doctor says, artificial children had much more problems, because there was no alternative. Now, according to the doctor, choosing goat milk as food for a baby is barbaric and a sign of parental irresponsibility.



Evgeny Olegovich advises not to listen to grandmothers who remember how the great-grandmother fed “seven cow's milk” and call the mixture “chemistry” and “poison”. Up to a year, the doctor generally does not recommend giving milk to children, up to three - do it with caution. The reason is that the amount of calcium and phosphorus in cow's milk is so high that baby's kidneys are unable to excrete such compounds. This is fraught with serious illness, allergy to cow protein and problems with the skeletal system.

If the child eats mixtures, the mother needs to be more attentive to the quantity and quality of the crumbs eaten. Bottles and nipples must be clean, and the mixture must be diluted strictly in the proportions indicated on the package.


Complementary feeding and IV

If the baby is gaining weight well, and artificial people usually gain very well, then no additional food is needed until six months, Komarovsky believes. From six months you need to introduce additional nutrition, according to the complementary feeding schedule. The overwhelming majority of pediatricians advise mothers to start complementary foods with vegetable and fruit juices and mashed potatoes, but Evgeny Komarovsky recommends starting with kefir and cereals, and leaving the fruit, even in a mashed potatoes state, until better times, when the child's first tooth erupts.

It is his appearance that Yevgeny Olegovich calls a sure sign that a small organism is ready for solid food, which all fruits and vegetables are in nature.

Doctor Komarovsky will tell you how to make the first complementary foods and how to feed a child in the video below.

Problems

A common problem is excessive weight gain when feeding with formula. When breastfeeding, the baby is given food more difficult, he feels full faster and does not overeat. And it is more fun to suck from the bottle, and therefore the crumb almost always eats 20-30 extra grams of the mixture. If the pediatrician sighs sadly at the next examination after weighing, looking at the chubby toddler, mom can reduce the concentration of the mixture by adding a little less dry matter to the water than is prescribed by the recipe and recommended by the manufacturers.


It is believed that children who eat formula are more likely to suffer from dermatitis and allergies. There is a grain of logic here, but it is impossible to assert that this is a regularity. If the child shows an inadequate reaction to a particular mixture, the mixture itself can be replaced... But Komarovsky does not recommend doing this too often and without the knowledge of the pediatrician.


    Feed your baby from a nipple with a small hole so that he has to make an effort to saturate, then the chances that the toddler will overeat, become overweight and other unpleasant consequences of excessive nutrition are reduced.

    Select only mixtures that are marked "Adapted", if the baby is prone to allergies, it is desirable to feed him with a hypoallergenic mixture. Of course, it costs more, but it is better to overpay for food than to spend many times larger sums on treatment.

    If a family has the opportunity to use the services of a wet nurse, then there is no reason to refuse such an opportunity, Komarovsky believes. The main thing is to make sure of the cleanliness of the female nurse, to know what products she eats, whether she smokes or uses any medications. At the same time, the doctor clearly distinguishes between the concepts of "donor milk" and "nurse".

    Donated milk is rather difficult to transport in order to preserve all its beneficial properties. And if it was stored in a refrigerator, pasteurized, boiled or subjected to some other processing, nothing useful was definitely left in it, and there is no point in giving it, says Yevgeny Komarovsky.

    It is ultimately the parents who decide when to stop formula feeding. However, Komarovsky's position here is similar to his position on the termination of breastfeeding. After a year, the child, in principle, does not need formula or breast milk. His diet should be expanded and include meat, vegetables, fruits, grains, and the mixtures can no longer satisfy all the needs of the grown body.

Breastfeeding is undoubtedly the gold standard for baby nutrition. But what to do when mom is unable to breastfeed? Let's say she is sick, she has no or little milk, or there are other reasons. Artificial feeding with milk formulas is called for help. In order for it to be beneficial, it is important to know all the nuances - how often to feed a newborn with a formula, how much formula can be given, which one is better to choose, etc.

What is artificial feeding

This is the replacement (full or partial - 2/3 of the diet) of breast milk with artificial dairy products.

BTW: Ideal for twins, triplets, etc.

Selection rules

It should be done in favor of a quality product. It's not only about the date of manufacture, the duration of storage after opening the package. First of all, these should be the correct recommendations of the pediatrician, based on:

  • composition of food,
  • the age of the baby
  • his weight,
  • characteristics of the body,
  • reactions to food.
  • his weight,
  • characteristics of the body,
  • reactions to food.

Reasons for replacement

Do you have diarrhea or constipation, drowsiness, or gas? The dairy product may not be suitable. Does the feeding take place in the mode of tears and spits out? Something went wrong, didn't like the taste, or something else. This means that you need to consult a doctor for advice and advice. Because there are more serious reasons forcing a pediatric specialist to replace one formula for artificial feeding with another:

  1. Allergy to the composition (severe rashes).
  2. Requires another one suitable for the age.
  3. Due to illness (requires a special composition with medicinal properties).
  4. Stopping weight gain.

BTW: You cannot use several different mixtures, give food intended for a different age, or feed the child against his will.

How often can artificial mixtures be changed?

No, often and, moreover, arbitrarily, without talking to a pediatrician, it is not recommended to do this. It is difficult for a child's body to rebuild quickly or, worse, to do it all the time. Try to observe more closely the assimilation of the new food by the child:

  1. The rash may go away the next day.
  2. The unsuccessful chair got better by the evening.
  3. The tummy doesn't hurt the next morning.
  4. No regurgitation and the like.

ATTENTION: If something is wrong, pay a visit to the children's clinic. Ask what types of dairy products are ideal.

Formulas for artificial feeding - types and varieties

Manufacturers make products for artificial feeding of newborns, based on milk (goat or cow). It happens:

  • dry, liquid,
  • unleavened and fermented milk substitutes for human milk,
  • usual (in composition a little like mother's milk) and adapted (as similar as possible).

Varieties of formula for artificial feeding of newborns

  1. Most adapted: with the greatest degree of similarity to mother's milk.
  2. Highly adapted: thanks to the presence of tauric acid, the nutrition is ideal for premature babies.
  3. With less adaptation: from powdered cow's milk, without whey, but with the remaining adaptation parameters.
  4. With partial adaptation: without whey, with incomplete adaptation of carbohydrates and fats, starch and sucrose; unacceptable for newborns.
  5. Special: for special cases when special nutrition is required (babies with weakened immunity, premature babies).
  6. Therapeutic (lactose-free, soy, semi-elementary, with thickeners - for allergies, impaired absorption of food in the intestine, low weight, disorders of the intestinal flora, etc.).

ATTENTION: Medical and special mixtures are prescribed by a doctor according to indications!

How Often To Feed Your Newborn With Formula - Feeding Regimen

Can the baby be fed at will and on demand? No, it's best not to.

Firstly, this is not mother's milk, which comes in proportion to the one sucked by him in the previous feeding.

Secondly, the baby's body needs time to digest artificial food. Otherwise, if the break is not taken, nothing good will come of adding fresh food to undigested food.

When a baby is bottle-fed, he must consume the prescribed amount of food, and strictly according to the hour.

How to introduce the mixture correctly - cooking rules

If this is the first introduction of dairy products (or new) into the diet, then carry out the process within 5-7 days. Initially, a small volume is offered (no more than one third of the required portion). If everything went well, the amount of food increases over the course of the week.

Rules for the preparation of milk formula and feeding

The first thing to do is to carefully read the instructions for preparing a dairy product and adhere to it. More or less amount of the contents of the pack or can is fraught with belching, regurgitation, unstable stools and other consequences that are dangerous for the liver, kidneys, pancreas and other organs. When preparing a mass that a tiny artificial artist must certainly like, consider:

She prepares exclusively before feeding and in no case - not for the future.

Water (boiled) and the product are quickly mixed in the right proportion until completely dissolved. Then the bottle is shaken.

Cooking should only be done in a well-sterilized container.

For breeding, specialized water without harmful substances is used.

The nipple for feeding should be suitable for the baby.

REMEMBER: The temperature of the cooked food should be 36-37 ° (by dropping a drop on your wrist, check - the liquid should not be felt).

How to calculate the amount of formula you need to feed

The rate is calculated based on the age of the baby, weight and appetite. In principle, the so-called "volumetric method". For example, the main food per day should be:

  • in the first two months of life - 1/5 of body weight,
  • in 2-4 months - 1/6,
  • at 4-6 months - 1/7,
  • after six months - 1 / 8-1 / 9.

Example. The weight of an infant aged 3.5 months is 5700. Give him 950 ml of the adapted formula per day. But the approximate amount of food, as well as how many hours to feed, is specified in each case separately with the doctor, and not "by eye".

REMEMBER: Your little "artificial" can eat different amounts of food at a time. Well-being, appetite and other factors can be the determining factor.

How much food do you need per feeding?

For this, the daily volume is divided by the number of doses. Those. from the formula 950: 6 = 158 we see that at a time after the required period of time (with six meals) the little one should be given about 160 g.

BTW: The volume of an artificial product does not include juice, water, decoctions of fruits and vegetables. If the menu includes complementary foods (vegetable puree, yolk, cottage cheese), the fact should be taken into account when determining the required volume of the mixture.

How to properly feed your baby with formula

  1. Before feeding with powder or liquid products mixed with baby water, the temperature of the resulting mass is checked (should not be higher than 36.6-37 degrees).
  2. It is important to observe that the baby does not swallow air while sucking.
  3. You can not re-give an already unused mixture.
  4. The child should be in a semi-upright position.
  5. After eating, the dishes and the nipple must be sterilized with high quality.

NEED TO KNOW: Is there anything left in the bottle? Pour it out, because you can't leave a drop next time!

How many times to feed - feeding mode

How do you know after what time, how many times to feed the "artificial"? Their feeding schedule is usually traditional. So, in the first month of life it is necessary to give food 6-7 times, i.e. a break is maintained somewhere in 3-3.5 hours. (At night, the interval can be about 6 hours). After that, the gap increases.

ATTENTION: If you notice that the "artificial" baby is not enough, he does not gorge himself, consult your doctor about increasing the number of feedings.

In a word, everything is determined, and then, if necessary, the doctor will correct. For example, a crumb will not cope with the recommended volume at a time. This means feed more often, but in smaller portions.

One way or another, it is advisable to closely monitor the behavior of the little one. He should not be lethargic and inactive. Got good weight gain. Otherwise, go to the clinic!

BTW: Include water in your diet while artificially feeding! But do not take it into account when calculating the total daily allowance for a child's meal.

  1. When preparing food, take the mixture with a clean measuring spoon.
  2. In the first days, prepare the required volume by adding 10-20 ml. When the diet of the "artificial" baby improves, the amount will be easier to select.
  3. Yes, milk with artificial feeding is longer in the stomach, and therefore the regime is established. But if the baby gets very worried about 15-20 minutes before feeding, do not torment - feed.
  4. The nipple should be with a normal, and not a large opening - the milk does not flow in trickles, but drips.
  5. Hold the bottle so that the milk fills the neck. Otherwise, having swallowed air with milk, the baby will vomit.
  6. Do not leave him alone with the horn - after burping, he may choke.
  7. Do not feed while you sleep.
  8. Go to the clinic if you notice frequent regurgitation, insufficient weight and height gain, frequent (more than three times a day) stools with undigested lumps, any anxiety before or after meals.

Pros of artificial feeding

So, is there no breast milk, or are there other good reasons to stop breastfeeding? Do not rush to get upset! Yes, the formula recommended for you does not contain such unique elements of human milk. But still, this feeding system has its advantages.

  1. You can entrust feeding to your husband or someone from your family, and go away on business.
  2. Feeding the child in this way, the mother knows how much food he needs. Therefore, he will immediately notice health problems.
  3. You can, unlike breastfeeding moms, continue to eat as before.
  4. You are not at risk of mastitis or other breastfeeding problems.
  5. Due to the longer digestion of the mixture, the number of meals is reduced. This means you can devote much more time to yourself, your family and your favorite business!

If it turns out that the mother cannot breastfeed the baby, then she has to switch to artificial feeding of the baby.

In this regard, she has many questions. How to organize artificial feeding correctly? How to choose a mixture? How often should your artificial baby be fed?

Today we will talk in detail about artificial feeding and try to find answers to the most important questions about how to feed an artificial baby.

Artificial and breastfeeding

As known, breast-feeding - this is the best that a mother can give to a baby - the most healthy and natural food for a child.

But there are situations when breastfeeding is completely impossible or insufficient, therefore, artificial feeding is required.

Artificial feeding - This is a forced way of feeding a child. It is recommended to use it only in cases where all attempts to organize breastfeeding have been in vain or it is contraindicated by a doctor.

Marina Shimkova, breastfeeding consultant, lactologist, trainer in preparation for childbirth at the family center "ABC for Parents": “I insist that everyone initially has milk. Therefore, before giving the baby a mixture, you need to try to establish lactation: contact an experienced mother, breastfeeding specialists. Often there is no such thing that there is simply no milk, there are reasons for everything, which can be eliminated if you want. If it so happens that it does not come out to breastfeed, then you have to give the baby formula or donor breast milk. "

Artificial feeding - this is stress for the child's body, therefore, if the mother has a little milk and there are no categorical contraindications to breastfeeding, it is necessary to apply the baby to the breast and try to feed the baby with breast milk at least several times a day.

If your bottle-fed baby , do not take it as a tragedy, there is nothing wrong with this way of eating. Modern formulas allow children to grow up healthy and strong. It is important to properly organize artificial feeding and adhere to the basic recommendations for feeding artificial children.

How to feed your baby with formula?

On demand or not?

Breastfed babies are recommended feed on demand , especially this recommendation is relevant in the first months of a baby's life, when lactation is just being established. As for formula-fed children, before all doctors recommended feed them on schedule - approximately every 3 hours. This recommendation was due to the fact that earlier the mixtures were of lower quality than today, they were much more satisfying than breast milk and absorbed longer.

Modern formulas are well adapted, which is why partially free feeding is now practiced

Modern mixes are well adapted , which is why it is now partially practiced. This method consists in the fact that the child is given the amount of food at his will, but within a certain norm. This method makes it possible to determine how much food the baby actually needs.

If the baby does not eat the recommended amount of formula in one feeding , do not force him, you can try to offer the baby food later, perhaps the baby needs more frequent feeding, but in small portions. Taking into account the individual characteristics of the child, the number of feedings per day may vary, but the total volume of the eaten mixture should not be more than the recommended one.

Thus, even with artificial feeding, it is recommended to take into account the individual needs of the child.

Artificial feeding and overeating

Baby on artificial feeding it is much easier to overeat than a breastfed baby. Most often this is due to the fact that drinking the required amount of milk from a bottle can be much faster than sucking it from the breast, so the artificial baby does not satisfy his own. Because of this, he may cry after the bottle is taken away from him. Many mothers regard the crying of a child in this situation as a signal that he is not full. Then the mother offers the baby more food. Doctors do not recommend giving a child more than 30 ml. extra food can lead to overeating and weight gain. To help your child satisfy the sucking reflex, offer dummy or a bottle of water.

Do you want to drink or not?

As you know, babies of the first month of life who are on breastfeeding , it is not recommended to add water, so that the baby demanded breast more often, and the mother's lactation improved faster. Artificial kids are recommended to offer water from the first days of life. If he doesn’t want it, it’s not necessary, but it should be offered.

Mixture

In organizing successful artificial feeding, it is very important to choose a formula suitable for the child.

It is very important in the organization of successful artificial feeding. This may not work the first time. Now there is a large variety of mixes , it is recommended to select the mixture with the pediatrician, taking into account the needs of the child.

When preparing the mixture, keep it clean, prepare the mixture for only one feeding, follow the recommendations for preparing the mixture indicated on the package.

Mix amount for one feeding depends on the age and weight of the child. The recommended amount of formula for one feeding is usually indicated on the package of the formula.

You can determine the amount of mixture required for your child by consulting a pediatrician, as well as empirically. If the baby does not have enough of the mixture that you give him, he will definitely "say" about it.