We all know that mother’s milk is the ideal food for a baby, but unfortunately, not all women have the opportunity to feed this incredibly valuable and nutritious liquid. Despite this, every young mother wants to give her newborn the best.
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Infant nutrition
As a rule, mothers who do not have enough milk, supplement their babies with additional nutrition or completely transfer the babies to artificial feeding. It should be remembered that children under one year of age are contraindicated milk of animal origin, both cows and goats. The liver of a small child cannot cope with the amount of protein and trace elements contained in animal milk, so there is a great risk of harming the health of the baby. Of course, this will not always be reflected in external factors. The only suitable food for babies who do not receive mothers’ milk is milk formula. It is adapted to the child’s body by the age requirements.
Today in most stores you can find a wide range of breast milk substitutes. But how to choose a safe, high-quality, and suitable option is worth talking about this.
Before you feed your baby, mom or dad should wash their hands well with soap and warm running water. Particular attention should be paid to the area between the fingers and nails. The hand washing process should take at least 20 seconds. And after this hygienic procedure, hands should be wiped dry with a paper towel or clean towel.
The next step is to prepare for eating. If you plan to fill the vial with the feeding mixture, you should dilute it with water according to the instructions. Violating the proportions can lead to dehydration or bloating. Also, remember that only clean drinking water must be used to prepare the formula.
Baby food must meet certain requirements
The raw material from which organic formulas are made has very strict requirements. First of all, all the ingredients for baby food are produced in environmentally friendly areas. Raw milk of the highest and first grade is exclusively purchased from suppliers, with whom the company has been working for a very long time and which it fully trusts.
As a rule, mothers who do not have enough milk, supplement their babies with additional nutrition or completely transfer the babies to artificial feeding. It should be remembered that children under one year of age are contraindicated milk of animal origin, both cows and goats. The liver of a small child cannot cope with the amount of protein and trace elements contained in animal milk, so there is a great risk of harming the health of the baby. Of course, this will not always be reflected in external factors. The only suitable food for babies who do not receive mothers’ milk is milk formula such as HiPP Dutch 1, organic certified baby formula from Europe.
Secondly, all incoming raw milk is subjected to strict quality control. Each batch of milk is checked for antibiotic absence, and the mass fraction of fat, acidity, density, protein number, and the number of somatic cells are counted. In addition, the total number of microbes is determined, and organoleptic characteristics (taste, smell, color) are evaluated. After the tests, the milk is sent for processing. Milk that does not meet the quality and safety requirements is not accepted and sent back to the supplier.
No artificial additives, preservatives, unnatural dyes, or flavor enhancers are allowed in the production of baby food products. Compared to the production of conventional dairy formulas, control of raw materials and finished products of organic baby food is carried out much more often – up to 70 times per batch.
Palm oil pros and cons
Many dairy formulas use palm oil as a source of fat, which some pediatricians believe can be detrimental to the health of newborn babies.
According to the results of various clinical studies, the addition of this component to baby food increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and also significantly reduces the absorption of calcium by the tiny body. Since this mineral is very important for babies, many moms decide to prefer baby formula without palm oil and this is the right decision. Several studies have shown that baby formula without palm and coconut oil helps babies absorb calcium and fat 20-25% better.
How long can the baby formula be stored?
Exact information on the expiration date of the formula can be found on the packaging. The expiration date depends on the brand. This is determined by studies that check how the formula behaves in conditions without a protective atmosphere. The expiration date also depends on the type of packaging. The formula in a jar and a cardboard box have different expiration dates.
The baby formula is packed in special conditions, where it is protected from all kinds of undesirable influences. It is a guarantee of the quality of the infant formula. Therefore, to preserve its freshness for longer, the bottle with the formula should be tightly closed after each use. This simple rule will help to protect the formula from dirt and bacteria, and to preserve its useful properties as much as possible.
During feeding, saliva gets into the baby formula, which is an ideal environment for the development of bacteria. Therefore, its leftovers should be poured out. It should not be reheated, refrigerated or frozen.
Always wash and boil the bottle thoroughly after feeding. In addition, for babies under 6 months of age, all feeding accessories must be sterilized.
Tips for new parents when choosing baby food
- Always consult your pediatrician before buying formula or other baby food.
- Buy baby food from specialized stores, which respect sanitary regulations and provide appropriate conditions for its storage.
- Pay attention to the expiration date. It is better to choose with a shorter shelf life, as products with a long shelf life may contain preservatives.
- The smell and taste of the product should be natural and consistent with the specified composition. They should not be sour, unpleasant, or mustardy.
- Products containing probiotic bacteria strengthen a baby’s immune system.
- It is advisable to buy baby food from the same manufacturer, as products of different brands have different proportions and stocks.
- Follow all the instructions on the package of baby food.
Consequently, the growing and developing body of a child needs a variety of micro- and macronutrients, while being yet unadapted to many foods. Industrial baby food strictly regulates the content of sugar, salt, and fat, and does not allow products that can cause allergies in a child. Baby food must be homogenized, that is, without large, hard pieces for easy swallowing, and must be well digested.