The key nutrients a baby needs are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The FDA requires minimum amounts of 29 key nutrients and gives maximum quantities for 9 of the nutrients required in baby formulas. So any formula you choose should meet the minimum nutritional requirements for your baby. Baby formulas made in Europe are required to meet the European Food Safety Agency standards. Well, the good news is that in the U.S., infant formulas are required to meet FDA nutritional standards. So what else should you be looking for in infant formula? As always, we recommend speaking with your pediatrician if you have concerns about your baby’s nutrition or digestion. Your baby may do well on one formula and not another due to reasons that are very individual and hard to pin down. So, in making this list, the following formulas earn high marks from parents for things like helping baby’s tummy issues, ease of use, store availability, and overall value. Instead, they’re described as “nutritionally interchangeable.” In fact, this isn’t true at all.Ī comprehensive review of formula feeding in American Family Physician reveals that there’s no reason to recommend one formula brand over another. When we select the “best” options, we aren’t saying that one brand has necessarily been proven better or more effective than all the others. How we chose the best baby formula products Meanwhile, adding too little water can harm a baby’s delicate organs. Diluting the formula with too much water can decrease the nutritional value, and it can lead to electrolyte imbalances that can cause seizures.

No matter which you choose, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to mix the formula. Goat’s milk baby formula is another option. Most formulas are made from cow’s milk, but you can also find soy and protein hydrolysate formulas for babies who have certain intolerances or allergies. Ready-to-eat bottles contain liquid formula that’s already diluted with the appropriate amount of water.īeyond that, the choices revolve around the formula’s content. Powdered and liquid concentrate must be mixed with water before feeding to your baby. You can find formula in three forms: powdered, liquid concentrate, and ready-to-eat. It all comes down to finding what settles best with your baby. Some babies may do great with one brand or type others not so much.

That doesn’t mean all formulas are the same, though. And all infant formulas you’ll find sold in the United States have to go through the same nutritional and safety testing via the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There’s not one brand or type of formula that’s universally best for all babies.

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