Types of formula milk

Formula milks are designed to be as similar as possible to breast milk. However, they cannot provide the baby with the antibodies that breast milk does. In any case, they do provide all the nutrients that your little one needs.

The main characteristics of the formula milks that are available these days are as follows:

- Most infant formulas are derived from cow's milk.

- However, special formulas do exist for cases of intolerance to adapted cow's milk.

- Breast milk serves as a model for preparing artificial milks. In general they are made from full-fat or evaporated cow's milk, sugar and water; the protein, fat and carbohydrate content of this composition is modified to make it as similar as possible to breast milk.

Depending on the age of the child who is introduced to formula milk, they are classified as follows:

First-stage formulas.

These milks meet the infant's nutritional needs during the first 4-6 months of life. This group includes special formulas for premature babies and special milks for solving specific problems (e.g. for children who are underweight or have reflux problems).

Follow-on formulas.

These milks are used from the age of 4-6 months and form part of the varied diet of a child of that age (when we begin to introduce solid foods). They are the intermediate step between first-stage milk and growing-up milk (from the age of one year). It is recommended that they should be used up to the age of at least one year.

Cow's milk.

Babies cannot drink it until they are in their third year because it does not contain the nutritional elements a small child needs and it could cause digestive problems.