Infant Formula;
Artificial nutrition, that is infant formula or another type of animal milk, has been given to infants since ancient times. In the
Today there are several brands available to women who choose not to breast-feed or who need a supplement formula. There are differences in the composition of formulas available in the hospital. There are also alternative formulas to meet specific infant needs. (Klossner. N& others 2006)
Commercial formulas got their start in 1867, when Henri Nestle (1814-1890) created one from cow’s milk, wheat flour and sugar. Since then, literally hundreds, if not thousands of different blends were brewed up as replacements for mother’s milk, the great majority of them falling far short of the mark.
Over the past century, mothers in western societies have sadly trended away from nursing in favor of bottle feeding, probably due to a mixture of societal changes, ignorance, indifference and unwillingness to deal with the inconvenience. Every effort should be made to breast-feed newborns. Only when that proves impossible should a formula be considered.
Luckily, food science, and painful lessons learned over decades of experimentation, have given us a pretty good idea of how to make substitutes for human milk. Consider that a baby’s brain increases in weight from 350g (about 12 oz.) to about 800g (just over 28 oz.) during the first year of life. By age two, it’s added another 400g.
Countless studies have shown that babies fed with mother’s milk, instead of formulas, fare better in just about every way, from resistance to childhood ailments like ear infections and allergies, to having better skeletal structure and higher IQ’s.
What is an Infant Formula?
Infant formulas are liquids or reconstituted powders fed to infants and young children. They serve as substitutes for human milk. Infant formulas have a special role to play in the diets of infants because they are often the only source of nutrients for infants. For this reason, the composition of commercial formulas is carefully controlled and FDA requires that these products meet very strict standards.
Nutritional requirements in Infant formula:
Food Energy
Amounts Per Selected Serving
%DV
Calories
20.1
(84.2 kJ)
1%
Calories from Carbohydrate
8.0
(33.5 kJ)
Calories from Fat
10.0
(41.9 kJ)
Calories from Protein
2.2
(9.2 kJ)
Calories from Alcohol
0.0
(0.0 kJ)
The safety and nutritional quality of infant formulas are ensured by requiring that manufacturers follow specific procedures in manufacturing infant formulas. In fact, there is a law — known as the Infant Formula Act — which gives FDA special authority to create and enforce standards for commercial infant formulas. Manufacturers must analyze each batch of formula to check nutrient levels and make safety checks. They must then test samples to make sure the product remains in good condition while it is on the market shelf. Infant formulas must also have codes on their containers to identify each batch and manufacturers must keep very detailed records of production and analysis.
Vitamins
Amounts Per Selected Serving
%DV
Vitamin A
60.1
IU
1%
Retinol
18.0
mcg
Retinol Activity Equivalent
18.0
mcg
Alpha Carotene
0.0
mcg
Beta Carotene
0.0
mcg
Beta Cryptoxanthin
0.0
mcg
Lycopene
0.0
mcg
Lutein+Zeaxanthin
0.0
mcg
Vitamin C
1.8
mg
3%
Vitamin D
8.8
IU
2%
Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)
0.4
mg
2%
Beta Tocopherol
~
Gamma Tocopherol
~
Delta Tocopherol
~
Vitamin K
3.0
mcg
4%
Thiamin
0.0
mg
1%
Riboflavin
0.0
mg
1%
Niacin
