Why Your Baby Needs Hypoallergenic Formula
Hypoallergenic baby formulas are formulated to prevent your baby from getting an allergic reaction. While they are sometimes made from cow’s milk, they go through special processing to make sure that most babies can drink them regardless of whether they are allergic to cow’s milk or not.
By now you might be asking yourself what exactly is the hypoallergenic product? Well, a hypoallergenic product means that your child may not have an allergic reaction after consuming it. You can rest assured that hypoallergenic baby formulas meet specific criteria to make it safe for your baby. This post explains why your baby needs a hypoallergenic formula.
What you should know about hypoallergenic baby formula
It can be tricky to figure out whether a baby formula has no allergens. The good news is that many products that don’t have allergens are labeled hypoallergenic, meaning they can be safe for your baby.
Sadly, cow’s milk protein allergy can affect many infants. For babies with a severe allergy, they usually need a special amino acid-based formula. On the other hand, babies who have a mild form of tolerance or a cow’s milk protein allergy may need to take a hydrolyzed formula. This type of baby formula has milk proteins that are broken down into manageable sizes.
The good news is that you can find many HiPP formula ingredients that are hydrolyzed to make it safe for your infant. So you can find three major types of hypoallergenic formulas.
Hydrolyzed formulas
These hypoallergenic formulas have larger protein chains that are broken down into smaller sizes to make it easy for your baby to digest. If there is a more extensively hydrolyzed formula, it means there are fewer allergenic compounds in it, making it better for your allergic baby.
Extensively hydrolyzed formulas
As explained above, extensively hydrolyzed formulas are great for your allergic baby because they are highly processed. Therefore, they cannot cause any reaction if your baby is highly allergic. No wonder, many pediatrics recommend that parents should use extensively hydrolyzed formulas for their babies with cow’s milk protein allergies.
Free amino acid-based formulas
This type of hypoallergenic formula doesn’t have whole protein molecules, rather they have basic amino acids. These acids are the building blocks of protein. This baby formula is considered safe for allergic babies even those that may react to extensively hydrolyzed formula can consume it.
The benefits of hypoallergenic formulas
No doubt, you need to use hypoallergenic baby formula if your baby is allergic. You may be forgiven to think that this formula is only suitable for managing allergy. The truth is that it can also solve various health issues for your baby. Below are some of the benefits of using the hypoallergenic formula:
It can fix acid reflux problem
There are several things that you don’t want your baby to experience and one of them is acid reflux. This usually happens when your baby constantly vomits or spits up, leading to some damages in your baby’s esophagus or causing stomach problems.
Remember that vomiting and spitting can be normal behavior for your baby, but excessive ones can be worrisome. While this can be a common symptom of GERD, it may also be due to a milk allergy. This is the reason why most doctors usually recommend giving your baby a hypoallergenic formula. Many moms who have switched to this type of formula also agree that it works by eliminating these symptoms.
It can fix current allergy
Breast milk can prevent allergy in your baby. However, if your baby is already allergic, which includes your common milk, perhaps you should consider other options.
You can find on the market standard formulas that contain soy milk or cow’s milk as their base. So if your little one is allergic to both, then the hypoallergenic formula is your best option. This is because the hypoallergenic formula has broken down proteins to make it easier for your baby to digest. As a result, you will notice that your baby’s tummy doesn’t act up.
It prevents painful pooping
You may wonder why your baby has regular diarrhea or they always cry when pooping. This can be because you are not feeding them the right formula. Unfortunately, this can be a sign of milk allergy, meaning either the cow’s milk or soy milk is affecting them. It can also be due to other ingredients that are in some standard formula milk products.
It can be painful to see your baby going through such experience. Therefore, you should act fast by trying to switch to sensitive baby formula. You may realize that it’s what your baby needs to solve this problem.
This hypoallergenic formula ensures that the digestive system of your baby works well by absorbing the necessary nutrients. At the same time, your little one will produce an excrement that is healthier-looking.
Amino acid-based formulas
These formulas are usually partially hydrolyzed but you can also find others that are extensively hydrolyzed. The former may improve the digestive discomfort in your baby. This is suitable for healthy babies who don’t have allergies or any other serious health issues.
The latter type is hypoallergenic. This is extensively hydrolyzed, meaning the proteins are broken down into manageable pieces. Cow’s milk has a protein known as casein which turns to a more digestible form for babies suffering from allergy.
As promising as it sounds, not all people see good results when using an extensively hydrolyzed formula. Therefore, if your baby doesn’t tolerate this type, you can use a hypoallergenic formula. These amino acid-based formulas are also called elemental formulas. As the name suggests, these have amino acids, and they are in their simplest form to make it easier for your baby’s digestive system to digest and process.
In this way, you are assured that your baby can absorb the nutrients that they may be missing in other forms of formula. If you are undecided about the best formula to use, you can always ask your doctor for advice.