Breast milk is the best food for our babies, but there are other alternatives such as follow-on milks. From BodyCarre, we want to inform you of everything you need about this type of milk, so that you are the ones who decide how to feed your child.
A few days ago the debate was open on social networks. Are follow-on milks good? Are they better than breast milk? Are they really necessary? Many things are said, commented and recommended, however, in the upbringing of each child, those who decide are their mothers and they themselves, along with the recommendation of their pediatricians, know what is best for them.
We know that breast milk is the best food that can be provided to a baby , up to at least six months, or if you want, it can be continued for up to two years, alternating it with other types of food. However, there are mothers who cannot breastfeed or have simply chosen other alternatives to feed their children.
So, we tell you everything you need to know about the preparations, also called follow-on milks.
Index
What are follow-on milks?
They are compounds that are manufactured from cow’s milk, but in their preparation the proportion of proteins is modified and they are enriched with vitamins and minerals, with the main objective that it resembles as much as possible to mother’s milk.
Types of follow-on milks
We can differentiate between two types of artificial baby milk, depending on their age.
Starter milks or type 1:
The starter milk is indicated for newborn babies up to 12 months.
Nutribén’s starting milk contains 1.4 g of protein per 100ml, an adequate amount according to the standards of ROYAL DECREE 867/2008 , which regulates infant formula and follow-on formula in Spain.
Continuation milks or type 2:
Indicated from 6 months onwards, prepared from cow’s milk with modifications in proteins and enriched with vitamins to complete the feeding of babies. This type can have up to 2.4gr of protein per 100ml, according to the standards we mentioned in the previous type.
The milk continuation of Nutribén , has 1,7gr of protein per 100ml, adapted to all recommendations of the ESPGHAN (the European Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition Society), one of the most comprehensive in the market.
Why are proteins so important?
In the previous point, we distinguished two types of artificial milk that, depending on their amount of protein, were adapted to one age or another. For this reason, we realize that the main difference between the types of milk suitable for infant feeding are proteins.
Breast milk provides babies with approximately 0.9 grams of protein per 100ml. The cow ‘s milk , would be the main alternative, but excessive amount of protein to 3.3 g per 100 ml, does need to be modified to suit the needs of each child at different stages. These amounts, which we indicated in the types of continuation milk, although it is higher than that concentrated in breast milk, as they are of lower biological value, there must be a little more than 0.9 gr.
As babies grow, they need more protein, which is supplemented with complementary foods. THEREFORE, the follow-up milks are not essential for the development of babies , They simply act as a supplement to Their diet when it has not Been possible to breastfeed or children When, after twelve months, eat poorly. We will Always Have to bear in mind That Their diet needs to Certain amount of proteins, We Should not Think About How to Increase them, but how to Provide Them With The Necessary ones at Their age and time of growth.
What if my baby is allergic?
Today, there are several types of follow-up milks when children have allergies to lactose, cow’s milk protein or soy protein, which the pediatrician will recommend in each particular case.
It is true that follow-on milk is a great economic advantage for families with few resources. In many cases, you start with the starter milk, which represents a significant financial outlay, and although it is recommended until 12 months, at 6 months it is passed to the continuation milk due to the price.
In any case, between six and twelve months a baby needs about 20 grams of protein per day, so we can give him the starting or continuation milk, which is better suited to the needs of the little one, with the fundamental premise of not exceeding the necessary proteins. Since the important thing about all this, we choose one way or another to feed our baby, is that it grows healthy and strong.
And you moms, do you give your little ones follow-up milk?
Kathie Sand always saw the world of beauty as the terrain on which to build her professional career, a goal that was clear to her when she was only 15 years old. Her great concern to expand knowledge led her to settle in Paris where she studied hand in hand with the best beauty professionals and with the most advanced techniques for skin care.