How to choose baby milk: tips and criteria to take into consideration

You probably already know that for a newborn, the ideal food remains breast milk. Breast milk offers multiple benefits to the baby. Easy to digest, it provides the nutritional elements that infants need until age 6^th month. It contains protective antibodies which strengthen the child's immune defenses, as well as several substances useful for its proper development.

However, if you decide not to breastfeed your baby for one reason or another, you will need to turn to an appropriate infant formula. There are several types on the market. These substitutes for breast milk, which we call “infant formula” or “milk first age”, are available both in pharmacies and in supermarkets.

But which infant milk should you choose for your little one? Before buying this or that product, read this article. You will find information about baby milk, including milk first age. Also discover the criteria to take into consideration when selecting the best milk for your child.

Brief introduction to infant formula

When a baby is born, it is recommended to give him exclusively breast milk. However, when a mother does not want to breastfeed or if she is unable to do so, in particular because of a problem related to parental leave, it will be suggested that she feed her infant milk. ^Early milks are suitable for feeding a newborn until it is possible to diversify their diet, in other words, around 4 to 6 months.

Milks first age are subject to specific regulations mentioning the different compositions that infant milk must have. As for milk first age, it must satisfy all the nutritional needs of the baby during the first months of his life, until he benefits from an appropriate nutritional supplement.

In order to offer milk whose composition and quality are close to those of breast milk, manufacturers are constantly undertaking research. In principle, substitute milk is obtained from cow's milk which has undergone certain modifications and adjustments, to be able to meet the needs of toddlers and comply with their digestive faculties. However, for almost ten years, some designers have started making their products using goat's milk.

Each infant milk sold on the market has its own ration of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, iron or minerals. As has already been highlighted above, the nutrients in these products must all comply with the limits allowed by the regulations in force.

Furthermore, before feeding a baby with milk first age, you should seek the advice of your doctor. And for good reason, with the diversity of infant milks offered on the market, you could opt for an inappropriate milk for your baby. Please note that there are just under a hundred milk references first standard age, but apart from therapeutic milks.

Choose infant milk according to your child’s age group

No matter what product or accessory you plan to buy for your little angel, whether it is clothing items, a small night light or a childcare accessory, before making your choice, you must refer to the age of your child. Likewise, one of the main criteria to take into account before purchasing milk is its age. In fact, each age group corresponds to a type of milk. Here, we will discuss the ^1stage milk intended for infants until their ^6thmonth, the ideal ^2ndage milk up to 12 months and the ^3rdage milk that the toddler can consume until their third year.

Focus on milk first age: 0 to 6 months

Also referred to as “infant milk”, milk first age is made from processed cow's milk. This is to get as close as possible to the composition of breast milk. This type of milk contains low protein and little salt. It also contains long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Milk first age is aimed at almost all babies, at least those who do not suffer from any particular problem. You will find them at the pharmacy or in supermarkets.

What you need to know about milk 2^th age: 6 months to 12 months

The cherub usually passes milk first milk age 2nd age from 6^th at his 7^th month. When you decide to give it to him, you will also begin dietary diversification. It should be noted that milk 2nd age cannot constitute an exclusive diet for your baby, as it does not meet all of his nutritional needs. Like milk first age, milk 2nd age is available at the supermarket and pharmacy. For your information, it is sometimes called “follow-on milk”.

What about milk 3rd age ? Up to 36 months

Also known as “growth milk”, milk 3rd age is aimed at children whose diet is now completely diversified. As a general rule, mothers give this milk to their little ones from the age of 12^th month. One of the specificities of this type of milk is that it provides babies with a sufficient supply of essential fatty acids and iron.

Choice of infant milk: depending on the state of health of the toddler

To choose the most suitable milk for your baby, it's essential to consult your paediatrician first. Before selecting a specific milk, several factors need to be taken into account, such as your child's age, individual characteristics and state of health.
If your baby has an allergy or reacts badly to bottle-feeding, or if you are experiencing other problems, it is important to consult your doctor for appropriate advice. All infant formulas are subject to checks to ensure that they comply with the composition criteria laid down by European regulations.

There are three main categories of baby milk:

• Standard 1st age milk, suitable for healthy babies, available in pharmacies and supermarkets;
• Digestive milk, for children with mild problems such as constipation, colic or regurgitation, also available in pharmacies and supermarkets;
• Therapeutic milk, sold only in pharmacies, designed for children suffering from conditions such as lactose intolerance, gastro-oesophageal reflux or allergy to cow's milk proteins.

Some facts to know before purchasing milk first “standard” age

Regardless of the brand that makes them, milks first age that you will see on the market all meet the nutritional needs of infants. This, whether you get it from supermarkets or the pharmacy. The fact remains that each manufacturer selects a distinct content for each nutrient included in its product. The following few indications will allow you to make the best choices.

• First, choose milk with added long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Under current rules, DHA levels should be between 14 and 35 mg per 100 ml. Also, the ARA intake should be equivalent to or greater than this rate.
• Second, the ideal protein level should be less than 1.36g per 100ml.
• Also, it is better to opt for milk with low salt content, which should be less than 23.6 mg per 100 ml.

What about milk for functional disorders?

If your child suffers from mild digestive disorders, give him milk specially formulated to remedy functional disorders. Here are some types of milk in this category.

Milk against constipation

If your baby only has a bowel movement every other day, he may be suffering from constipation. In this case, opt for a milk containing more lactose and less casein, which may be beneficial for him. On the other hand, if his stools are rather soft, we recommend reducing the lactose content of his milk while increasing the casein content. This may help relieve constipation-related pain.

Milk against regurgitation

Very often, infants are subject to regurgitation until their first birthday. It is possible to reduce regurgitation with milk rich in casein and with a maximum dose of 2 g/100 ml of starch, in order to thicken it. This type of milk is called “thickened formula milk”. It should be noted that if you are looking for thickened milk, you will only find it in pharmacies.

Satiety milk

Satiety milk helps to appease the hunger of a greedy baby or to distribute its bottles, without increasing its calorie intake. In this case, you will favor milk with a high level of casein, with added starch and less lactose.

Some useful recommendations to finish

As you will have understood, the choice of infant milk for your baby depends on certain criteria, such as his age or his physiological state. And as you have also seen, there are several kinds of milk. But one thing is absolutely to remember: cow's milk is not suitable for infants. This is because its protein content is too high. In addition, it contains little iron, vitamins and zinc, but too much sodium, mineral salts, essential fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.

Along the same lines, the consumption of plant-based drinks, called “milk”, is not suitable for infants. Among these plant-based drinks, we can cite oat, rice, coconut, soy, chestnut, hazelnut, almond milk, etc. In reality, these milks do not correspond to the standards imposed by the regulations of milks first age. In addition, they do not meet the child's dietary needs. The same goes for milks of animal origin, such as sheep's milk or goat's milk.

In all cases, if you cannot give breast milk, know how to carefully select infant milk for your little one. As a guide, if your baby is exclusively bottle-fed, you will need to buy him at least one 400 g box of powdered milk per week. If you decide to bottle feed, do some research on formula before baby arrives. Just as you buy baby accessories well before birth: clothes, wall night light, diapers, etc., already think about purchasing ^first -age milk.