Baby Food Facts
Posted by Babies - 20/01/09 at 11:01 pmInfant formula is a substitute for breast milk. A lot of research has gone into understanding the composition of breast milk for use in the making of infant formula. Still it is not a replica of the breast milk in that it does not contain the exact nutrients in the same quantities as the natural breast milk. Also it does not include antibodies which are present in breast milk to help the newborns fight off infections. Infant formula can be produced in three different forms: powder, ready-to-feed and concentrated liquid. Ready-to-feed can be consumed as it is. Liquid concentrate and powder, in order to be consumed, require dilution with water as per the instructions on the product. Infant formula is based on either soy milk or cow’s milk. Cow’s milk which forms the basis of most infant formulas is not easily digestible by an infant. To reduce the strain on the infant digestive system the cow’s milk undergoes processing to be made into infant formula. This includes making the whey to casein protein balance closer to human milk and fortifying the formula with some nutrients. It is important to continue to use the infant formula till the solid food intake pattern is full established. It is not recommended to freeze infant items. It is a known fact that freezing does not disturb sterility or nutritional capability although freezing may separate the components of the product physically.
