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Medical Health Encyclopedia
Infant formulas
(Page 2)
- Reflux formulas are pre-thickened with rice starch. They are usually needed only for infants with reflux who are not gaining weight or who are very uncomfortable.
- Formulas for premature and low-birthweight infants have extra calories and minerals to meet the needs of these infants.
- Special formulas may be used for infants with heart disease, malabsorption syndromes, and problems digesting fat or processing certain amino acids.
Newer formulas with no clear role:
- Formulas with long-chain polyunsaturated fats (such as arachidonic acid [AA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) claim to improve eye and brain development. However, these claims are not well proven.
- Toddler formulas are offered as added nutrition for toddlers who are picky eaters. To date, they have not been shown to be better than whole milk and multivitamins. They are also expensive.
Most formulas can be purchased in the following forms:
- Ready-to-use -- do not need to be prepared with water
- Powdered formulas -- must be mixed with water, but are the least expensive form
- Concentrated liquid formulas -- also need to be mixed with water
Review Date: 07/26/2010
Reviewed By: Jennifer K. Mannheim, ARNP, Medical Staff, Department of Psychiatry
and Behavioral Health, Seattle Children's Hospital; and Neil K.
Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,
University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David
Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).
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