How To Choose The Best Formula For Colic Babies
You brought her home from the hospital and everything seemed to be going great. Of course you were getting tired with nighttime feedings but she is such a good baby you don’t mind. But suddenly everything has changed.
She now has the colic and is up screaming almost every night. You are at your wit’s end. The doctor said not to worry because the colic is harmless and will stop on it’s on in a few months.
Months! You don’t know if you can survive until then. If you have a baby with colic and formula feed him or her, then this article will help you choose the best formula for colic and calm your baby’s painful symptoms.
Baby Formula for Colic 101
There are many different theories on the causes of baby colic. The one that is the most commonly held the idea that colic is what happens as when an infant’s immature digestive system can’t properly process the food its feed. This is why many professionals in the medical community recommend that you feed your baby a “colic formula”.
A “colic formula” is basically any brand or type of infant formula that your child can safely digest without displaying colic these warning signs: like excessive crying, a bloated or painful abdomen, rumbling tummy sounds, flushed skin and scrunched hands and legs.
Colic symptoms will continue until the poor baby is exhausted, released the trapped gas or stool. There are several basic colic formulas available today:
Cow's Milk Colic Formula – This is the most common and inexpensive of the formulas. This lactose and milk protein formula is found in products around the globe and is almost often considered to be a major factor in colicky babies. But this formula is considered to be a good colic formula when a mother has problems breastfeeding.
Soy Colic Formula – Soy formulas for colic are for babies that have trouble with lactose intolerance, milk proteins, allergies and rare genetic disorders like galactosemia (the baby can’t tolerate any milk neither human nor animal).
Reduced Lactose Colic Formula – These types of formulas are labeled “gentle” since they made with less milk sugar or lactose than a standard cow’s milk formulas. This is the best formula for colic if the baby can drink cow’s milk but has gas problems with regular milk.
Lactose-Free Colic Formula – This formula if for colicky babies with a decided problem of lactose intolerance but refuses to eat formula containing soy.
Added Rice Starch Colic Formula – Often this formula is recommended for infants who have been diagnosed with a condition such as acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),
Elemental Colic Formula – This is a special formula for colic for babies that have both milk protein and soy allergies. Elemental formulas as the name implies are made from casein hydrolysate proteins which are extremely easy on the digestive system and has a high absorption rate.
Amino Acid Colic Formula – This is a hypoallergenic formula for infants with severe allergies and that can’t even digest elemental formulas.
Now that you know more about baby formulas for colic and understand the types available to you, you can make an informed decision on which colic formula may be best for your child.
