Our video is presented by Melissa Little, Paediatric Dietitian
Breastmilk is the normal first food for your baby as it has evolved over thousands of years and contains over hundreds of ingredients for optimal growth, health and immunity in babies. The Department of Health recommends you feed your baby exclusively on breast milk for six months when solids can be introduced, alongside breast milk, and then continue breastfeeding throughout the first year and for as long after that as mum wishes to do so We are mammals, so our babies start their lives on a milk only diet. Breastmilk is the normal way for infants to be milk fed in the first year of life, and it is recommended that if babies are not breastfed they are given a first infant formula throughout the first year. No other type of milk is suitable as the main milk drink in the first year of life. Exclusive breastfeeding helps to protect your baby from developing allergies as does introducing solid food alongside continued breastfeeding.
If you choose to formula feed, then there are regulations which control the composition of milk suitable for infants in the first year of life. Most infants will be given a cows’ or goats’ milk based first formula, but regulations also allow the formula to be made from soya milk or hydrolysed proteins to be used in special circumstances. Most non-breastfed infants only require an animal milk based first infant formula throughout the first year of life.
Most infant formulas are based on cows’ milk protein but goats’ milk protein can also be used and there is no difference between these products in terms of suitability. Animal milk-based infant formula has to be highly modified to make it suitable for human babies. In the UK we recommend that a whey dominant first infant formula is the most appropriate in the first year. Manufacturers offer a range of formula but there is no need to offer other types of infant formula as there is no evidence they offer any advantage, and there may be some risk. Neither hungry baby formula, comfort milk, anti-allergy milk or follow on formula are recommended by health departments in the UK for example.
You can buy infant formula in a powdered form but it is important to remember that this is not sterile and must be reconstituted with water at least 70C to ensure no harmful bacteria are present. See the Unicef UK Baby Friendly and Start4Life guidelines for safe making up of formula feeds.
You can also buy infant formula as a ready to feed product which offers convenience, but which is a very expensive way of buying infant formula and which contributes considerable packaging waste.
Infants should be given a first infant formula (sometimes called first stage milk) unless your doctor or health visitor recommends otherwise. This should be the only infant formula your baby needs and you can use this throughout the first year until you move your baby on to full-fat cows’ milk at 1 year.
Soya-based infant formula uses soya protein as the protein source and glucose syrup as the source of carbohydrate. Soya- based infant formula is not recommended in the Uk for infants under 6 months of age unless under medical supervision. There are concerns about the level of phyto-estrogens present, that the sugars can damage developing teeth and other higher levels of contaminants. Many infants allergic to cows’ milk protein will also be allergic to soya protein and advice should always be sought before using soya-based infant formula.
In rare cases, infants may require a specialised infant formula (for example if they have a cows’ milk protein allergy and mum is not breastfeeding and choosing a cows’ milk free diet herself which is the recommended method of feeding). Families should never self-medicate infants with specialist products and these kinds of milk should only be used under medical supervision as there may be risks associated with use where they are not needed.
For more information on all infant formula available on the UK market and their costs see the website www.firststepsnutrition.org.
Rice milk drinks should never be given to a child under 5 since it contains high levels of natural arsenic.
