Lactose free baby formula
Lactose free baby formula is a special formulation which contains proteins from cow’s milk. The formulation does not contain lactose hence, the name “lactose free baby formula”.
Lactose free baby formula is refined to get rid of lactose and instead replace them with carbohydrates of a different type.
In fact, the main difference between lactose free baby formula and other formulas is that, in this formula the sugar component, lactose, is replaced with sugars of another type. These are usually sucrose and corn syrup.
However, lactose free baby formula should not be used on babies who are allergic to milk as it contains cow’s milk. Only babies who are lactose intolerant should be given lactose free baby formula.
Lactose intolerant is a temporary condition that results from absence of digestive enzyme known as lactase or reduction of it amount in the body of the baby. This is the enzyme responsible for lactose digestion. It causes pain in the abdomen, gasses poor weight loss or gain but it’s not common to babies who are breastfed.
It can last for up to some weeks or few days.
Symptoms which indicate that a baby is lactose intolerant and therefore can be given lactose free baby formula include tummy pain also called wind or gasses and diarrhea.
The specification that lactose free baby formula should only be used on babies who are lactose intolerant makes lactose free baby formula unpopular.
This is because lactose intolerance is common with babies at the age of two years; thus, the formulation is not commonly used.
Since lactose intolerance is not an illness it can be treated by avoiding lactose completely through feeding a baby with lactose free baby formula.
However, the importance of using lactose free baby formula is that they allow the mother to feed her baby with the nutrient that an individual baby can tolerate or the one the baby needs most.
Babies can be given lactose free baby formula from birth but this should be done after a mother’s consultation with the doctor. When used alone, it provides important nutrients for babies aged below 6 months and together with other supplements for babies aging below 18 months.
Lactose free baby formula comes in different brands. Among these are; Enfamil, which can be used for babies who have gas or fussiness, Similac Advanced infant formula, which help solve common digestion problems for babies. Other brands are Enfamil nursers, Abbot Nutrition, Mead Johnson, Humphreys, Isomil, and Target among others.
All these lactose free baby formula brands fall under various category depending on their vitamin, nutrition and the age of the baby when they can be used.
Therefore, it is important that before choosing lactose free baby formula brand on which to feed your baby you seek advice from your doctor. It is also very important that you know the contents of a brand as some brands will contain fructose and majority of lactose intolerants patients are also fructose intolerant.
Specially prescribed lactose free baby formula is expensive than ordinary lactose free baby formula. They also taste bitter because the requirement that enhances predigesting proteins to units which can be easily digested requires proteins which taste bitter.