Artificial feeding of the child: features, pros and cons
When feeding, which is called artificial, breast milk is completely or 2/3 replaced by milk formula.
Features and Causes
The child of the "artificial artist" is fed six to seven times a day from birth - feeding is carried out with an interval of 3-3.5 hours.
To enter into the diet of crumbs adapted nutrition instead of mother's milk is necessary in such cases:
- Childbirth proceeded very hard and it is difficult for a woman to recuperate after them.
- Milk in the mammary glands is insufficient or absent.
- A woman has to take medicines that are vital for her, cannot be replaced and are not combined with breastfeeding.
- Mom developed an infectious disease.
- Mom is temporarily absent and there is no possibility to store her expressed milk.
Minuses
Often, mothers do not fully understand what turns the transition to infant formula. Sometimes, for the sake of convenience, the mother sacrifices such necessary for the crumbs substances that are only in breast milk.
Before you go to buy a mixture, you should learn about the disadvantages of this type of feeding:
- In children with artificial diseases, allergies and catarrhal diseases occur more frequently.
- Bottles should be constantly sterilized.
- The baby often has regurgitation and colic associated with excessive air ingestion.
- On trips you have to take a big bag, in which you need to put bottles, a mixture and other items.
- Often it is necessary to change several variants of the mixture in search of a suitable one.
- Such feeding requires certain financial expenses.
Are there any advantages?
The obvious advantages of feeding a baby with a mixture:
- Feed the crumbs can another person.
- It is always known how much the baby ate for feeding.
- Easily determine the cause of the allergy.
- Fewer feedings due to longer digestion.
Free artificial feeding
Supporters of this type of feeding base their attitude on the different food needs of the child during the day. Nevertheless, even they follow a certain schedule, deviating from it for 30-60 minutes.
If you chose this type of feeding for a child, doctors recommend feeding the child at certain hours, and give the amount of food at will crumbs. To do this, pour a little more mixture into the bottle - 20-30 milliliters.
Cow milk or a mixture: the opinion of Komarovsky
The famous doctor reminds that even the best and most highly adapted mixtures are still inferior to human milk. And if there is at least a minimal opportunity to restore lactation, it should not be missed. In addition, Komarovsky clarifies that even the highest quality cow or goat milk will always give in to adapted milk formula.
Due to the fact that in the past 20-30 years, women are less likely to feed babies with cow's milk, and use adapted mixtures, the number of problems in children under the age of 12 months has decreased thousands of times. So, if a woman cannot breastfeed her baby for any reason, she should never make a mistake in the form of transferring the crumbs to breast milk. Even if her grandmother calls the mixture a chemical powder.
Kids younger than a year cow's milk It is undesirable to give in any form, and from year to three milk from cow or goat should be moderate (up to 200-400 ml per day). Such restrictions are associated with an increased amount of phosphorus and calcium in cow and goat milk, which the kidneys of children up to 3 years of age cannot cope with. This is a danger to the normal development of the baby’s bones.
Separately, Komarovsky mentions the possibility of using donor milk - breast milk obtained from another woman. Such milk loses its benefits when boiling, and it is not recommended not to boil it, because you cannot be completely sure about the safety of this product. Simultaneously, such milk is present and all the minuses of artificial feeding - it is bought, boiled, brought to a certain temperature. Komarovsky is sure that such milk should be used only in cases of intolerance to cow's milk. In other conditions, the adapted mixture will be a safer, cheaper and more convenient option.
If we are talking about a nurse who, together with her child, will also feed your child, this is a completely different question. If you are confident in the health of the nurse, this will be a very good option.
Should I give the mixture to a child older than 1 year?
Feeding formula at any age is better than cow milk. It all depends on the financial possibilities:
- Before the year it is necessary to feed the child exclusively with a mixture, no cow's milk;
- From year to 3 years - the need is less acute, but the introduction of the mixture into the diet of the crumbs is desirable;
- After 3 years it all depends on your desires, the need for the use of mixtures disappears.
We advise you to watch the transfer of "School of Dr. Komarovsky" about artificial feeding.
What you need for feeding
Bottles
They need 4-6 pieces. The volume of bottles - 125 ml and 250 ml. Glass bottles are less preferable, as there is a risk that they will break.
Plastic bottles are not only traditional, but also with interchangeable liners. The presence of such a disposable liner ensures a uniform flow of milk and prevents the ingestion of air. On sale you can also find bottles showing the temperature of the mixture in them.
The presence of a wide neck in the bottle helps to conveniently pour the mixture without losing it. The presence of a cap will protect the nipples from contamination. If the bottle expands downwards, this form will ensure its stability. When you buy a bottle that is convenient for the child to hold (with a hole in the middle), you will also need a brush, which has a bend at the end to care for it.
Nipples
There are silicone and latex. Nipples made of latex become dull and cracked over time, forcing them to be replaced regularly. Silicone products are devoid of taste and smell, they perfectly retain their shape and do not soften. It is easier to wash silicone nipples.
The shape of the nipple is drop-shaped - resembling the nipple of the female breast. This nipple takes up little space in the mouth, so it does not cause the deformation of the palate and teeth. Also sold nipples with orthodontic form - corresponding to the structure of the baby's mouth. These products help shape the correct bite.
When buying a pacifier, also pay attention to her:
- size - products for newborns will not fit older children,
- elasticity,
- the size of the holes - the mixture should flow drops,
- number of holes - buy a pacifier with one or three holes for newborns, and for children older than six months, it is better to choose a nipple from which you can change the volume of the liquid emitted.
Sometimes you have to try several options for the nipple to find the most suitable for the child. If the baby is prone to gas and hiccups, it is recommended to buy a nipple with a valve that prevents air from getting inside the bottle.
Additional items are brushes (they are both for bottles and nipples) and a heater.
How to make a mixture
To prepare the mixture, take:
- Bottle with nipple;
- Measuring cup;
- Funnel;
- Spoon, which has a long handle.
Water for the mixture can not boil, if you use specialized water for children. Water from the tap must certainly be boiled.
The mixture should be prepared right before you give it to your baby. You can do this:
- In a bottle. After boiling water and filling the bottle with the desired volume, type the mixture using a measuring spoon. After pouring it into the bottle, close it and shake well until completely dissolved.
- In measuring circle. After boiling water and filling the measuring cup with the desired volume, type using a measuring spoon and pour it into the cup. Mix well to dissolve the powder, pour the mixture into a bottle by placing a funnel in it.
Before you start feeding, you need to make sure that the temperature of the mixture does not exceed +37 degrees. Drip the milk mixture on your palm: it should be a little warm.
With artificial feeding every mom needs to know how to feed a baby from a bottle. Read about it in another article.
Sterilization of baby bottles
When feeding a newborn, bottles, nipples and other equipment should be periodically sterilized. This is done about once a day. After cleaning devices from the remnants of the mixture with a brush and clean water, they are sent to boil.
For children older than 1 month, long-term sterilization is not necessary. A simple rinsing of the bottle and nipples with boiling water or washing with a soap solution followed by thorough rinsing is sufficient. In addition, too frequent and long sterilization can play a disservice in the formation of the immunity of the crumbs. For example, a similar situation: growing plants in greenhouse conditions and then sending it to a normal environment. A child, like this plant, will be sick a lot.
Such a device as a sterilizer, is designed to save time and effort with artificial feeding.
In his absence, you can sterilize the nipples, bottles and other items in a large saucepan. Objects are washed, and then boiled for 15-20 minutes and cooled directly in a saucepan, then laid out on a clean towel to remove water.
Nipples and bottles can be processed in a steam electric sterilizer. Also available is a steam sterilizer that is used in a microwave.
Storage mixture
You can prepare the mixture in advance, but in this case it must be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 24 hours. Heat this mixture in hot water. At room temperature, store the mixture should be a maximum of 2 hours.
