Many new mothers who are inexperienced with formula feeding take a while to figure out if their baby is tolerating the formula well. There are many signs that a baby is comfortable with a formula, as well as signs of formula aversion or allergy that mothers can easily recognize. The baby formula market offers a wide variety of products, so if your baby shows any unusual symptoms while using a particular formula, monitor them and consider switching to a different brand.
How to tell if the formula your baby is using is suitable?
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for the comprehensive development of infants and young children. However, not all mothers can breastfeed or produce enough breast milk for their babies. The leading solution for mothers at this time is to use baby formula.
But if you see your baby experiencing the following symptoms, you need to change the baby formula immediately!
- Diarrhea
Because a baby’s digestive system is not yet fully developed, diarrhea is understandable. But if the diarrhea persists continuously 5-7 times a day and the stool contains blood, it is a serious sign that the baby is allergic to the formula. Therefore, mothers need to change the formula for a baby with diarrhea immediately.
- Vomiting/Spitting Up
Vomiting and spitting up are also very common in infants and young children. But if your baby vomits frequently or multiple times a day, even before feeding or experiences difficulty swallowing formula, you need to take your baby to the doctor immediately. This can also be a sign that your baby is allergic to the formula they are currently using.
Frequent and prolonged vomiting can be caused by a baby’s allergy to formula
- Rash
There are many reasons why a baby develops a rash. But a formula allergy is one of them. If this sign is accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting, then the baby formula you are using is definitely the culprit.
- Fussiness and Irritability
It’s normal for infants and young children to be fussy. But if your baby cries continuously and for long periods, it’s unusual. If you can’t identify a clear reason for your baby’s crying, it is very likely that they have a stomach ache or abdominal pain due to an allergy to the proteins in the baby formula.
Vomiting, incessant crying – may be due to a baby’s allergy to formula
- Weight Loss or Failure to Gain Weight
Most babies’ weight will double by 6 months of age and triple by 12 months. But if vomiting or diarrhea is too frequent, preventing your baby from receiving adequate nutrients, their weight will not be able to reach the above standard.
If, out of concern about your baby’s lack of weight gain, you choose high-energy formulas to help them gain weight faster, this is also not good for your baby. This can easily lead to obesity. A solution that many mothers are choosing for their babies now is to use Meiji Japanese formula. This formula helps babies develop evenly and reasonably in both height and weight.
- Excessive Gas
Gas is a normal sign not only for infants and young children but also for adults. However, if your baby has excessive gas along with other symptoms, the cause may be an allergy to the proteins in the formula.
- Respiratory Problems
Colds are common in infants and young children. However, if accompanied by other symptoms such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, runny nose, or mucus in the throat, this is a very unusual sign. The cause may be the baby’s body reacting to proteins in the formula, often seen in cases of cow’s milk protein allergy.
Rash accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting means you need to change your baby’s formula immediately
- Reduced Feeding
When a baby is allergic to formula, they will feed very little, be less active due to lack of appetite, and become dehydrated, leading to a lack of energy.
Expensive baby formula isn’t necessarily good for your baby! The issue here is that mothers must be perceptive in recognizing signs of whether their baby is comfortable with a particular formula or not, and whether they are allergic to any of its ingredients. When feeding your baby formula, it takes at least 2 weeks for you to know whether they are suited to that formula or not in order to choose the most appropriate one.
- 5 criteria for choosing a good baby formula
- 7 “golden” notes when changing baby formula
- Which baby formula is most similar to breast milk?
