You’ll Feel Good About Feeding Your Little One These Nourishing Baby Formulas

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It's hard to gauge the best baby formulas right now, we get that. And we're still very much hampered by the manufacturers that produce in the United States, and laws regarding the import of formula into the United States.

The world of baby formula was rocked this year when Abbott Pharmaceuticals recalled several varieties of formula due to reports of two babies dying and others becoming ill with Cronobacter sakazakii, which can lead to sepsis, meningitis, and other complications. This led to months of formula shortages, with parents resorting to avenues such as Facebook groups to find the food to feed their infant children.

The disruption showed a severe issue in the infrastructure of American formula companies, and just how few there really are. Competition is extremely limited in this area, though that is slowly improving. There have been few good answers for what happened in 2022, and we hope that the horrors of the issue spur more innovation, competition, regulation, and oversight.

One newer formula company, Bobbie, has regained traction in the market following a voluntary recall in 2019. They were not affected by the recall, driving many new customers to try their products. Dina DiMaggio, M.D., FAAP, board-certified pediatrician, AAP spokesperson, coauthor of The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers and Bobbie Medical Advisor, tells Best Products that their product,

Bobbie, “is truly led by science and not by marketing and what is simply trendy. Any product that Bobbie has been through a rigorous vetting process to ensure the latest in infant nutrition is being met.”

Best Baby Formulas

What to Look for in Formula

Dr. Christina Valentine M.D., M.S., R.D., FAAP — neonatologist, dietitian, and medical director at RB Health — tells Best Products that choosing the right formula for your baby is essential because within the first 1,000 days in a baby's life, the brain, body, and immune system are rapidly developing, and require specific nutrition. She says

that “we make sure that there’s sufficient iron, vital nutrients, and calories in each formulation.”

Valentine tells Best Products that there are a few key things you want to be aware of when choosing a formula — fats, prebiotics, and probiotics, the types of dairy used, and the fat that's added. Each of these plays a key role in digestion and cellular development.

She notes that fats docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are important for a baby's myelin development, which is an insulating layer around nerve cells that help keep impulses transmitting easily and quickly. Also, she points out that while many formulas use vegetable oil as their primary source of fat, Enfamil formulas have developed a proprietary fat called MFGM or Milk Fat Globule Membrane, which is found in the milk of every mammal (including humans), and they argue helps promote cognitive development.

As for the dairy choice, this is where things get tricky. Different babies need different dairy formulations. Valentine says that most babies will be just fine and develop well on standard formula, but babies who come from families with a history of allergies might need a formula like Nutramigen from Enfamil, which has extensively hydrolyzed casein protein that babies can digest easier than regular dairy. She says that if your baby is gassy or tends to cry a lot, they might need a gentle formula; babies who are “snacky” might need a carbohydrate adjustment and require a sensitive formula such as Enfamil Sensitive.

As for the prebiotics and probiotics, ingredients like galactooligosaccharides (yes, that's one word) help a baby digest their food more easily, and they actually produce stool similar to that of a breastfed baby when they're being fed formula with these types of ingredients.

Whether you choose powder, ready-to-go, or concentrate isn’t a huge deal, says Valentine. But she does caution that if you’re mixing it yourself, just make sure you’re keeping everything clean and sanitary. (Don't throw the measuring scoop back in the container! Wash and dry it. Your hands are touching the handle and then hanging out in the food.)

Pro tip: Ditch the scoop entirely (or store it) and put your empty bottle on a digital food scale and go by the weight indicated on the side of the container. You can use a clean spoon every time, and it's so simple. Take out the bottle, dump in the powder, add water, shake and go.

No matter the route you want to go, it's always important to chat with your pediatrician or WIC counselor to determine the best plan for your baby.

Types of Formula

To help you decide the best route to take in terms of baby formula, we put together a guide of the best formula options. Full of feel-good ingredients, and now closer to breast milk than ever before, you'll be confident feeding your baby any of these infant and toddler formulas.

Created to mimic the nutritious benefits of Mom’s breastmilk, the Gerber Good Start Soothe keeps colic and gas pains at bay for your little one's sensitive tummy. The pre- and probiotics encourage good bacteria in your sweetie's belly for painless poops. This hypoallergenic blend contains small, easy-to-digest proteins and probiotics that promise to cut your baby's excessive crying bouts in half by reducing colic and gas, symptoms that could be causing your baby physical distress.

One of the few brands not affected by the recent recall, Bobbie is a solid choice for new parents, and the only direct-to-consumer formula brand. Mallory Whitmore, education lead at Bobbie, certified infant feeding technician and founder of The Formula Mom, tells Best that “Bobbie is organic and non-GMO and uses exclusively lactose as the carbohydrate source (instead of corn syrup or maltodextrin).” And that Bobbie, unlike many other formulas “meets both FDA nutrient requirements and most EU nutrient requirements.” Bobbie also has the most DHA of any U.S.-made formula brand. The formula is both USDA- and EU-certified organic, and recently was awarded Clean Label Project’s Purity Award and Pesticide Free designation.

Similac Pro Advance is the top baby formula brand in the United States, and the sales and coupons they put out can not be beaten. When your baby is powering through tins of the stuff, cost can be a huge factor.

This specific blend is packed with OptiGRO, a blend of DHA, lutein, and vitamin E to support your healthy, growing baby.

This infant powder is a perfect pick for the first year. It includes ingredients for brain and eye health, plus overall growth and immunity support. Aside from its organic formula, it's also offered as an organic formula specifically for babies with lactose sensitivities.

Some babies are born with a dairy allergy that cannot withstand even the most hydrolyzed casein protein. If you have a baby who is happier staying away from milk-based formula, give this soy-based formula by Enfamil a go. While you won’t find any lactose in this formula, you will find an abundance of nutrition that’ll nourish your baby’s brain and body.

Enfamil's Nutramigen is one of the best formulas available for babies who struggle with dairy. It has super hydrolyzed casein protein, which Enfamil says can actually help heal baby's tummies over the duration of their time consuming it, so babies can grow to lead healthier, less-sensitive lives.

This formula includes partially broken-down proteins, which means your baby's tummy will have to do less work. It's perfect for on-the-go use when your little one is under the stress of traveling or sleeping in a new environment! It's so easy to toss one (or two!) of these in the diaper bag on the way out of the house, too. This is the ultimate in cleanliness, nutrition, and convenience for parents and babies.

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