Hypoallergenic formulas for newborns: reviews

A hypoallergenic formula is a specialized baby food intended for the prevention or treatment of food allergies in children from birth to one year. The list of hypoallergenic formulas for newborns on sale is very extensive. When choosing a formula for your baby, you need to navigate their varieties, since food with the same HA label (which means “hypoallergenic”) can differ radically in composition, because food intolerance can be caused by various products in baby food. Each type of anti-allergenic mixture provides a replacement for a specific allergen. Therefore, before making a choice, you need to make sure that the baby really has a food allergy and the allergen is identified correctly.

Choosing from all the variety is the only universal option; it is impossible to find an ideal mixture for everyone. It would be more correct to determine which is best for a particular baby, taking into account his age, the intensity of allergic manifestations and, most importantly, the cause of the allergic reaction.

Symptoms of food allergies

First of all, you need to make sure that the child has manifestations of a food allergy, and not other diseases, and that it is an allergy to formula milk.

Important: Breastfed babies may also show signs of food allergies. In this case, the nursing mother should look for the source of the problem in her diet. For mixed-fed infants, an allergen can be either a supplementary feeding component or a product eaten by the mother.

Food intolerance in a baby under one year of age manifests itself:

• on the skin - this may be a slight redness of the cheeks or a rash all over the body;
• from the digestive system - stool disorder, colic, regurgitation;
• less often from the respiratory system - shortness of breath, runny nose, cough.

Symptoms can appear either separately or in combination. If measures are not taken on time, then you will then have to treat not only the allergy, but also its consequences (damage and wounds on the skin, dysbacteriosis, etc.).

If your baby shows signs of allergies, do not rush to the store for another formula. First of all, you should contact your pediatrician, take the necessary tests and find out which component has become an allergen in your case. The doctor will help you decide on the choice of hypoallergenic formulas for newborns.

Which hypoallergenic baby formula to choose?

Feeding babies who are allergic to cow protein requires increased attention, responsibility and financial costs from parents. When choosing the best formula for a baby, you should approach it consciously and take into account many factors. You should not ignore the pediatrician’s advice; only the attending physician can assess the extent of the disease and prescribe appropriate therapy.

• The first thing that is recommended for children who are allergic to cow's milk is a diet based on goat's milk. The BIBIKOL product has excellent taste, a balanced composition and is ideal for regular use. The only drawback of this mixture is the high price.
• If a child experiences exacerbations of allergies, then it is worth trying infant formulas based on milk protein that has undergone a hydrolysis process: Alfare Allergy, Humana HA, Nutrilon Pepti Gastro and others. Typically, such nutrition is taken in courses when allergy symptoms occur.
• Among the inexpensive but high-quality products are: Nutrilon, NAN and HiPP. They are well tolerated by the child's body and are not capable of causing allergies.
• One of the most effective and safe mixtures is Similac Alimentum, which does not contain palm oil.

We hope our rating will help you decide on the best hypoallergenic mixture.
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Classifications of children's hypoallergenic food

All hypoallergenic mixtures can be classified according to the age for which they are intended, by the form of release, by the intensity of the therapeutic effect and by the substance that replaces the allergen in the composition.

By age group, baby food for allergy sufferers is divided in the same way as regular milk formula:

• With a unit on the package, adapted products are produced for infants from birth to six months.
• Packages with a partially adapted composition are marked with the number “2” and are intended for babies from 6 months to one year.

Dry mixtures are varied and have a long shelf life

According to the release form, hypoallergenic baby food can be found in the form of:

• dry powder (characterized by long shelf life, a variety of packaging from small cardboard boxes to kilogram cans, requires dilution with water in accordance with the instructions, most mixtures are produced in the form of dry powder);
• concentrate for dilution (dilutes with water, dissolves more easily compared to powder, has shorter shelf life);
• a ready-to-drink drink (you just need to warm it up before drinking, does not need to be diluted with water, is convenient to take with you on the road, has a high price and a small assortment).

For children who have only a genetic predisposition to allergies, and for those in whom it has already made itself felt, the diet will be very different. It is important to consider that mixtures for allergy sufferers differ in purpose:

• preventive – suitable for healthy children who have a genetic predisposition to food allergies, either minor or the first manifestations of it, or as a transitional step from therapeutic to normal nutrition after long-term remission (within 3 months there are no signs of food intolerance);
• medicinal - such mixtures can only be prescribed by a doctor; they will help even with advanced allergies.

Pros and cons of specialized nutrition for allergy sufferers

For many parents, hypoallergenic formulas can be a real salvation. Therapeutic nutrition can eliminate signs of allergies: cleanse the skin, normalize stool. The baby will become cheerful and cheerful. Preventative mixtures will help prevent the occurrence of allergies and switch to a regular mixture without unpleasant consequences. But such nutrition is not without its drawbacks.

When switching to a hypoallergenic mixture, be prepared for the fact that it has a specific, bitter taste due to hydrolyzed protein or amino acids in the composition. This is one of the reasons for the need to gradually introduce a new hypoallergenic mixture. Another unpleasant surprise may be the high cost of such products, especially the medicinal type, compared to food for healthy babies. And, of course, we cannot exclude the possibility of an individual reaction of the body. A new mixture, even a medicinal one, can cause regurgitation and constipation.

Preventive hypoallergenic mixtures

The composition of preventive formulas for newborns suffering from allergies differs in protein structure. In this diet, it is broken down into smaller molecules to facilitate digestion. For severe manifestations of allergies, such a product will not help, but during remission or minor allergic reactions, it is suitable.

Such mixtures are produced by many manufacturers, all of them label them with the abbreviation HA - hypoallergenic or NA - low allergenic. Most of them are divided into fully (1) and partially (2) adapted.

The rating of the best hypoallergenic preventive infant formulas, according to consumer reviews, looks like this:

We recommend reading: Fermented milk formulas for newborns

• Nutrilon GA with the PronutriPlus complex for the development of intelligence and immunity (enriched with prebiotics, nucleotides, vegetable oils, carbohydrates are represented by lactose identical to breast milk);
• NAS NA with the OptiPro protein complex for the growth and development of the baby (the composition is enriched with bifidobacteria to improve the microflora, nucleotides for the development of the nervous system and fatty acids for the immune system), convenient in that it is produced not only for infants up to 6 months and up to a year, but also for older children under the numbers 3 (up to one and a half years) and 4 (from 18 months);
• Similac GA is one of the first mixtures produced without palm oil, saturated with fatty acids, prebiotics and lutein for the development of visual organs;
• Humana HA is available in the form of ready-to-drink liquid (numbered 0, suitable from birth) and powder (numbered 1 - up to six months, 2 - up to 10 months, 3 - from 10 months).

In these formulas, the protein is not only partially hydrolyzed, but also added in greater quantities than in regular infant formula.

Separately, we can highlight preventive mixtures that are suitable for babies with lactase deficiency. In addition to partially digested protein, their composition also differs in that the carbohydrates in it are represented by a mix of maltodextrin and lactose:

• Frisolak GA;
• Nutrilak GA (lutein, which is involved in the development of the visual analyzer, has been added to the composition, and the lactose content has been reduced);
• Celia GA (considered less adapted, since it is produced without age restrictions for children from birth to one year).

Lactose-free mixtures are also available on sale, for example, Bellakt GA, produced in Belarus. This is an excellent budget option for newborns with lactose intolerance. This mixture is also rich in probiotics and vitamins.

The category of hypoallergenic formulas does not include mixtures based on soy (Friso COY, Similac Isomil) and goat milk (Nanny, MAMAKO, Kabrita). There is a possibility that they will be suitable for children with food intolerance to cow's milk protein. They taste good and do not affect the stool. But both soy protein and goat milk protein can also cause allergies!

If a child has already been diagnosed with a food allergy and its manifestations are intensifying, the doctor (allergist or pediatrician) will prescribe not a preventive, but a therapeutic mixture

Composition of medicinal powders

In their composition, these medicinal products are close to woman’s milk. They contain:

• carbohydrates;
• AMK set;
• fats.

Instead of proteins and peptides (protein molecules) - a set of replaceable and irreplaceable AMKs that do not cause atopic dermatitis or intestinal dysfunction.

The source of carbohydrates is corn or glucose syrups. They are absorbed into the blood more slowly and therefore cannot cause gas formation in the intestines. As a result, colic is less of a concern.

Amino acid mixtures for children with allergies contain vegetable fats (in this they are similar to dairy fats), MCTs (easily digestible fats - a source of energy), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are beneficial influence the development of the nervous system). The product also contains nucleotides that have a beneficial effect on the human immune system.

Article on the topic: What prohibited foods should you not eat if you have allergies?

A brief comparative description of medicinal mixtures is presented in the table:

Therapeutic hypoallergenic mixtures

Mixtures with fully hydrolyzed protein are classified as medicinal and are prescribed by doctors for acute allergic reactions, impaired absorption and digestion, after operations on the stomach and intestines, and when feeding premature babies.

Such a product may also be referred to as a highly hydrolyzed or complete protein hydrolysate. It is not divided by age categories; it is available in one universal form for infants from birth to one year.

The protein component in therapeutic nutrition for allergy sufferers can be represented by hydrolyzed whey proteins or casein. There is baby food without protein at all.

• Baby food based on whey protein hydrolyzate has the highest nutritional value among other medicinal formulas for allergy sufferers, this is especially important for prematurity and malnutrition. But it is also more allergenic compared to casein. The most popular whey mixtures are Friso PEP due to its pleasant sweet taste, Nutrilon Pepti due to its composition enriched with prebiotics and nucleotides, and Nutrilak Pepti due to the absence of lactose and low cost.
• Therapeutic nutrition based on casein hydrolyzate extremely rarely causes allergies and is recommended for its most severe forms, but it has an even more bitter taste and lower nutritional value compared to whey. On sale you can find casein baby food under the brands Nutramigen, Progestimil and Friso PEP AS. Their compositions are very similar, but Friso is more physiological, as it contains a minimal amount of lactose. Nutramigen mixtures, the only ones among medicinal ones, are divided according to the degree of adaptation for children up to 6 months (1) and after (2).
• Nutrition based on synthetic amino acids does not cause protein allergies at all, since it does not contain a protein structure, just like lactose. It is represented on the baby food market by Nutricia (Nutrilon Amino Acids, Neocate) and Nestlé (Alfare Amino). The Neocate brand also produces a drink for children over 12 months - Neocate Advance. A significant disadvantage of these products is their price - from 2000 to 5000 rubles per package. Amino acid-based products are prescribed if treatment with highly hydrolyzed mixtures for 2 weeks has not resulted in improvement.

The transition to nutritional therapy should be carried out under the supervision of a pediatrician

Be prepared for the fact that it may cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, do not stock up on mixtures for future use and pay attention to the expiration date of the product. In case of long-term remission, the doctor will recommend switching to preventive, and then to regular artificial baby food. This is necessary for the development of the baby’s digestive system and a complete balanced diet.

When choosing baby food for allergy sufferers, a lot of questions arise. Pediatricians usually offer several suitable options with almost identical compositions. Parents will have to choose the best formula for their baby, and it is not always an expensive or famous product. Focus primarily on the composition of the product, whether it really satisfies all the requirements of a small organism. Feedback from other mothers can also be of great help. But still, it is possible that hypoallergenic food will have to be selected experimentally, since the body’s reaction is individual.

What is the difference between a hypoallergenic formula and a lactose-free formula?

These are different types of mixtures that are designed for different purposes.

Hypoallergenic mixtures are designed to combat allergies to various components in infants, so they have a very specific composition.

They are often fortified with protein but low in lactose and fat. Some do not contain casein. In general, the composition of hypoallergenic mixtures differs for each manufacturer.

Lactose-free infant formula is a formula that does not contain the lactose component usually found in milk. Read - Lactose-free mixtures: review of manufacturers.

If a mixture is lactose-free, this does not mean that it is hypoallergenic; if a mixture is hypoallergenic, this does not mean that it is lactose-free.

And yet there are several products that can be called lactose-free hypoallergenic mixture.

For example, “Humana dairy-free lactose-free”, “Nestlé Alphare lactose-free”. These dairy-free formulas can also be classified as hypoallergenic, since they contain practically nothing that can cause an allergy in a baby.

Reviews

Lada: At three months after experiencing stress, my milk suddenly disappeared. We had to switch our daughter to formula and chose the inexpensive Bellakt. Diathesis immediately appeared, my cheeks became almost burgundy. Obviously the problem was in the mixture. I wanted to buy something more expensive, I thought it was because it was cheap. But at the pharmacy the pharmacist advised me the same Bellact, only hypoallergenic. The price is still low, you can try it. Even if it doesn’t fit, at least it won’t be such a shame. We were lucky: after 4 days the redness completely disappeared. My daughter is already six months old, I don’t know, maybe it’s time to switch to regular formula and introduce complementary foods. It's scary to experiment yet. I'm looking forward to my next visit to the doctor.

Taisiya: Allergies in a newborn child are simply torture for parents, both moral and material. We are artificial from birth. No matter what they tried. And nan with Nutrilon GA, and goat mixture, and soy - to no avail. Rash all over the body, constant constipation, tummy hurts, especially at night. No sleep, no rest. The pediatrician’s advice was all about preventative formulas, as I understood it. Only the allergist was able to say at least something intelligible. From him we learned about nutrition with amino acids. It literally saved our family. The child’s health returned to normal and he finally began to look good. But the price, of course, is prohibitively high! Now they have started introducing purees and dairy-free porridges, which are still easier. And so, on one mixture for 3 thousand, you won’t get enough money.

Maria: On the doctor’s advice, we took Progestimil for our son for a long time, until it disappeared in stores and was difficult to find. I had to buy Nutrilon Pepti. They are different, the first is casein, and the second is whey. But it suited us. The main thing is that Nutrilon is much easier to find even in a small city. So then until 8 months they only ate it. Great mix. It seems to me that it’s even better than the first one, because constipation used to happen occasionally, but now it’s gone.

Anya: I took the child Neocate Advance. The pediatrician said that even if it doesn’t help, then it’s not a food allergy at all. The taste is unpleasant, of course, but this problem was solved with the help of a banana, it seems to taste better with it. It dissolves very poorly! The most important thing is that I didn’t cope with the task. No new rashes appeared, but the old redness did not go away either. In the end, we bought Nanny, the skin is now fine, the stool is a little loose, but it’s still better than a rash.