Alternatives for when your baby cannot tolerate its formula!

July 07, 2018

It is not rare that we get contacted at the Organic Baby Food Shop by parents that are worried that their child is not tolerating or is even having an allergic reaction to their formula.

In fact, this is one of the many reasons why parents decide to switch to one of our organic formulas at organicbabyfood.shop.

The good news is, almost all of the parents that decided to switch to one of our organic formulas, later reported that their babies fully recovered from all of their issues and felt overall healthier.

Though we have spoken about this issue before, we would once more like to clarify what the difference between intolerance and an allergy is.

A food intolerance is quite common and usually is due to the fact that our digestive system cannot digest a food properly causing us to feel nauseous, gassy, to have diarrhea or other uncomfortable reactions. Though not life-threatening you should always consult your pediatrician if your baby seems to have any abnormal symptom after feeding it any kind of food or formula to find out what the cause, as soon as possible.

Food allergies, on the other hand, are not to be taken lightly and can be very threatening to your baby's health, as it causes the immune system to attack the digested food as an invader. This leads to an allergic reaction and as a response, the immune system releases the chemicals histamine. This reaction can cause symptoms, such as hives, swelling, vomiting, coughing, respiratory problems, tight throat and abdominal pain. If you experience any of these reactions with your baby, please seek a doctor's advice immediately.

A food allergy can be detected quite easily as the reactions are much more severe than an intolerance, but an intolerance can be more subtle.

While we always urge any parent to see a doctor before making any changes in their baby’s diet, today we want to give you alternatives if your baby is suffering from intolerance to its formula.

It seems that the main reason why babies have a bad reaction to their formula is due to the many many toxins and chemicals that are found in the so-called “organic” US Baby formulas. We have written several articles of what to avoid in your baby formula, you can find one of them here.

Toxins like: Carrageenan, Synthetic DHA and ARA, Sucrose, Soy, Neurotoxic L-Carnitine. Dioxin, GMO, Melamine etc. are found in many so-called Organic Baby Formulas, and though strictly banned in the EU those are still being sold in the US.

These ingredients can and most likely will cause your baby discomfort over time and provoke very serious health problems like cancer and organ failure. The good news is, if you feed your baby the right formula with none of this ingredients, your baby will not only feel better but will grow into a healthy happy little person.

But sometimes, even if you are already feeding your baby the right organic formula, your baby might still have a reaction. The main reason for this can be a cow's milk intolerance. If your Doctor determines that your baby is having an intolerance to cow's milk, many parents have reported that by simply switching to Goat’s Milk all of these symptoms go away almost immediately.

Sometimes we can also misread a baby’s reaction, and associate it with an intolerance when it might be suffering from other discomforts, such as acid reflux.

Acid reflux is explained by doctors as the return of the gastric contents to the esophagus or simply explained if your baby spits whatever it's swallowing back up. If your baby: cries after feeding, gags during or after feeding, is not putting on weight, coughing a lot, these all might be symptoms that it suffers from acid reflux. If your doctor determines that it is the case, we highly recommend switching to a formula that can address this issue directly. In our online store, we offer HiPP Special Anti Reflux formula as this specially developed organic (bio) formula by HiPP contains high-quality locust bean gum. This makes the formula exceptionally creamy which lends to stay in your babies belly.

Another common symptom of why your baby is being fussy after or during feeding might simply be gas. Babies, while eating, swallow a lot of air, which can lead to a gassy belly. It is important to ensure while feeding your baby the formula, that you always tilt the bottle while feeding.

Though gas in small amounts can be normal in a baby, some babies have a harder time than others, and in this case, it might be a good idea to switch to a formula that eases these symptoms. At Organic Baby Food Shop, we offer specially developed formulas that address gassiness, like HiPP Combiotic. You can find them here.

As you can see, there are many great alternatives for many of the reasons why your baby might not tolerate its formula, but it is essential to always see a doctor if your baby seems to have an uncommon reaction before switching.

At the Organic Baby Food Shop, we wish you a happy and smooth feeding.