Artificial Feeding In Babies

Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: March 22, 2023

Artificial feeding is the feeding in which the child receives formula due to contraindications or lack of breast milk. In these cases, the child is deprived of breast milk before the age of 4-6 months. Adapted milks are enriched with salts and vitamins, and the qualitative and quantitative composition of their main nutrients is brought to that of breast milk. In highly developed countries, formulas are based on cow's milk. The desire to bring cow's milk closer to that of women and children to offer a product close to their physiological needs is realized through the industrial production of the so-called. humanized or adapted milks. They are so called because their quantitative and qualitative composition is adapted (adapted) to breast milk. This is achieved by making the following adjustments in cow's milk: reducing the protein content, adding vegetable fats, lactose and enriched with trace elements and vitamins and must meet the following requirements: to be bacterially pure, to contain lactose, to do not contain thickeners, flavors and other non-milk ingredients and be made from environmentally friendly products.

There is an exceptional variety of formulas on the world market, which have as a starting product cow's milk, which is obtained from animals raised in high sanitary conditions and fed with special nutrients. It is under constant sanitary control regarding the content of bacteria. The energy content of cow's milk, its quantitative and qualitative composition in terms of basic nutrients are close to those of breast milk. This is done by adding albumin-rich proteins to cow's milk. The ratio between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids is also corrected by adding vegetable oil. Sugar is increased by adding lactose. The high calcium content is reduced and the ratio between calcium and phosphorus is reduced to that of breast milk.

Adapted milks are finely homogenized, especially with regard to milk fat and casein. The most significant advantages of industrially produced milks are the quick and easy way of preparation, possibility for long-term storage and use in each season and transportation in the most remote regions of the country.

Their production caused a real revolution in infant nutrition, especially in our country, where fermented milk nutrition had deep-rooted traditions and there was no alternative.

Artificial nutrition also has its risks : it leads to overweight and obesity, digestive disorders and allergic diseases become more frequent. Children fed artificial foods have reduced resistance to infections.

Artificial Feeding In Babies

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