Hypoallergenic infant formula is recommended for babies with a family history of severe allergies or who have demonstrated a strong allergic response to regular formulas. There are two main groups: hydrolyzed and free amino acids. Broadly hydrolyzed formulas are recommended for babies with significant protein allergies. The price of hypoallergenic formulas can be high, but insurance compensation may be possible. Breast milk from a donor may be an alternative.
Hypoallergenic infant formula is formula manufactured in a way that makes babies prone to severe allergies less likely to have them. They are generally recommended for babies who have a family history of severe allergies or who have demonstrated a strong allergic response to regular formulas. Sometimes when an infant may be prone to significant protein allergies, a hypoallergenic infant formula is used to prevent exposure because delaying exposure can be a means of preventing allergies.
There are varieties of hypoallergenic infant formula. The two main groups are hydrolyzed and free amino acids. Hydrolyzed types address the way proteins are processed in the formula and come in two subtypes. Some of these formulas are partially hydrolyzed, which means the manufacturers break up the protein chains, but still leave behind quite large chains. These formulas may work for some babies, but organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggest that partial hydrolyzation does not result in a completely hypoallergenic infant formula.
Instead, the recommendation is to look for a broadly hydrolyzed formula. In this type, the protein chains are much smaller, making it much more likely that babies will be able to digest them without triggering allergies. The alternative to this is to use a formula that only contains amino acids, which do not form into protein clumps. These are called free amino acid formulas and, taken with extensively hydrolyzed formulas, are just two types of formulas truly considered exemplary of hypoallergenic infant formula by the AAP and other groups.
Ironically, hypoallergenic infant formula may be derived from dairy products, but these have been extensively treated and generally do not cause allergies. Some babies with milk intolerance or allergies can tolerate formulas that simply do not contain dairy, such as soy formula, well. Some babies with severe allergies have been shown to not digest soy formulas very well, although they are less likely to cause life-threatening reactions such as anaphylactic allergic reactions.
One of the difficulties in needing to give a child hypoallergenic infant formula is that the price of these formulas can be extremely high, usually at least double, and often triple, the price of standard formulas. Given a medical reason, it is sometimes possible to obtain insurance compensation for feeding a child these formulas. It is important not to feed a child regular formula if the child has been shown to have life-threatening reactions.
Another alternative may be to provide breast milk from a milk donor, when it is impossible for the mother to breastfeed the baby, as many babies do not react to the proteins in breast milk in the same way that they do to the proteins in formulas. Groups like the AAP emphasize the importance of breastfeeding babies who are likely to have allergies, but this is not possible in all circumstances. When this is not feasible, most people turn to a hypoallergenic infant formula and if this is not covered by their insurance policy, people can expect the expense of feeding the baby to be significant.
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