Why do you fortify breast milk with formula?

Understanding the Need for Fortifying Breast Milk with Formula
In the delicate world of infant nutrition, the decision to fortify breast milk with formula is often driven by the specific needs of the baby, particularly in cases of prematurity or low birth weight. This practice allows caregivers to enhance the nutritional profile of breast milk, ensuring that infants receive adequate calories and essential nutrients necessary for healthy growth and development.
The Rationale Behind Fortification
Breast milk is widely recognized for its numerous health benefits, including antibodies that help protect infants from infections. However, it may not always provide sufficient calories or certain nutrients, especially for premature infants or those who struggle to gain weight. Fortifying breast milk with formula serves as a strategic approach to address these deficiencies. According to experts, fortifying breast milk is often the first-line treatment for increasing caloric intake in babies under six months of age, allowing them to benefit from the unique properties of breast milk while also receiving additional nutrients from formula.
Nutritional Considerations
The nutritional composition of breast milk varies, particularly between mothers who deliver prematurely and those who deliver at term. While human milk contains lower levels of some nutrients compared to infant formulas, this can be beneficial for premature babies, as their digestive systems may not be ready to handle the higher concentrations found in formula. However, for some infants, especially those who are not gaining weight adequately, the addition of formula can provide the necessary boost in calories and nutrients without requiring the baby to consume larger volumes of milk.
Consultation with Healthcare Providers
Before making any changes to an infant’s diet, it is crucial for parents to consult with a pediatrician. Healthcare providers can assess the baby’s growth patterns and nutritional needs, guiding parents on whether fortification is necessary and how to implement it safely. This tailored approach ensures that each infant receives the right balance of nutrients to support their individual growth trajectories.
Conclusion
Fortifying breast milk with formula is a nuanced decision that reflects the complexities of infant nutrition. By combining the benefits of breast milk with the additional nutrients provided by formula, caregivers can help ensure that their babies thrive, particularly in vulnerable populations such as premature infants. This practice underscores the importance of personalized nutrition in the early stages of life, where every calorie and nutrient counts.

Is there a benefit to mixing formula and breastmilk?

Mixing breast milk and formula can help boost your baby’s calories and nutrition. It may also fill their stomach for longer. This may let you stretch the time between feedings. Adding some formula to their breast milk at night helps give you more sleep.

Why do you supplement breastmilk with formula?

Reasons for Supplementing with Formula

• Low milk supply
• Boost milk supply
• Anatomical differences in baby (tongue or lip tie, cleft lip/palate)
• Anatomical difference on the breast (flat or inverted nipples)
• Returning to work
• Wanting a partner to be involved in feedings
• Needing a break from feeding
• Mom’s mental health

When to stop fortifying formula?

If normal growth is not achieved by 3 months corrected age, fortification of PDPF may continue until 6 months and up to 12 months corrected age as needed.

Why is mixed feeding not recommended?

If your mixed feeding involves exchanging some breastfeeds for baby formula, then your baby will not receive as many benefits as they normally would if they were exclusively breastfed. As such, their immune system may not be as well protected from certain infections1.

What are the side effects of fortifying breast milk?

Since all the commonly used commercially prepared fortifiers are made from cow’s milk proteins (like regular formulas), some babies may have difficulty initially when the fortifier is added. They may have delayed emptying from the stomach, abdominal distention or even gas. The stools may change somewhat in color.

Is it safe to fortify breast milk with formula?

Some babies need more calories in less volume to help them grow. Formula powder can be added to your breast milk to increase the amount of calories your baby receives.

Is fortified milk necessary?

Fortified milk helps prevent nutrient deficiencies, promote healthy development in children, and increase bone mass and strength. Though fortified milk is very beneficial, there are some potential downsides to consider.

Why is it important to avoid supplementing breastfed babies with formula milk unless clinically indicated?

Support with positioning and attachment positioning and attachment is key to ensuring that breastfeeding gets off to a good start. Unnecessary supplementation with infant formula will interfere with this physiology, resulting in less frequent feeds.

Can you fortify whole milk with formula?

If you find yourself in a position that you need to use cow’s milk for your infant, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you start with a half formula, half whole milk mixture.

What is the purpose of fortifying breast milk?

Insufficient nutrient intakes place the infant at risk of impaired neurodevelopment. To prevent EUGR, which is associated with poor neurocognitive outcome, and to avoid specific nutrient deficiencies, nutrient fortification of HM is necessary (19, 29, 42–46).