If your baby is bottle-fed, you will offer infant formula, usually until he is three years old. Presented in liquid or powder form, these milks have a composition that changes according to the nutritional needs of the child and his dietary diversification. Cow’s milk as we know it will ideally only be introduced after 3 years.

Infant formulas, also known as “infant milk”, “artificial milk”, or “breast milk substitute”« concern any food that can replace breast milk, partially or completely, for infants (0 to 12 months) or toddlers (12 to 36 months).

Infant milk must meet the stringent requirements of regulations that take into account the nutritional needs of children up to 3 years old. Their composition is specially designed to ensure correct digestion for the baby and meet his nutritional needs.

Whether presented in powder or liquid form, infant formulas meet the same European recommendations, with very strict health safety standards, and present no difference in nutritional intake.

The only difference between the two types of milk is the amount of water present in the finished product because powdered milk is simply liquid milk that has been dehydrated. For this the quantity of water is reduced from 87,5% (liquid milk) to 3% (powdered milk).

Powdered milk comes in a large box (400 to 900 g or even 1,6 kilo for the economical formats), in metal or in thin cardboard.

Liquid milk, ready to use, is presented in the form of a plastic bottle, generally of small or medium size (200 ml to 1 liter). Its price is generally higher than its powdered equivalent, but the practicality of use is enough to take precedence over sales of powdered milk.

In fact, liquid milks are ready to use and thus eliminate any possible risk of poor preparation, poor dosage and contamination.

Preparing a bottle always requires respecting some hygiene principles to avoid any contamination:

1. Wash your hands well
2. Make sure that the bottle used, the teat, the cap and the ring are clean, free from any milk residue or any other dirt.

With liquid milk

• Shake the bottle well up and down before opening it and remove the protective cap
• Pour the desired amount of milk into the bottle by measuring the amount according to the graduations on it.
• Unless baby prefers milk at room temperature, heat the bottle in a bain-marie, in a bottle warmer or in the microwave.
• Screw the pacifier
• Always check the temperature of the milk by pouring a drop on the inside of your wrist before offering it to your baby. This will prevent any risk of burns.

With powdered milk

To prepare the bottle, you can use slightly mineralized mineral water (Mont Roucous®, Montcalm®, Volais®, Wattwiller®, Calvert®, Thonon®, Evian®). If you want to use tap water, you must first find out about the quality of the water distributed in your city. For this you can contact your town hall or the Water Agency or the Regional Health Agency on which you depend. Here are some additional tips if you are preparing your child’s bottles with tap water:

• Always remember to run cold water for one minute to remove any traces of lead or copper as well as microorganisms that could stagnate in the water in the pipes, especially those that have not been used for a long time. certain time (vacation).
• Do not use a water softener system because it removes a large part of the calcium and magnesium from the water, which are essential for the proper development of the child.
• Never serve tap water that is hotter than 25 ° C. Therefore, do not use hot water to prepare your child’s bottles.

Whether you use bottled or tap water, the steps for preparing the bottle, however, remain the same:

• Always pour cold water (bottled or tap) into the bottle, dosing the amount according to the graduations on it.
• Heat the bottle in a bain-marie, in a bottle warmer or in the microwave.
• Add a level measuring spoon of milk to 30 ml of water. So for a 90 ml bottle, pour 3 scoops, for a 150 ml bottle: count 5 measures and 7 measures of milk for a 210 ml bottle. If you lose your pod do not proceed at random but buy a box of infant milk of the same brand to recover a measuring spoon.
• Screw on the nipple then roll the bottle between your hands before shaking it up and down to mix the powder well with the water.
• Always check the temperature of the milk by pouring a drop on the inside of your wrist before offering it to your baby. This will prevent any risk of burns.

Infant or 1st age milks:

Infant milks, sold in powder or liquid form, are intended to precisely cover the nutritional needs of babies from birth until the start of diversification – generally around 6 months, never before 4 months. They thus alone ensure the full growth of the infant until the baby discovers the joys of solid food.

These milks have a composition which most closely resembles breast milk, but cannot however contain the valuable antibodies present in the mother’s milk.

Most infant milks come in powder form. There are indeed few references for infant milk in liquid form. On the other hand, there is a wide variety of 1st age milks which have undergone modifications to alleviate certain disorders of the baby: anti-reflux milk, anti-regurgitation milk or to fight against constipation or colic.

Follow-on milks or 2nd age milks:

Intended for the period of transition to a diversified diet (vegetable puree, porridge, etc.), follow-on milks, also called “2nd age milks”, are suitable for babies as soon as they have a complete meal without milk, up to 1 year. Thus, we introduce 2nd age milk generally around 6 months, but never before 4-5 months. Balanced in lipids, it is also rich in essential fatty acids, linoleic acids and iron, and also provides calcium, phosphorus and vitamins in just the right amount according to baby’s needs during periods of dietary diversification.

But be careful because follow-on milk is too often abandoned too quickly. Take care to offer this type of milk to your child until he blows out his first candle. Milk remains a very valuable source of energy, calcium, iron, vitamins and minerals for your little one.

Growth milks:

Growth milk is the milk offered to children between 9 and 12 months until their 3 years old.

Rich in iron, vitamins A, B9, C, D and E and essential fatty acids, growth milk contains little protein contained in sufficient quantity in solid and diversified baby food. This milk is often lightly flavored with vanilla to mask the taste of iron, the amounts of which are high to meet the nutritional needs of the young child.

Usually also abandoned too quickly, your doctor or your pediatrician will most certainly recommend that you continue to offer growth milk to your child until his third birthday to delay the introduction of classic cow’s milk around this age only.

Regarding the storage of infant milk, ANSES specifies that any bottle not finished within one hour of the start of its consumption must be discarded, whether it is a bottle prepared from milk. powder or liquid milk. Indeed, once the bottle has been brought to the mouth, there is a transfer of bacteria that contaminate the milk and the fact of putting the bottle in the refrigerator does not prevent the development of bacteria.

On the other hand, if the bottle has not started to be drunk, it can be kept in the refrigerator for an hour for powdered milk and a few hours for ready-to-use liquid milk, but it must be consumed as soon as he came out of the cold zone.

Regarding the conservation of the milk itself:

• Powdered milk: it should be consumed within 3 to 4 weeks, after opening the box, which must be closed after each use and stored in a dry place.
• Liquid milk: it can be kept for a maximum of 48 hours between 0 ° and 2 ° (the coldest part of the refrigerator) after opening.

So remember to note on the box or the bottle the date on which you started the milk!