Modified milk and its important ingredients – Metafolin® in the following milk HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK®

Mother’s milk is undoubtedly the best food for a baby. It contains all the important substances necessary for its proper growth and development. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed until the age of 6 months. What’s more, feeding mother’s milk is also recommended in the following months and even years, of course while introducing complementary foods. You can also support the health and proper development of your baby by giving him modified milk. It is a product intended for the nutrition of infants and young children who, for some reason, cannot be fed with mother’s milk. Its formula is developed with the utmost care so that the baby gets the best. So if you decide to wean your baby or switch to mixed feeding after your toddler is 6 months old, do not worry about adding another milk to his diet. Find out what ingredients should be in a good mixture and what to consider when choosing it.

How to choose next milk?

choosing next milk, look for products marked with number 2 on the shelf – they are intended for infants over 6 months of age. Check what ingredients the mixture contains – pay attention to vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. In addition, find out about the origin of the raw materials used in its production. Be sure you give your little one the best.

If your family has a history of allergies or atopic dermatitis, consider purchasing hypoallergenic formula milk labeled HA. Such mixtures are intended for toddlers at risk of allergy and minimize the risk of allergic reactions.

Introduce the next milk to your child’s diet gradually, so that the little one has the opportunity to get used to its taste and smell. Start with 1 serving a day and watch your baby’s reactions carefully – if he or she tolerates the formula you chose well, after a few days you can increase the number of formula feeds to 2 and then 3. Follow this regimen until complete weaning. Do the same thing when you plan to switch to mixed feeding – replace only selected meals with formula and breastfeed the rest of the baby or feed it with milk after each breastfeeding if you think the baby may be naïve.

Important ingredients of formula milk

The composition of modified milk is subject to strict legal regulations that define what components and in what amounts should be included in it. These guidelines concern, inter alia, protein, carbohydrate or micronutrient content and types of substances authorized for use in formula for infants and older children.

When choosing modified milk, follow the manufacturer’s declared content of ingredients supporting the child’s immunity, as well as positively influencing digestion and the work of its immature digestive system. Good follow-up milk should contain:

1. a set of probiotics, i.e. natural cultures of beneficial bacteria and prebiotics that create the optimal environment in the intestines for their growth. They support the development of the toddler’s immunity and the development of proper intestinal microbiota;
2. vitamins and minerals in amounts adjusted to the child’s age and developmental needs, e.g. iron, for proper intellectual development or vitamins A, C and D, supporting the developing immune system of the baby;
3. long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids DHA and ALA (Omega-3), which support the development of the brain, nerve cells and eyesight;
4. lactose, which is a sugar found naturally in breast milk. It is the main source of energy for a child, supports the absorption of magnesium and calcium, and supports the development of a beneficial microbiome in the gut.

Folates in the diet of an infant and a child

The terms “folate” and “folic acid” are often used interchangeably, but do they really mean the same thing? Foliates are a broader concept. These are water-soluble B vitamins, which include both folic acid and other compounds. They also include, among others, the calcium salt of L-5 MTHF acid – a patented, active form of folates known as Metafolin®.

Folic acid is a synthetic compound produced industrially and used, for example, in dietary supplements. To be properly assimilated by humans, it must undergo a series of metabolic changes. Metafolin®, in turn, is an improved form of folic acid which, like folates naturally found in breast milk, is directly available to the body.

We usually associate folate supplementation with pregnancy. And rightly so – experts recommend taking an appropriate dose of folic acid to all pregnant women to minimize the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus. However, the latest recommendations regarding supplementation apply not only to pregnant women, but also to all women in their reproductive years.

Folates also play a very important role in the diet of infants and children, regulating many processes in the body and supporting the proper functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular and hematopoietic systems. Folate supplementation is not normally recommended for the youngest, so their source should be food. They are located, among others in:

1. spinach;
2. lettuce;
3. kale;
4. broccoli;
5. whole grain products;
6. egg yolk;
7. liver.

Mother’s milk is the main source of natural, easily digestible folates in breastfed infants. In the first months of life, it fully covers the toddler’s need for this ingredient. From the moment you expand your diet, your child will also ingest folate in food. Remember, however, that they only supplement your toddler’s diet, which should be based on folate-rich breast milk for the first 12 months. If for some reason your baby cannot be breastfed, make sure you give him a formula enriched with compounds from the folate group.

HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK® follow-on milk

The HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK® follow-on milk was created based on the results of many years of scientific research on mother’s milk. The inspiration for its development was the unique composition of human food, containing natural probiotics, prebiotics and other nutrients valuable for the healthy development of the child. HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK® milk is made of ecological ingredients that are strictly controlled in terms of origin and safety.

As much as 70% of the child’s immunity is in the intestines, which is why the HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK® milk contains a whole range of ingredients supporting the development of beneficial microbiota, protecting the child against pathogenic bacteria and other pathogens:

1. PROBIOTIK® – natural lactic acid bacteria cultures, originally derived from mother’s milk, which inhabit the baby’s intestines;
2. PRAEBIOTIK® – galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), which are food and create an environment in the intestines for the multiplication of beneficial bacteria;
3. lactose, which is the only carbohydrate found in HiPP milk; it supports the development of beneficial intestinal bacteria.

To support the comprehensive, proper development of a child, HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK® milk also contains a number of other ingredients that are extremely valuable for a small organism:

1. a vitamin complex tailored to the needs of an infant after 6 months of age. Among them are vitamins A, C and D, stimulating the formation of the immune system;
2. a set of essential minerals, including iron, important for proper intellectual development;
3. Omega-3 fatty acids – DHA and ALA and Omega-6 – ARA, needed for the healthy development of the brain, nerve cells and eyesight of a baby;
4. highly nutritious protein in amounts adjusted to the child’s needs, supporting the proper growth of the toddler and the work of the nervous and immune systems.

Metafolin® in the following milk HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK®

Metafolin® contained in the next milk HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK® is a source of folates directly available to the child’s body. Let us remind you that easily digestible folates are a very important component of toddlers’ diet, and their main source is mother’s milk. Therefore, in order to avoid dangerous deficiencies, children fed with modified milk should receive a mixture enriched with an appropriate dose of folates with high bioavailability, eg HiPP BIO COMBIOTIK®.

Metafolin® is a compound of calcium and a biologically active form of folate that occurs naturally in the human body, including breast milk. It is an improved form of folic acid and an excellent source of folates, similar to those present in breast milk. Thanks to it, the body of a baby fed with formula does not have to undergo a series of metabolic changes to use synthetic folic acid – with HiPP milk it gets this important ingredient ready for absorption and use.

Meet Metafolin® – a unique source of folates created by HiPP following the pattern of breast milk.

Źródła:

1. M. Zimmer et al. Recommendations of the Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians regarding supplementation in pregnant women, [PDF]
2. J. Gaszyńska, Folic acid – the role and validity of supplementation and different groups of patients, [PDF]
3. K. Sikorska-Zimny, The occurrence and outflow of folic acid on the human body, https://www.ptfarm.pl/pub/File/Bromatologia/2013/4/BR%204-2013%20s.%20496-501.pdf
4. H. Szajewska et al., Principles of nutrition of healthy infants. Recommendations of the Polish Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition for Children, https://ptp.edu.pl/files/Standardy_Medyczne_2014_Zalecenia_ywien_.pdf
5. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127 of 25 September 2015 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to specific compositional requirements for infant formulas and follow-on formulas and information on about them, as well as for information on the nutrition of infants and young children, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/PL/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016R0127

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