Because the foam is made of air bubbles, it can give babies gas. When infants swallow that air, it has to go somewhere. Your little one could end up with burps that cause them to spit up or bloating and flatulence. While foam in formula isn't dangerous or harmful, it can make your child uncomfortable.
Some formulas may be more sudsy or foamy than others, but this is normal. Feed to baby or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Too much foam can be bad and mothers may be wary if they see this. Typically, processed American formulas will have too much foam, causing digestion issues in babies. Why is this? Simply put, the bubbles in formula are air, and the additional air can hinder your child's digestion.
You can start by checking the formula for an unusual smell, change in color, or a difference in consistency, says Dr. Adams. Additionally, the liquid components may separate or look clumpy if it's a ready-to-feed formula.
For a bottle of formula, prepared at 70°C to cool to a safe temperature of approximately 37°C, it will need to sit for at least 30 minutes, possibly longer. This may allow bacteria time to multiply and is contradictory to usual safety advice for any other foods.
If your baby starts a bottle of formula but doesn't finish it within an hour, toss it. Don't refrigerate and reheat leftovers. Bacteria from your baby's mouth can seep into the bottle, contaminate the formula, and make them sick.
If you don't mix your baby's formula according to the manufacturer's instructions, your baby might ingest: too little water, resulting in dehydration. too much protein or other formula constituents, risking short- and/or long-term health issues. too little food, resulting in malnutrition and poor weight gain.
At Dr. Brown's, we recommend gently stirring formula with a fork or teaspoon. Stirring helps minimize air bubbles and pressure build up – a sure way to help ensure Happy Feeding™. You will know you're done stirring when all you see is smooth liquid.
High Lipase Presence. Milk is naturally bubbly when shaken, whether we're talking about breast milk or cow's milk. This is due to the protein content, or lipase, present.
If you're using a powdered formula, make sure you let your freshly mixed bottle settle for a minute or two before feeding your baby. Why? The more shaking and blending involved, the more air bubbles get into the mix, which can then be swallowed by your baby and result in gas.
Tap water is usually safe, but contact your local health department if you are not sure. Shake infant formula in the bottle to mix. Do not stir. You do not need to warm infant formula before feeding.
Powdered infant formula milk is not sterile. Even though tins and packets of milk powder are sealed, they can still contain bacteria. Water that hasn't been boiled can also contain bacteria. Formula therefore needs to be made up with water hot enough to kill the bacteria, which is at least 70 degrees C.
The presence of air bubbles indicates the air is going into the bottle and not into baby's tummy.
When fed too much, a baby may also swallow air. This can produce gas, increase discomfort in the belly, and lead to crying. An overfed baby also may spit up more than usual and have loose stools. Although crying from discomfort is not colic, it can make crying more frequent and more intense in an already colicky baby.
™ If you're using Enfamil A.R. ™, formula for spit-up, wash your hands thoroughly, measure out your powder and add it to the water. Cap the bottle and shake it well, let the bottle stand for five minutes, then shake it again before serving.
Challenges and concerns with concentrated infant formula
If too much powder is added, it can lead to vomiting or constipation. If too little powder is added, poor growth or electrolyte imbalance may occur.
It's fine to feed your baby cool or even cold formula. It's all up to your baby's preference – they may prefer it warm, at room temperature, or even chilled, and all of those options are just fine. Some parents like to give their baby warm formula because it's closer to the temperature of breast milk.
It's fine to give your baby room temperature or even cold formula. If your baby prefers warm formula, place a filled bottle in a bowl of warm water and let it stand for a few minutes — or warm the bottle under running water.
Use Quickly or Store Safely
Use prepared infant formula within 2 hours of preparation and within one hour from when feeding begins. If you do not start to use the prepared infant formula within 2 hours, immediately store the bottle in the fridge and use it within 24 hours.
Distilled or purified water can be used without boiling it. All other water should be boiled then cooled as described below. This includes all other bottled water and all tap water.
You can safely use fluoridated tap water to prepare infant formula. Exposure to fluoride during infancy helps prevent tooth decay.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises you to use water from a safe source to prepare infant formula or boil the water every time you are preparing your baby's formula. This is to keep your baby away from infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or other germs carried by the water.
1 Switching between formula brands is not a problem, even though many parents wonder if doing so may cause fussiness or stool changes in their baby. In fact, you can even mix different brands of the same type of formula together if you feel that your baby responds better to a mixture of one brand with another.