Adapted milk formula is the next best choice after the mother's milk.

In the absence of breastfeeding, baby formula enriched with iron is a suitable substitute for the infant born on time.

Although milk formulas are not identical in composition to mother's milk, so that they are designed to meet the nutritional needs of this age. Otherwise, they are used as a substitute, or in addition to breast milk (when mothers do not breastfeed, or do not have enough milk).

Indications for use of the baby formula:

• substitute for breast milk when an infant is unable to suckle,

• supplement to breastfeeding babies who do not progress adequately in weight.

Medical contraindications to breastfeeding:

• maternal infection caused by microorganisms which pass into breast milk,

• congenital metabolic disorders in babies, or other reasons that cause sensitivity to the components of human milk,

• mothers exposure to drugs that are excreted in breast milk, which are harmful to the infant.

There are several types of formulas. Each has a different purpose, but all provide healthy food for baby. Formulas are specially designed to meet the baby's nutritional needs, and to the modified proteins from cow's milk, with the addition of milk sugar (lactose), fats, vitamins and minerals. These ingredients are very similar to the components of human milk.

It is best to offer a formula enriched with iron, to compensate for it with iron provided by breast milk, and that the formula is closer to the required model of meal.

There are two basic types of formulas:

• based on cow's milk

• soy based

In formula manufactured from cow's milk are modified fats, carbohydrates and protein level. Add as vitamins and minerals that would be nutritious and they are hard to digest.

Soy based formulas used soy protein rather than those in cow's milk and is recommended for babies who have a lactose intolerance (intolerance to milk sugar) or a food allergy.

Cow's milk has too much protein and minerals, and can overwhelm a baby's little organism. It has low fatty acids that are needed for normal growth and development of infants, and very little vitamin C and E, iodine and iron which are poorly absorbed, so the children fed whit cow's milk can be anemic. So child should eat cow's milk after first birthday.

In some cases where a child has some health problems, it is necessary to pay special attention to the selection of adapted milk because there are a variety of special formulas.

Schedule daily meals adapted infant milk at birth: 8-10 servings per 60-120 ml

II and III month: 5-6 servings per 120-180 ml,

IV-VI month: 5-6 servings per 150-180 ml,

VII-IX month: 4-5 servings per 180-200 ml,

X-XII month: 3-4 servings per 200-240 ml.

Some studies have shown that artificially fed infants gets the weight faster than breast-fed infants, a trend that can serve as a postulate that artificially fed babies later in life can be obese. This is possible if the one who feeds the baby decides when it will be end of the meal. Many times mothers insist on baby to drink all the milk from the bottle. The contrary, a breastfeeding mother allows the baby to determine the end of feeding by itself, because it is unable to measure the amount of milk that baby eats every.

It is advised to the parents to study of baby milk for healthy and sick children and to choose some reputable global manufacturers that have already been present for decades in market. Similac, Enfamil, Parent's Choice (carried at Wal-Mart), and Nestles Good Start are some of them.