Having a baby is a stressful and worrying time for any parent. But when your little one is suffering from feeding problems, it feels like you missed a lesson in a parenting class.
After all, this is the one thing that should come naturally to a baby and be the easiest part of being a parent. But there is a large percentage of babies that have some kinds of feeding difficulties.
Many are attributed to digestive issues, such as acid reflux or constant vomiting. This leads to a very miserable baby and a stressed and worried parent.
Fortunately, we live in a time where manufacturers have realized and embraced the fact that the one-formula-fits-all approach does not and can not work.
Manufacturers combined with the latest scientific research and methods have produced a solution. A small percentage of the big formula brands have created formulas that are specifically designed for babies with digestive issues such as spit-up.
We’re going to look at two of these brand’s examples of these kinds of formula. The first is Similac for Spit Up Infant Formula with Iron and the second is Enfamil A.R Infant Formula for Spit-up.
In this article
Similac Spit Up
Similac For Spit Up claims to reduce spit-up by 54% and is made with non-GMO ingredients. It contains additional DHA, lutein, and vitamin E, which are all found in breastmilk and help to support baby’s brain and eye development.
The severity of each child’s spit-up varies hugely from one to another from mild to severe. Even taking this into consideration, the majority of online reviews state that the product greatly helped their child’s issues.
Pros
- Works quickly
- Great for acid reflux issues
- non-GMO ingredients
- Additional DHA, Lutein, and Vitamin E.
Cons
- Contains both sugar and corn syrup
- Too thick
- Causes gas
- Can cause constipation
- Quite expensive
- Contains a lot of sugar
Enfamil AR
Enfamil claims that their formula can reduce spit-up by 50% in a week and is the number 1 selling brand of formula for spit-up and reflux. It comes with their patented formula that has a triple health guard blend.
This blend contains DHA which helps to nourish the brain, dual prebiotics for immune health, and 30 nutrients for growth. It has a thicker consistency than most formulas.
The idea behind this is that the thicker consistency allows the baby to drink slowly, giving them a chance to consume what the have taken in.
Pros
- Great for acid reflux
- Decreases spit-up
- Contains far less sugar
Cons
- Constipation
- Too thick
- Quite expensive
Spit Up Test
How well either of these formulas work will depend on the individual child. You will need to try each formula for at least a week to give it time to do its thing.
By this time, you should be able to see the positive or negative effects it will have on your baby. You may notice changes like more or less spit-up, toilet issues, upset tummies, or a happy content baby.
Whatever the results that you get, it may be best to keep a little feeding journal to see if you can see a pattern developing.
Similac Spit-up was clinically shown to reduce frequent spit-up by 54%. While Enfamil AR has been clinically proven to reduce spit-up by more than 50%.
As you can see according to the figures, Similac has a slight lead but again this will be down to each individual baby’s reaction.
Price
There isn’t a huge price difference between these products. Enfamil AR is slightly more expensive than the Similac Spit Up but not enough that it would influence your choice. After all, parents will choose the formula that helps their baby the best.
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Both of these formulas are more expensive than the standard version from either brand. In order to save yourself some money, it’s worth purchasing the powdered version of either of these formulas.
The pre-made formulas may be convenient but that convenience will always come at a cost. There are some reports that the pre-made formulas are smoother, making feeding easier as nipples are less likely to clog.
As a parent, you’re prepared to pay a premium for the convenience of pre-made formula. Though it will very much depend on the type of lifestyle that you lead.
If you have other children and are doing lots of school pick-ups and drop-offs, along with after school activities then the pre-made formula will be well worth the additional expense.
Availability
Similac Spit Up is currently available in powder and pre-made bottles. Unfortunately, it’s not available in single-serving pouches. The majority of parents will purchase the powder version of this formula as it’s the most economical.
Enfamil AR is available in powder, pre-made bottles, as well as individual serving pouches that can easily be poured straight into your own bottle while you are out and about.
The individual pouches are a huge plus for Enfamil AR as planning enough feeds and all that goes with that for a day out can be a bit of a minefield. These pouches take all the guesswork out of it and are so convenient to just pop in your baby bag.
Both brands are available at major grocery stores and online.
What Parents Say
Reviews of both Similac Spit up and Enfamil AR show a large number of happy parents who have switched to one of these brands and found that it has helped with their babies feeding issues.
A lot of parents did comment on the thickness of the Enfamil AR formula, stating that it was very thick and often blocked the bottle.
The Winner Is…
There is no winner here. Every baby is different and which formula works best for them and helps with spit-up or reflux is going to be the winner for that individual parent.
Often the baby will have the deciding vote on which brand works best as it will be the one that they prefer the taste of.
If you’re in the enviable position that your baby is happy on both brands and you get similar results on both, personally I think it would be a very tough decision to make.
Both brands have positives and negatives that could push them ahead of the other and again it will come down to personal choice.
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Enfamil has removed the vast majority of sugar from their formulas but this does mean that they may have done so at the detriment of the taste of their formula.
They have a patented formula triple health guard that contains DHA for healthy brain development, 30 nutrients for growth, and a dual prebiotic blend for immune health.
Similac does contain both corn syrup as its first ingredients which may be something as a parent you are trying to avoid. Although this may be why many reviews state that it tastes better than the Enfamil AR.
All ingredients used are non-GMO. They have not been genetically modified in any way, which again is something that you feel strongly about.
Similac does contain Optigro which is their blend of DHA for brain development, Lutein for eye health, and Vitamin E for growth and development.
The Final Thought
If you pick either of these formulas and it helps in making your baby more comfortable and content then you are a winner straight away. Every parent wants their baby to be happy and healthy and by eliminating their feeding problem it will certainly help.
