Question:

My daughter is doing great on Neocate, but is still a bit underweight. To help her catch up, I am wondering if I should concentrate her Neocate so that it has more calories per ounce. Is this safe?

Answer:

Some babies need a concentrated formula to catch up with weight gain. However, there are some concerns when concentrating an infant formula so it should only be done when medically-necessary and under the supervision of a health care professional. A formula that is too concentrated can cause diarrhea. In addition, it’s important to monitor fluid intake when concentrating formulas. Too much protein and not enough water can be harmful to a baby’s kidneys.

One alternative to concentrating formula that your doctor might consider is adding Duocal to her diet. Duocal is high in calories and fat, but is protein-free, so it won’t have the same side effects of concentrating formula. Plus, it is safe for children with food allergies! However, Duocal should also only be used under medical supervision because you still need to consider fluid intake. If you think your baby needs a concentrated formula, talk with the health care provider to determine which method of concentrating would work best for your baby.

When you have a child with food allergies, it can be hard to leave them on the first day of school or send them off on a field trip. Will your child remember to avoid milk or gluten products? Will her teacher remember your little one can’t have those cupcakes? What if a classmate and your child trade lunches? These are all valid questions that must haunt a parent of a child with severe food allergies.

Food Allergy Clothing, Bracelets & More!

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to remind people about your child’s food allergies! Food allergy awareness t-shirts, wrist bands and more are available so that you can be sure the message gets out about the foods that they need to avoid.

As a child with Type 1 diabetes, I had to wear a bracelet that informed people that I was a diabetic. At that time, the bracelet looked very medical, so I wasn’t the biggest fan of wearing it. But if you take a look at the products out there now for kids with food allergies, you will see there are many more fun and fashion savvy items available!

Resources for Food Allergy Awareness Apparel:

• Allergic Child – Allergic Child offers a wide range of food allergy awareness products, from t-shirts to chef cards. Take a look!

• AllerGators – That adorable AllerGator will catch anyone’s attention! This clothing line is sure to be a hit for younger children with food allergies.

• Jeeto – Jeeto has some very trendy designs on their products that would be great for older boys and girls with food allergies. They sell a variety of stickers, patches, and shirts.

• Allergy Apparel – This line of food allergy awareness products may be the most popular with children. It is full of fashionable designs like skulls and peace signs while still alerting people about the child’s food allergies.

With all the new and trendy food allergy awareness products out there, your little ones can choose which they like most. But best of all, it will help communicate to those around them that your little one needs to stay clear of those specific food allergens.

Do you think your little ones may like these products? Have you purchased some already?

- Christine

[Image Source: Jeeto!]

Question:

My daughter just turned a year old, and I was wondering when I should transition her from Neocate Infant to Neocate Junior? Do I need to introduce it slowly, or can I just make the switch 100%?

Answer:

Since your little one is now one, her vitamin and mineral requirements have changed. That’s why Neocate Junior is formulated a bit differently than Neocate Infant to meet her new needs. Neocate Junior also contains more calories (30 calories/ounce) than Neocate Infant (20 calories/ounce).

Before making any switch, be sure to get the go-ahead from your doctor. If your child is doing well on Neocate Infant, the transition should go smoothly. Some children are able to make the switch “cold turkey”, while others are more sensitive to changes in texture and taste and may need to be weaned onto it slowly. You can start with 25% Junior and 75% Infant, slowly working up to 100% Junior.

Another thing you can consider is using flavor packets (available in cherry-vanilla, grapefruit and lemon-lime), flavor straws or the chocolate and tropical versions of Neocate Junior to add some variety into your daughter’s diet.

Question:

I heard about Neocate Nutra, but I am a little confused about how to use it. Will it replace my son’s Neocate Junior?

Answer:

Neocate Nutra is not meant to be a replacement for any type of Neocate formula, because it is not formulated to be nutritionally complete. However, it is a great way to supplement your child’s diet with some extra calories, vitamin D and calcium. If your child is around six months old, it can be used to introduce new textures. A lot of parents also give it as a snack, or mix it with other safe foods to make things like pudding or mashed potatoes.

Question:

I read that Neocate is now packaging its powdered formulas in cans with BPA-free lining. Is there any BPA in the packaging for EO28 Splash?

Answer:

Since we made the announcement about the new BPA-free lining in our Neocate cans we've been getting a lot of questions about whether some of our other products are also packaged in BPA-free containers. I'm happy to confirm that like our other products, the plastic liner in Splash and our Neocate One+ sachets are indeed BPA-free!

Ever wonder if your infant has the capacity to really taste his or her food? Well, this post will address the sense of taste in infancy!

To start, let’s review the basics of the “gustatory system”. Taste buds on the tongue relay information to the brain, which is perceived as taste.

The 5 basic tastes of any human are:

• sweet
• salty
• sour
• bitter
• savory (aka umami).

Research shows that infants are born with a predisposition to accept sweet tastes, such as breast milk. Infants also have a predisposition to reject new foods, a phenomenon known as “neophobia”[1]. During infancy, almost all foods are “new” so it’s no wonder that introducing a new food or formula may result in some resistance from your baby.

The good news is that this neophobia can be overcome by repeated exposure to the food. In other words, taste preferences aren’t set in stone; they are constantly evolving. With repeated experience, infants accept and may even prefer the previously rejected food. One study observed mothers who presented a particular food daily over a period of time. The researchers found that it took 15 feedings for the infants to accept the new food readily.

Therefore, whether you are introducing solids or switching over to Neocate from another formula, don’t be discouraged! It is not only ok, but normal for your little one to reject the new food at first. Just be patient and persistent and continue to present the food in a positive manner.

An interesting tidbit: An infant’s perception of bitter taste is developed several months after birth. A study found that newborn infants did not reject the taste of bitter, while older infants did[2]. Another study identified the time period for this developmental change to be around 4 months of age[3]. The researchers found that infants who were put on a specialized, broken down formula (which have a slightly bitter taste due to the broken down protein) before the age of 4 months transitioned to the new formula with no resistance.

After this age, the infants identify the change in taste and moms may have to be a bit craftier to transition their little one onto the new formula. The researchers pointed out that a gradual transition, where the new formula is mixed with the previous formula, helps older infants to accept the new formula. This allows infants taste buds to gradually and repeatedly be exposed to the new flavor and associates the flavor with something that they already like (the previous formula).

What tastes did your child prefer when you first began introducing foods? Have you noticed any change in their taste preferences as they get older?

- Mallory

[1] Birch, L. L. (2002). Acquisition of food preferences and eating patterns in children. In C. G. Fairburn, & K. D. Brownell (Eds.), Eating disorders and obesity (2nd ed., pp. 75-79). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
[2] Beauchamp GK, Cowart BJ, Kajiura H. Early developmental change in bitter taste responses in human infants. Dev Psychobiol. 1992 Jul;25(5):375-86.
[3] Beauchamp GK, Griffin CE, Mennella JA. Flavor Programming During Infancy. PEDIATRICS Vol. 113 No. 4 April 2004, pp. 840-845

Continuing with our Vitamin Series, my post today will focus on the importance of calcium (although technically, we’re having a “Nutrient Series,” since calcium is a mineral)! Calcium is best known for its role in bone health. In fact, the body stores more than 99% of calcium in bones and teeth to keep them strong^[1]. However, calcium also plays a critical role in many bodily functions including muscle contraction, hormone secretion and nerve transmission^[2].

The body must maintain constant levels of calcium in the blood, muscles and cells in order for the body to function properly. Although the level required for this is small (less than 1% of total body calcium), if you aren’t getting enough calcium from your diet, the body will use calcium stored in bones to maintain these processes, resulting in bone loss.

Calcium intake throughout childhood and adolescence sets the stage for your little one’s lifetime bone health because the development of peak bone mass during these years will reduce the risk of fractures and Osteoporosis later in adulthood.^[3]

The recommended intake of calcium for infants and children are^[4]:

• Birth-6 months: 210 mg per day
• 7-12 months: 270 mg per day
• 1-3 years: 500 mg per day
• 4-8 years: 800 mg per day
• 9-13 years: 1300 mg per day

The best sources of calcium are milk and milk products, soy products like tofu, leafy greens and of course, the extra calcium-rich sardines! For children with milk and soy allergies, its critical to supplement calcium with fortified foods or nutritional products (unless your kids are big sardine eaters! J). It’s also important to get enough Vitamin D because it plays a key role in the body’s absorption of calcium.

For those of you with Neocate-drinkers, you’ll be relieved to know that the Neocate products exceed the calcium requirements for infants and children up to age 13 when age-specific calorie intakes are met!

Another important factor for bone health is regular exercise and weight-bearing activities. So make sure that your children get adequate calcium and Vitamin D and encourage them to be active. They will thank you for a lifetime of bone health!

-Mallory

[1] Weaver CM, Heaney RP. Calcium. In: Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 10th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006:194-210.
[2] http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp.
[3] PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 2 February 2006, pp. 578-585 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-2822).
[4] Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press;1997.