All formula brands sold in Singapore are safe and provide sufficient nutrition for infants to grow healthily.

Although the amount of nutrients may vary, the nutrient composition of formula milk is similar among major brands (all contain the required level of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals essential for a baby’s growth and development). Some, for example, contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. However, the evidence for its added benefit(s) is inconclusive.

Stage 1 milk:
Formulated for babies who are 0–6 months old. Stage 1 formula mimics the nutrition composition of breast milk and is easily digestible. Even though formula recipes may vary between brands, all formulas are nutritionally adequate for your baby’s growing needs.

Stage 2 milk:
Formulated for babies who are 6–12 months old. Stage 2 milk is usually fortified with iron as your baby’s stored iron starts to deplete from 6 months onwards. Stage 2 milk should not be given to babies who are 0–6 months old as their digestive system and kidneys are not developed enough.

Beyond 12 months:
Babies should be eating family foods in smaller portions. If they are drinking infant formula, they can transition to regular full cream milk.

That’s because regular full cream milk:

• Is not as easily digestible as infant formula.
• Can stress a newborn’s kidneys and cause dehydration, due to its high concentration of protein and minerals.
• Can irritate the baby’s stomach and intestinal lining, leading to the loss of blood in stools and causing iron deficiency anaemia.

The amount of milk your baby requires will vary according to their growth and body weight. For infants who are 6–12 months old, HPB recommends consuming about 500-750ml of milk per day, together with food as the main source of energy and nutrients.

Do not force your baby to finish the bottle if he appears to be full. If your baby has a specially-prescribed formula to follow, do consult with your paediatrician on the correct amount to feed every day.

While it is true that babies on formula milk tend to develop harder stools, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are constipated. Constipation is a common problem encountered in formula-fed babies, as the casein in cow’s milk-based formula is difficult to digest. The iron and calcium in formula are also less well absorbed and can contribute to hard stools.

Babies younger than 6 months who are exclusively breastfed or are consuming adequate infant formula do not require additional fluids.

Fruit juice is not recommended for babies as it can disrupt their appetite and nutrition intake.

If you add too much water, your baby may not get the calories and nutrients he needs for proper growth. If you add too much powder, the high concentration of formula could cause diarrhoea or dehydration, and give your baby more calories and nutrients than required.

Babies below 12 months of age should not take cow’s milk because it is not as easily digestible as breast milk or infant formula. It can stress a newborn’s kidneys and cause dehydration due to its high concentration of protein and minerals. Additionally, consumption may irritate the baby’s stomach and intestinal lining, leading to the loss of blood in stools and causing iron deficiency anaemia.

If your baby is above 12 months old and has been drinking formula milk, he can make the transition to full cream milk (e.g. chilled pasteurised, UHT, powdered full cream milk) together with solid food for a complete source of energy. However, as fats are still essential for optimum growth and development, growing toddlers below the age of 2, whose digestive systems are not developed enough, should not consume low-fat milk.

There is no fixed rule on how to switch between formula brands. As taste varies between formula brands, the pace of switching depends on your baby’s preferences and how quickly he can adapt to the new brand.

Start by gradually increasing the number of feeds of the new brand. If your baby is adapting well, you can increase them at a faster pace until all feeds are replaced by the new brand. During this period, you may notice a change in frequency, texture and/or colour of the stool. This is normal as the amount of added nutrients like iron and prebiotics can be different in the new brand. If you baby did not show any signs of allergy to the original cow’s milk based formula, it is unlikely that he will develop allergic reactions when switching to another cow’s milk based formula.

Different brands of formula milk have different feed compositions. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not mix two or more brands of milk powder when preparing a feed.

When your baby is around 6 months, he should start eating more solid foods. It is best to gradually feed your baby milk further away from their main meal times (e.g. morning, late afternoon, before bedtime) while feeding him mainly solid food at these times. This helps prevent his milk intake from interfering with his appetite for other solid foods. In the initial stages of weaning at around 6 months of age, you can consider feeding your baby pureed foods about 30 minutes before his usual milk feeding time.

Boil and cool any tap water that your baby is going to drink. If your baby is around 6 months of age, you can serve water in a sippy cup or a cup with a straw to teach him the skill of sipping.

Symptoms usually occur within several hours or several days after eating the food. Therefore, it is best to observe your baby’s reaction(s) closely – especially after introducing new foods.

Common symptoms that occur within several hours include:

Hives and worsening eczema

Swollen eyes, tongue, face, mouth and lips

Watery stools

Vomiting

Rare but serious symptoms include:

Difficulty in breathing

Fainting

Some babies may develop an allergic reaction 1 or 2 days later and show symptoms like eczema, wheezing, persistent vomiting, constipation and/or stomach pain, so do keep a lookout. See a paediatrician immediately if your baby displays any of these reactions.

Picky eating occurs when children refuse certain foods that look or taste different from what they usually eat or like. Most children grow out of it eventually and start eating a wider variety of foods.

Addressing your toddler’s picky eating can help him develop the lifelong habit of eating a balanced and varied diet, and enjoy better health in adulthood. Hence, help your toddler avoid foods high in fat, salt and sugar to discourage any bad habits or unhealthy taste preferences for such foods in later life.

Tips for parents with picky eaters:

Be a role model
Your eating habits play a big part in shaping your toddler’s dietary habits. So avoid foods you don’t want your toddler to eat!

Start with smaller portions
You should only refill his plate on request.

Be patient if your toddler refuses to eat a certain food
Try alternatives like replacing a vegetable with another (e.g. replace spinach with broccoli). If he is still resistant, stop serving the food he dislikes until a week later. Toddlers sometimes take up to 8 – 10 tries before they accept new foods.

Build a positive and supportive environment during meal times
A child should not be forced to eat. Let him explore his food, and praise him by describing to him what he did well. Children need adult recognition to learn what they did is right.

Involve your child in preparing their meals
For instance, let him pick his food in the supermarket and help prepare simple meals like sandwiches. The sense of ownership will make him look forward to his meals.

Be creative when preparing and presenting food
One creative way is to include a variety of colourful food in your child's meal and cut them into interesting shapes to attract his attention. For foods new to him or not to his liking (e.g. leafy greens), simply mix them with other foods he is familiar with. This can help your child accept the food more easily.

Reward him for eating food or vegetables with playthings, not food
Do not reward him with unhealthy desserts or snacks. Instead, create your own reward system that gets your toddler excited. For example, he can collect one gold star for every new food accepted, and he can exchange the stars collected for a new toy.

Encourage self-feeding with supervision
Make sure that the food your child eats is not a choking hazard, and that he does not run around with food in his mouth.

Introduce different food types and textures
This helps your child get used to different tastes, and discover textures that make foods he dislikes appeal to him. For instance, your child may prefer to eat eggs in the form of egg custard over hard-boiled eggs.

Till now, your baby has been growing rapidly with his birth weight having tripled in a year. Now at 12 months of age, it is normal for his growth and appetite to decrease. Do not force your child to eat more than what he needs. Simply offer smaller portions of healthy food more frequently and let him choose how much to eat.

If your toddler is eating well and rejecting only a few foods, he will not suffer from nutrient deficiency. You can consider recording the foods and the amount your toddler eats over a week to monitor his growth and development.

As long as your toddler eats foods from all four food groups – brown rice and wholemeal bread, vegetables, fruits, meat and others — over a week, he is having a nutritionally-balanced diet. Simply enjoy a relaxing meal with your toddler and include a wide variety of foods to help him gradually accept other different food types.

Consult your doctor or dietician if your toddler constantly refuses food from a particular food group, for his nutritional needs may not be sufficiently met.

Now that your toddler is 1-year-old, it’s best to wean him from the bottle as it will get more difficult as he grows older. Staying on the bottle too long can raise his risk of dental caries and poor teeth development – especially when your toddler falls asleep with the milk bottle teat in his mouth and milk residue in prolonged contact with his teeth. Late weaning can also interfere with your toddler’s appetite for other foods (i.e. preferring milk over solids).

Weaning Tips:

Give your toddler a training cup for milk or a straw to drink with.

Replace the bottle with a training cup for one feeding during the day, and then gradually increase the frequency. By 18 months of age, he should stop using the bottle entirely.

Your child may protest at first, but be persistent. Respond by giving hugs and kisses instead of giving in.

Symptoms usually occur within several hours or several days after eating the food. Therefore, it is best to observe your baby’s reaction(s) closely – especially after introducing new foods.

Common symptoms that occur within several hours include:

Hives and worsening eczema

Swollen eyes, tongue, face, mouth and lips

Watery stools

Vomiting

Rare but serious symptoms include:

Difficulty in breathing

Fainting

Some babies may develop an allergic reaction 1 or 2 days later and show symptoms like eczema, wheezing, persistent vomiting, constipation and/or stomach pain, so do keep a lookout. See a paediatrician immediately if your baby displays any of these reactions.