"Good Night" thickened formula.

Thanks to Heather at Hathor the Cowgoddess for this one:

Cow and Gate formula company just introduced a formula called Cow and Gate Good Night Follow-on Milk.  For those of us in the U.S. who aren't familiar with the term, consider yourself lucky.  "Follow-on milks" are formulas marketed to families for use from six months.  They also allow formula companies in the U.K. to get around restrictions on advertising of formula.  So far they haven't caught on here, in spite of some marketing efforts.

First problem with this idea:  there's no evidence that babies whose feedings are "thickened" before bedtime sleep any better. 

But let's just say for a moment that this new formula does work and babies sleep longer.

Is that a good thing?  There is evidence that babies' natural tendency to wake during the night is protective against SIDS.  La Leche League says, "Breastfed babies sleep less soundly than artificially fed infants and are more likely to sleep with their mothers; thus, they may be more easily aroused when they experience a stop-breathing episode."   

Whether you're a breastfeeding or formula feeding mother, I'd treat this new product with a thick dose of skepticism.

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Comments

[Maria]

I hated when people told me I should give the little one cereal before bed... at three or four months ... seriously people. Sorry. Not your fault. Anyway, keep breastfeeding and there is no need for formula or cow's milk for that matter! :)

[Stacie (The Twinkies)]

Please. My kids eat solids like, well, toddlers who are almost 2 and they STILL get up at night. Thickened formula isn't going to help people get a good night's sleep though I bet it will sell a lot to desperate, sleep deprived parents.

[onetinkerbell]

For various reasons I don't think that thickened formula is the best idea for getting infants to sleep through the night. Some babies sleep through the night and others don't - it depends on their internal clock and not necessarily what you feed them.

However, it seems strange to me that it isn't being marketed for babies who suffer from acid reflux. Even though I hated feeding Gwyn formula when I was trying to rebuild my milk supply (after the GERD diagnosis) the thickened formula helped a great deal with controlling the acid as well as adding calories so she could regain the weight she'd lost. I'm not saying I advocate formula over breast feeding but I do think that there are a lot of people who formula feed and whose babies have GERD for whom thickened formula might be a big help.

[Tatyana]

I use Good Night Milk and I think it does help my baby to sleep better. First of all, read the packaging, it says "from 6 months" so there is no harm to breast-fed babies.