What is the difference between elecare and alimentum

A common question is regarding Nutramigen vs Elecare. This article will discuss what to start with and how to decide between the two. They are both excellent formulas and both are considered hypoallergenic formulas. There are affiliate links in this post. Read my disclosure policy to learn more.

It is a formula used for special medical purposes. Also, this formula can help babies consume regular milk proteins as early as 6 months. Finally, Nutramigen can reduce incidence of allergies in infants as they grow, including asthma and eczema. Other features include DHA for brain development, probiotics for gut and digestive health, and no artificial growth hormones. Click image to see at Amazon.

EleCare is an amino acid formula. This formula can help with severe food allergy symptoms and various gut and digestion issues related to food allergies.

Surprisingly, both of these formulas tend to have the same problems. The first and most obvious drawback of these sensitive formulas is that they are very pricey.

This is a ton of money! When you calculate how much more that can be on a monthly basis, you start to understand the possible impact on your budget. Hopefully, insurance can help purchase these special formulas!

Number one: the taste and smell of this formula is terrible. However, this type of formula seems to be especially bad for that. There is no sweetness or creaminess to this like there is in some regular formula. The amounts of iron and other nutrients in these formulas and make it smell horrible.

Your baby might tolerate it better this way. It also seems to make their stools have a much stronger and more distinct smell. You really have to shake these bottles like crazy to get them even somewhat mixed. Be sure to check the expiration date on the can. EleCare and EleCare Jr may be fed orally or by tube directly into the digestive system.

It should not be fed intravenously through a vein. Abbott Nutrition conducts extensive testing to make sure the manufacturing equipment is milk protein free prior to production and also tests the product using sensitive techniques for the presence of milk protein. Abbott Nutrition recommends that consumers for whom this is an issue contact their Rabbi for approval to prior to consuming these products.

Hydrolyzed formulas are usually the first option your doctor will recommend for you to try with your child if it seems like they are reacting to regular formula or breastmilk. Hydrolyzed formulas are cheaper than using elemental formulas, and you can find them at most regular stores like Walmart or at the grocery store in the formula section. There is also a newer formula from Gerber called Gerber HA. One big note about hydrolyzed formulas — they do still have dairy and soy in the formula.

Some of the more sensitive kids are still not able to tolerate any dairy or soy in their formula, and end up having to move to an elemental formula. Elemental formulas are amino acid based, instead of using dairy. Neocate is the only one of those that has no soy oil, so if your child is extremely sensitive to soy, you might want to look at Neocate first. The soy in the others is so broken down that most children will likely do fine with it, but there are some that are just super sensitive.

The ingredients in these formulas usually have a heavy amount of corn, so if your child is very corn sensitive these may not work as well. Side note- many corn sensitive kids do well with the Ready to feed pre-mixed version of Alimentum. These formulas also usually have a junior version for children over the age of 1 who still need formula as a main or supplementary source of nutrition.

The junior formulas are adjusted slightly to account for increased calories and nutrients your child will need as they get older. There are several different options for infant and junior formulas through Neocate and Elecare and it can get a little confusing, so keep reading for a breakdown of the different options.

Remember, this is only a guide. Moving to a formula should always be something you do under medical advice and ongoing supervision. Neocate Syneo is the newer version of the regular Neocate Infant formula. This version contains prebiotics and probiotics to try to help seal up leaky gut issues and help with inflammation.