Had switched my baby's formula?

Question

my 5 mo th old got swtich from enfamil lipil to enfamil gentelease, today. and he doesnt seem to drink it well. he even threw up the first time. by the night though he drank it a little better. my question is how long does this stuff take to stop my son's cramps and big spit ups?

Answer 1

Any change of formula is likely to cause pain, indigestion and diarrhoea/constipation. Change should always be done gradually over a couple of weeks. Start by mixing 1 part new formula to 5 parts current, then 2:4 after a few days and so on until your baby is drinking all new formula. This enables his immature digestive system to get used to the change and minimises side effects of the change.

Now that you have made a sudden change, it's too late to go back. Hopefully it will only take a few days for his body to get used to the new formula. After that you may notice an overall improvement, but it may take a couple of weeks. Unfortunately you just need to give him time. Any other things you offer him (eg medications) may only upset his system further.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You should give a new formula up to one week to see if there is any improvement. If you see an allergic reaction, discontinue use immediately and contact your son's pediatrician.

Did you switch him over immediately or did you mix a little into his bottle with the formula he used to drink to gently introduce it? Sometimes that may help avoid further stomach upset, though I'm not sure it would have helped if his stomach was already upset.