The first times you feed your newborn are intimate and emotional moments. A moment of connection between you and your child. Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for healthy babies. In a baby with metabolic disease, the amount of breastfeeding is adjusted as it contains proteins and amino acids such as phenylalanine. It is supplemented with diet food specifically for infants and possibly regular infant formula.
Frequently asked questions about breastfeeding and metabolic disease:
- Can I breastfeed my child with a metabolic disease?
- Can I breastfeed and bottle-feed?
- Can I only bottle feed?
- How do the first few days go?
- How much food does my baby need?
1. Can I breastfeed my child with a metabolic disease?
I don't have a metabolic disease myself
Breastfeeding is and remains the most suitable food during the first months of life. The diagnosis that your child has a metabolic disease does not have to be a reason to stop breastfeeding. All the nutrients needed to grow and stay healthy are provided here. In addition, breast milk can protect babies from bacterial and viral infections.
However, the protein content in breast milk is quite high, which makes exclusive feeding with breast milk not possible for babies with a metabolic disease. Therefore, part of the breast milk is replaced by infant formula based on amino acids. In addition to breastfeeding, drops of vitamins K and D are recommended according to the prescription of the metabolic treatment team.
I myself have a metabolic disease such as PKU or HPA
If breastfeeding is possible, this is advised. It's important to know if your baby also has PKU. A baby with PKU should only drink a limited amount of breast milk and will receive an additional infant formula based on amino acids. The metabolic treatment team will advise you extensively on this.
If your baby does not have PKU, you can breastfeed as usual. Breast milk is of good quality, even if you are a mother on a PKU diet!
Tip: Breastfeeding also has a big benefit for you and your PKU diet. You need Phe to build up the proteins in your breast milk. This amount of Phe comes from your diet and so you may be allowed to eat more protein.
2. Can I combine breast and bottle feeding?
- Pumping and mixing: You can express breastfeeding and give it in a bottle together with the prepared infant diet food.
- Phased feeding: First, you give a measured amount of infant diet food and then you breastfeed the baby until he/she is satiated.
During consultations, the treatment team will discuss which approach is most suitable for your child.
3. Can I only bottle feed?
If you are not breastfeeding, a starter formula in combination with the amino acid mixture is the best replacement. This food is weighed in the desired ratio in the bottle. This ratio is always adjusted to the blood values and the increasing weight, and is therefore regularly calculated by your dietician. At a low value, more regular infant formula can be given, at a high value, this amount is reduced and your baby gets more amino acid mixture.
You use this diet food in the same way as a standard infant formula. However, this amino acid preparation has been specially developed for the needs of a baby with a metabolic disease such as PKU Anamix Infant, TYR Anamix Infant and MSUD Anamix Infant.
4. How do the first few days go?
The first few days, your baby can drink mainly low-protein food, which will cause the values to drop again. The treatment team will tell you how much food the baby can drink. Babies usually switch to phenylalanine-free food quite easily. If you're breastfeeding, you'll need to pump to keep milk production going.
Starting to breastfeed
After the first few days, your baby may be breastfed more and more. The amount of breastfeeding can vary from child to child and can fluctuate due to periods of illness, teething and growth spurts. Breastfeeding is gently started and expanded as the amount is adjusted depending on how much breastfeeding the child tolerates.
Starting with bottle feeding
After the first few days, your baby can have more and more regular infant formula. This standard infant formula and the low-protein diet food are mixed and given in one bottle. The metabolic treatment team will explain exactly how to do this.
Most babies quickly adapt to the combination of dietary food and breast or infant formula. In the beginning, the amount of the amino acid mixture and breastfeeding or infant formula should be adjusted regularly according to your baby's increasing weight and to keep blood levels within safe ranges.
5. How much food does my baby need?
Up to and including the fifth month, most babies need at least five feedings per 24 hours, regardless of whether they are breastfed or bottle-fed. Also keep in mind:
If your baby is otherwise healthy, he will not need anything other than the amino acid mixture and breastfeeding or formula for the first four to six months. For healthy babies who are bottle-fed or mixed feeding, it is advised not to start solid food until four months, when the child is ready.
The amino acid mixture already contains many vitamins and minerals. Depending on the amount of breastfeeding, extra vitamins D and K may be needed. Follow the advice of the metabolic team.
If you have any concerns about feeding your baby or need help, contact the metabolic treatment team. Also, let them know if your baby is sick or not feeling well. They are there to support you.
