by J. Van

Created on: April 07, 2009

Cow's milk proteins, found in the breast milk of dairy-consuming mothers and in most commercial infant formulas, are very difficult for some babies to digest. When my baby was diagnosed with a cow's milk protein intolerance, our pediatrician recommended that I eliminate dairy from my diet, and use a hypoallergenic formula, such as Similac Alimentum, when I wasn't breastfeeding.

Similac Alimentum is made from cow's milk proteins, like regular formula, but the proteins have been broken down through a process known as hydrolyzation. This process makes the protein easier for babies' digestive systems to deal with.

Similac Alimentum is a little more difficult to find than some other formulas, but can be purchased at most large grocery stores and baby supply stores. The powdered form comes in one size: a 16 oz tin. The ready-to-serve form comes in 2 oz bottles that can be fitted directly with a nipple, for easy on-the-go feeding, and in 8 oz and 32 oz sizes. Unused portions of the ready-to-serve formulas must be refrigerated after opening.

The cost for any hypoallergenic (or protein hydrolysate) formula is higher than for regular formula. A 16 oz can of Similac Alimentum usually costs about two dollars more than the same size of Similac Advance. However, if your child has been diagnosed with severe food allergies, protein maldigestion or fat malabsorption, and you qualify under the WIC program, you may be able to get your supply of Alimentum for free with a prescription from your doctor. You can also register with Similac.com to receive a free sample and coupons.

I will not mince words about the taste and smell of Similac Alimentum. Compared to regular formula, breast milk, or regular milk, Alimentum tastes very bitter. It also smells sour and unappealing, a little like bird droppings. My baby grimaced at the first taste of each bottle. Her breath and spit-up also had a distinctive strong odor.

However, there was no arguing with the results of eliminating dairy from my diet and switching to a hypoallergenic formula. My daughter's crying after every feeding gradually slowed and stopped, and was replaced by a contented silence. Almost overnight, she went from fussing for about six hours a day to less than two.

Since she seemed to dislike the flavor so much, I cautiously sought other options over the next several months. Soy formula gave her nearly the same amount of indigestion as milk-based formulas, and my own taste test of the other hypoallergenic formulas, such as Nutramigen and Progestimil, suggested that they were equally foul-tasting. Rather than making any further changes to her diet, which our doctor told us could make her digestive issues worse, we eventually settled on Similac Alimentum as the least horrible of the hypoallergenic options.

Despite the taste, Similac Alimentum played a big part of improving my daughter's mood in her first few months on the planet, and for that I am very thankful. I would recommend this product for babies who are wholly or partially formula-fed and have a diagnosed protein intolerance.

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