We switched my daughter to Gentlease due to her having a lot of problems with gas (despite vented bottles and gas drops in each bottle of formula). It seems to be helping quite a bit, but when I was reading the ingredients I got quite confused. Here is what it lists as one of the main ingredients: "partially hydrolyzed nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate solids (soy)". Whey protein is milk protein as far as I know, so I'm not sure what the "soy" in parenthesis means?? Their site says "It contains an easy-to-digest milk protein blend patterned after breast milk (whey and casein in a 60:40 ratio)* that has been partially broken down." It mentions nothing about soy. I really do not want my daughter on a soy formula (for a lot of personal reasons). Does anyone know what the word "soy" in parenthesis means?
I called Enfamil and first and foremost they were VERY helpful. They answered all my questions, sent me a free can of formula via FedEx and a set of coupons.
As for the soy - there is a "trace" amount of soy protein in the formula but it is considered a "milk based" formula and not a "soy based" formula. Most all of the protein comes from milk-based protein (Whey and Casein) but they are just broken down further than a standard formula. All of the Enfamil formulas have small amount of Soy Oil in them and some (like Gentlease) also have trace amts of soy protein.
Also- we did try Good Start and it made her gas WORSE as well as gave her pea green stools. Also, Good Start has NO casein protein - its all whey protein. In my mind casein protein is in breastmilk for a reason so I'd prefer a formula that has it. Thanks to everyone who offered advice! OH and we're also not doing gas drops anymore based on the response below (thanks!) - instead we're doing organic gripe water and its working WONDERS. Thanks mamas!
No it is not a soy formula. It does have a trace like soy protien. It actually is the same formula as Lipil, it just has had the milk protien broken down more so that it is more easy to digest. If you were okay with regular Lipil, then the Gentleease is ok as well.
That is confusing, K.. I suggest you contact the Enfamil folks:
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Hi K.,
I checked Wikipedia and found this Simethicone is an anti-foaming agent that decreases the surface tension of gas bubbles, causing them to combine into larger bubbles in the stomach that can be passed more easily by burping. Simethicone does not reduce or prevent the formation of gas in the digestive tract, rather, it increases the rate at which it exits the body.[1] However, simethicone can relieve pain caused by gas in the intestines by decreasing foaming which then allows for passing of flatus. Simethicone is not absorbed by the body into the bloodstream, and is therefore considered relatively safe, with sources reporting the worst side effects as bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas and heartburn. While sold as a treatment for colic, randomised controlled trials have not borne this claim out.[2][3]
The only thing gas drops do is change the surface of the formula, not allowing it to bubble up so you can put it directly into the bottle. I even checked on the Mylecon site and they suggested the same thing.
I just thought I would pass this along. Happy Mother's Day to all!
Yes. They are beating around the bush. Soy is in that formula. I know what you mean about the soy, I would switch too.
It probably does have a little soy in it.
In order for the gas drops to work, you have to give them directly to the baby and not mix them in formula. You can also burp her more frequently, make sure she's not sucking a lot of air when she's eating, and check her bottle nipples to make sure there's no holes in them. I always used the PlayTex drop ins because I could squeeze all the air out of the bottle. My oldest was REALLY gassy and that really helped her.
The only way to be sure is to contact the company directly.
I don't know much about the formula you are using, but if you are having issues with gassy/fussy baby, you should try Gerber Goodstart. Its the best formula! My son had to be on Enfamil 22 cal. for the first 4 mo and he had issues feeding. I noticed that it was really foamy so I always stirred the formula, instead of shaking it and this did help, but it wasn't until I was allowed to take him off of this brand and that I noticed the biggest difference. Its a really good formula, especially the green can, it has probiotics in it, which has been studied to help babies with colic. I highly recommend it. I have used it with both of my babies and I have no issues with gassy/fussy babies! Good luck!
In my world it means "stay away from it". Too much soy isn't good. Been linked to breast cancer down the road. My daughter can't stand the taste. Gerber Goodstart is good.
No, it's not a soy formula. My first was on Gentlease for most of his first year, and my second couldn't tolerate it (we tried after he was having problems with regular formula), so we switched to soy formula and that did the trick. Gentlease may have a little soy in it, but it's not an actual soy formula.
