How 6 Popular Infant Formulas Stack Up Against Each Other

Updated on 1/15/2019 at 5:55 PM

When it came time to give my daughter infant formula, the thought made me panic. Rationally, I knew I had to stop nursing for valid reasons and was happy I had made it six months exclusively breastfeeding. But even the thought of researching formula made me cringe.

I realized that while I got a lot of advice about breastfeeding, no one in my childbirth classes or mothers groups seemed to talk about formula. It's true that historically, commercial formula has been overmarketed to parents when breast milk is best. But the correction toward promoting breastfeeding had left me scared and uninformed about how to start feeding my child when I could no longer produce her food myself.

"It's a very personal decision for a woman to decide to switch to formula or decide to use formula and breastfeed," explained Diane Wilson, director of nutrition services for Nature's One, which sells an organic baby formula. Wilson said she receives comments from mothers who have had breast reduction surgery or are adoptive parents. Some other reasons mothers decide to supplement or go to exclusively formula? Medication, low milk supply, work situations, a desire to conceive again, or simply because they decide breastfeeding isn't for them.

"You can count on formula to make sure your baby grows and thrives."

Wilson believes parents in these situation shouldn't feel guilty. "Infant formula is one of the most highly regulated foods in the world. The manufacturing specifications, the nutrient composition, the amount of these nutrients — everything is extensively researched, and ingredients that go into formula have to show that they are completely safe and appropriate and in the proper amount," she explained. Wilson pointed out that in certain situations, formula is a necessity, and when that's the case you can feel assured that it's a safe, healthy alternative. "Breast milk will never be duplicated, at least in my lifetime," Wilson said, "but you can count on formula to make sure your baby grows and thrives."

Dr. Cristina Casas, a pediatrician in San Francisco, agreed that formula is safe for infants, and in fact she does not recommend a specific one to patients since she believes all are sufficiently regulated. "I tell parents not to be stressed about introducing formula. Although we recommend giving breast milk if possible, formula is a great alternative," she told me.

While it's assuring to know that all formulas are held to high standards, I did find various pros and cons for each when I finally sat down to research them. Let's look at a few of the formulas that stood out and see how they compare to each other. I focused on cow's milk formula. In rare situations, a doctor may recommend soy formula, which is vegan, or other specialized formulas for babies who are premature or at risk for allergies. (You can read more about what the American Academy of Pediatrics has said about those options here). It's always a good idea to talk to your health care provider when making an important decision like this, but to get you started, read on.

Baby's Only Organic Formula

Baby's Only Organic Formula from Nature's One was the first organic formula on the US market and the one I chose to give my daughter when she was seven months old. Wilson, who works for the company, explained that the formula is labeled as "toddler formula" to encourage breastfeeding until children are 1 years old, but it still meets all the FDA requirements for infant formula.

After reading an exhaustive investigation of organic formulas from the Cornucopia Institute, we decided this was for us. Here's what you should know:

It's organic, which helps limit exposure to potentially dangerous pesticides and chemicals. We thought this was important because research shows that children metabolize, detoxify, or excrete environmental agents differently than adults.
It doesn't include palm oil. Some babies can have trouble absorbing palm oil, which can form "soaps" in their intestines and result in digestive issues.
It does not include the synthetic preservatives ascorbyl palmitate and beta-carotene sometimes found in other US-based formulas.
It uses organic brown rice syrup instead of lactose to sweeten the milk. Many parents prefer formula that uses lactose exclusively, since it's the same sugar found in breast milk. Even so, Nature's One has developed a technology to filter out inorganic arsenic from the organic brown rice syrup, which makes it safer. It also does not include corn-based sugars like corn syrup or maltodextrin, nor sucrose (white sugar).
The price is reasonable, around $.96 per oz.

Enfamil Enspire Powdered Baby Formula

Enfamil Enspire tops many lists of best infant formulas. The Bump said it's their top choice, as does Baby List. Enfamil Enspire includes extras that are found in breast milk, but not required by the FDA for all infant formulas. That could make Enfamil Enspire closer to breast milk than other options out there. Here are more details:

It only uses lactose as a sweetening agent, the same thing that makes breast milk sweet. There is no rice or corn-derived sweeteners.
It's fortified with lactoferrin, a protein found in colostrum, as well as milk fat globule membrane (MFGM). These are extras not required by the FDA.
It does include palm oil, which could cause digestive issues.
It's not organic.
It's expensive, at about $1.89 oz.

Earth's Best Organic Infant Formula

If you want to go the organic route, Earth's Best is another option widely available. Here's how it stacks up:

It uses lactose as a sweetening agent, the same thing that makes breast milk sweet. The version for sensitive tummies also includes organic glucose syrup solids, derived from corn.
It's organic, which reduces baby's exposure to pesticides and other environmental agents.
It contains palm oil, which could cause digestive issues.
It's affordable, at $1 per ounce.

Similac Pro-Advance

The ingredients in Similac Pro-Advanced stay close to breast milk. Similac touts its patented blend of nutrients and was the first formula to include human milk oligosaccharide (HMO), an immune-system boosting prebiotic similar to that in breast milk. It is a favorite among hospitals. Here's how it compares to others:

It only uses lactose as a sweetener, the same thing found in breast milk.
It does not include palm oil.
It's not organic.
It's affordable, at $1.22 an oz.

HIPP Organic Formula

Many parents in the US order European formulas, like HIPP, online, since they are not available commercially stateside. While I didn't opt to do that, we did give our daughter HIPP organic formula while on an extended trip to Europe. "There are usually fewer ingredients in the European formulas," Dr. Casas said, which I count as a benefit. If you're considering HIPP, here's what you should know:

It's organic.
It does not contain synthetic preservatives and nutrients that are prohibited and regulated in the European Union, but make their way into many US formulas, including organic brands. (According to Cornorcopia, Baby's Only also does not include these preservatives.)
It only uses lactose as a sweetener and has no refined high-concentrated sweeteners.
It does not include palm oil.
It is somewhat expensive, as you have to import from online vendors. On Formulaland, for example, it costs about $1.50 an ounce, but shipping is free when your order is $100 or more.
It's not FDA approved, although it is regulated in the EU. While it's legal to purchase international brands for personal use in the US, import laws are more complicated and your supplier could risk being shut down or delayed.
You have to plan ahead and make sure you have a good stock, since you can't run to the store for more.

Holle Organic Formula

Holle is another popular European formula and very similar to HIPP. A few key differences: its farms are biodynamic and Demeter certified, which means ingredients follow a higher standard than even organic. But unlike HIPP, it does include palm oil and maltodextrin. Let's break it all down:

It does not contain synthetic preservatives and nutrients that are prohibited and regulated in the European Union.
The source farms are biodynamic and Demeter certified, which is basically organic-plus.
It uses maltodextrin, instead of lactose, as its added sweetener.
It contains palm oil.
It's more expensive than HIPP, another popular European brand. On Formulaland, for example, it costs $1.85 an ounce, but shipping is free when your order is $100 or more.
It's not FDA approved, which could cause import headaches.
You have to plan ahead and make sure you have a good stock.

The bottom line: you should feel OK about giving your child formula if the situation requires it. And with a little research, you can find one that's right for them.