What is good for you is not good for your baby!

With the exception of a trace amount of oligosaccharides, lactose is the main carbohydrate found in mother’s milk, which contains about 7% lactose. It was thought that lactose simply served as an energy source, and its others purpose in mother’s milk was unknown. Several baby formula brands have added additional carbs, such as sucrose, maltodextrin, or corn syrup, in light of this information. This has been done primarily for financial reasons, though it may also be done to avoid diarrhea brought on by lactose sensitivity for specialty formulas. While some of the other carbohydrates may have a negative effect by causing obesity and dental cavities, or they may raise the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), as was recently shown in a preterm piglet model, lactose in infant formula has been shown to play a role in fat absorption, have a prebiotic function, and may also help prevent allergies.

According to a marketing study, 45% of mothers believe that a product labeled “lactose free” will increase their likelihood of purchasing infant formula. The idea that moms wish to prevent their infants from developing lactose sensitivity could be one explanation for this. However, except for type 3 congenital lactase deficiency, which is linked to gene mutation and only manifests in 1 out of 60,000 children, primarily in Finland and Russia, lactose intolerance symptoms typically start to show around the age of 4-5 years. Therefore, lactose will undoubtedly be the best carbohydrate in infant formula unless the specific baby cannot tolerate it.