Nestle Good Start Supreme in the Purple Can: A Better Choice for Babies with Reflux

While breastfeeding is best, what kind of formula choices do you have for babies with reflux? Sometimes desperate parents turn to very expensive formulas such as Nutramigen, Pregestamil and Alimentum, because they contain no lactose and are made with hydrolysate proteins which are supposed to be easier to digest. In our case, our pediatrician suggested that we try a regular formula (that is, a standard cow-milk based formula with iron), and if that did not work, we would turn to more expensive choices. We decided to try Nestle Good Start formula in the purple can. The more popular (and expensive) Nestle Good Start with DHA and ARA, the formula in the orange can featured in "Formula Review of Nestle Good Start with DHA and ARA", tends to also be harder on the belly of little ones with gastrointestinal problems.

In this article, I review the different kinds of formula available and tell you our personal experience with this decision.

What kinds of formula choices are out there?

Our son was breastfed for nine months. We heard everywhere that babies who are breastfed have less reflux. However, at nine months we needed to supplement the breast milk with formula and did not know what formula to choose. Our pediatrician said all formulas are the same, but we did some research and this is what we found.

The "standard" formulas contain lactose and are cow-milk based. All formula in the must meet certain minimal nutritional requirements. Therefore, store brands and more expensive choices such as Similac and Enfamil all are designed to meet your infant's nutritional needs. However, this does not mean that all formulas are the same. Cow milk contains different kinds of protein, mainly casein and whey. Different formula manufacturers use different percentages of these proteins in their formula. In order to digest proteins, the body must break them down into their component amino acids. Some proteins are more difficult to break down than others for certain people. If a protein is not properly broken down into its component amino acids, then the protein is not nutritionally useable and can lead to indigestion. This is why your baby may react poorly to one formula and have no problems with another.

Another option is soy-based formula, which does not contain milk proteins. Although some infants tolerate this formula well, many become constipated while using this. Also, our baby did not like the taste of it and refused to drink it. If you mix up a batch of soy-based formula and then smell it, you'll have a good idea why a lot of babies don't enjoy this option.

What We Chose and Why

When your baby has reflux, you try very hard to find a solution. We talked to people and left questions on websites. Many people whose babies had reflux, we heard, had been very happy with Nestle Good Start formula. We decided to give this formula a shot.

There were several types of Nestle Good Start available. The most common is Nestle Good Start with DHA and ARA. This is the orange can. This formula is cow milk based and it contains lactose and iron. In addition, this formula has DHA and ARA. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid) are fatty acids that, according to formula manufacturers, support brain development. We did not choose to purchase this one, because the DHA and ARA can be harder for the babies to digest, and because the DHA and ARA formulas have not really been shown to be better for babies. To me, it seemed like just another fake improvement.

We chose the purple can, with the comfort proteins and without the DHA and ARA. Combined with the use of Dr. Brown's bottles, we found that this combination led to reduced colic and reflux and improved gastrointestinal health. Also, I made me feel good knowing my baby was getting his full nutritional needs in a simple and convenient manner. One thing we kept hearing over and over is that if you decide to try a formula, stay with it for at least a few weeks, because it's hard to tell right away whether the baby will tolerate that formula or not.

One last piece of advice: formula prices vary significantly from store to store. We found that Babies R Us and Toys R Us had the best prices in our area, followed by Walmart. Supermarkets and drugstores tend to have the highest prices for formula.