Does it exist - CY formula for PREMIES

YALT

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 9:27 am

I know J&J makes CY formula (with Similac) for full-term babies. However, the hospital will not let the baby drink that. Does anyone know if it exists for Premies? And how we can get ahold of some?

We're trying to reach J&J, but in the mean time I was wondering if anyone knew.

Thanks so much!

NotInNJMommy

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 11:42 am

I did look. The first formula for ds while int he hospital from 30-34 weeks was another type of similac forumla, also not CY,(OUD). It was 24 cal/oz. It's not available on the private consumer market, only for hospitals.

Then, when he was at full feeds and ready to be discharged, they switched him to neosure, also OUD, which is 22 cal/oz.

Not only are the calories different but the proportion of carbs/protein/fats are different.

I was not able to find any CY formula for this, but once the pediatrician said he could use regular formula I switched to materna CY--it was around his due date.

RachelEve14

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 11:52 am

AFAIK Materna does not make a preemie formula, but I think there are soy alternatives. My preemies were on neosure, it was more important for them to get the right formula when they weren't nursing than for me to worry about it being mahadrin.

YALT

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 1:36 pm

I understand, and believe that it's in everyone's best interests that the child be healthy - whatever it takes. But some are more machmir, and CH"V if it's all available - would never take away the Cholov Stam. But if we can buy soem from the hospitals, than she would much rather spend the bit extra to get the cholov Yisroel.

Is there anyone in EY who knows what the hospitals use over there, if anyone can speak to a hospital and see if we can buy some off of them?

YALT

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 2:07 pm

apparently, there are no pareve ones in USA. The formula is dif. for reg. babies and premies (especially those born that early)

I forgot to mention that the other thing we are looking for is a CY human milk fortifier. It's a powder they're putting into everything including her pumped milk (rendering her own breastmilk - Cholov Stam)

Mama Bear

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 4:15 pm

Yalt - the only cy forumla in the us is J&J. Preemie formulas are not cholov yisroel. we asked a shayla, we were quite broken to have to use cholov stam, andd were paskened to use the cholov stam neosure since the baby needs it! ask a shayla - you have no choice really.

mandksima

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 4:26 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

At that point, after a shayla, using that cholov stam is a mitzvah and you should use the formula with joy that the baby is getting what he needs and it is as if you're eating on Yom Kippur when the rav says you must and with simcha.

YALT

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 4:51 pm

the baby has been using it, and I'm sure they've spoken to a rov. But if there's a way, there's the will. And if there's a will - therte's a way. And therefore, they're ready to do anything to get their hands on it.
Obviously, if it doesn't exist, then there is no way. But I'd imagine such a thing probably would exist in EY. And if so, then there's a way. The question is IF it exists in EY, or if it's just an assumption, and how to get our hands on it, if it does exist there.
We have a way to bring it from the states this week if we get it.

But don't worry. The baby is eating, and growing nicely, BH and hopefully all will be well.

Just like the threads where some say "you haven't tried everything to nurse or to go natural, or whatever" - so here, she feels she didn't go the extra mile to insure until she tried past the extra mile.

Mama Bear

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 5:00 pm

exactly. you want the best for the baby's growth and brain development. poskim are very concerned for babies and preemies' wellbeing and their heterim should be accepted as a true psak.

NotInNJMommy

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 5:03 pm

In many regards, formula is considered medicine for any child under 2, kal v'chomer a weaker than typical child (ie. a preemie). so there are leniencies in this. Just be sure to also run by your LOR if you can prepare the formula/wash the bottles around the other dairy keilim or not. (In my case, no. I made bottles in the bathroom until DS was ready for "regular" formula, but this is what I do for pesach anyways bc (almost) all formula is kitniyos)

debs123

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 5:18 pm

We had a 29 week preemie this year. We asked a shayla and were told we must give the non cholov yisroel version - and we are so, so strict about CY in life. May your baby grow, grow and grow -easily!!!!

RachelEve14

Tue, Dec 02 2008, 11:54 pm

YALT wrote:

When my preemies were in Shari Tzedek they used neosure.

Sorry I wasn't trying to be flippant, I was just tired. I apologize. I looked on the materna site for you and I don't see any preemie formula, so I assume they don't make one. I gave my preemies neosure as a supplament when needed until they were about 6 months old and they were okay'd for real materna.

YALT

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 12:01 am

don't worry. Everyone holds and does dif.
Everyone has their thing that they'll turn over the world to do. And this is one point that my sister is hoping Yagati U'matzasi Ta'amin. So, we'll wait and see.
But thanks for letting me know that neosure is what they gave you in Shaarei Tzedek.

mandksima

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 1:28 am

I forgot to mention that when my preemies were born (24 weeks), they were on very specialized formula (non cy) but then when one wasn't thriving on dairy or soy, they switched to Neocate which besides being incredibly pricey was actually treif and I had to wash the bottles in the bathroom and I bought a special pot and tongs to sterilize them. I was so happy to be finished with that. But I was still happy to give them treif if that's what it meant to ensure their health! I would have loved to have them on cholov stam, such a better alternative!

Hashem_Yaazor

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 11:02 am

YALT, if it's human milk fortifier they need, and not formula, there might be a way to use pumped milk.
It involves pumping, separating the fat, and using a centrifuge to spin it IIRC, but in some cases breast milk alone can be enhanced without additives by focusing on the fatty parts.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 04 2008, 12:26 pm

YALT, I am going to call you but I wanted to document this.

1. Prolacta is a human milk fortifier made by donated breastmilk. According to my husband, it does NOT have the same level of "tarfus" as Cholov Stam might. Spiritually, we prefer not to use donated milk from a non-Jewish woman if possible, but it's 100% kosher halachically. Of the 2, he says that would be halachically much better. Consult your rav of course.

2. There is a way to give fattier breastmilk only for preemies. This information was given by my mother in law, the head of the lactation department in a hospital with a high-level NICU.
2 ways of doing so:
If a mother pumps and lets her milk sit, you skim off the fattier milk and use that. (Freeze the other milk if you wish to keep it for the future.)
Alternatively, if a preemie needs, say, 2 ounces a feeding, and a mother pumps 2 ounces per side, she should pump one ounce from each side, leave it to the side, and then pump the second ounce from each side and feed that to the baby as it's much fattier.
Depending on the situation, these are very viable options.
Just for the record.