Talk with your pediatrician about which formula to use, and before you switch, especially if your baby has symptoms such as blood in the stool, vomiting, rash or poor weight gain. This is general information, not medical advice.
Every formula meets FDA rules
Infant formula sold legally in the U.S. must meet FDA’s nutrient requirements, which are set to meet infants’ needs. Differences among formulas are mostly optional ingredients, ingredient sources and price.
Sources: FDA nutrient requirements, 21 CFR 107.100; FDA: infant formula safety dos and don’ts
Choose iron-fortified
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends iron-fortified formula for babies who are not breastfed or are only partly breastfed, from birth to 12 months.
Sources: Journal of Family Practice clinical inquiry on the AAP’s iron-fortified formula recommendation; AAFP letter noting the AAP’s iron-fortified formula recommendation
Specialty formulas are for specific situations
Sensitive, partly hydrolyzed and reduced-lactose formulas are marketed for fussiness or gas. Extensively hydrolyzed formulas are made for cow’s milk protein allergy, and partly hydrolyzed formulas can still cause reactions in babies with that allergy. Goat milk proteins are close to cow’s milk proteins, so goat milk formula is not an allergy formula. Ask your pediatrician first.
Sources: Enfamil: hypoallergenic formulas and cow’s milk allergy; UK Food Standards Agency position on goat milk formula, reported by New Food Magazine; Dairy Goat Co-operative: goat milk formula is not for cow’s milk protein allergy, citing the AAP
Prepare it exactly as the label says
FDA advises against making formula at home, and says to mix formula as the label directs and not to water it down.
Sources: FDA: infant formula safety dos and don’ts; FDA: do not make or feed homemade infant formula
Watch for recalls
Check FDA’s recall page and the batch code on your can. Nara Organics recalled all lots in June 2026. See the FDA notice and FDA recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts.
Cost and help
Formula is a large expense, so compare price per 100 kcal. Most state WIC programs award a contract to one manufacturer, whose formula is the first-choice brand, so ask which brands your state covers before you buy. Ask your pediatrician about assistance programs.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service: how WIC contracts for infant formula
Formula types in the comparison
The comparison groups formulas into these types and compares products only within a type:
| Type | What it is |
|---|---|
| Standard | For healthy babies who are not breastfed or are partly breastfed. This is where most parents start. |
| Sensitive | Reduced-lactose or partly hydrolyzed formulas, marketed for fussiness or gas. Ask your pediatrician before switching; they are not a treatment for allergy. |
| Goat milk | Made from goat milk. Goat milk proteins are close to cow milk proteins, so goat formula is not an allergy formula. |
| Hypoallergenic | Extensively hydrolyzed formulas for babies with cow’s milk protein allergy. Usually used on a pediatrician’s advice. |