The 10 Best Baby Formulas

For most babies who need a standard formula, Similac 360 Total Care is a sensible place to start. Abbott adds five prebiotics that match sugars found in breast milk, which it says support the gut and the immune system. It's a milk-based powder with no genetically engineered ingredients, and SNAP benefits cover it. Stores carry it almost everywhere. The tub is on the small side, so it runs out fast for a baby on formula full time.

Parents who want Enfamil's fullest standard recipe should look at Enfamil Optimum, once sold as Enspire. It pairs lactoferrin, a protein found in breast milk, with milk fat membrane and two prebiotics. Mead Johnson says these support immunity and brain growth, but the proof that such extras change how babies grow is still modest. It skips high-fructose corn syrup. The new name and look can make it hard to spot on the shelf.

Families feeding formula full time can save with Amazon Basics Advantage Premium, a store-brand powder that used to be sold as Mama Bear. Its big can makes each bottle cheaper, and like every U.S. formula, it meets the same FDA nutrient rules as the famous labels. It adds two of the prebiotics found in breast milk and DHA, and it leaves out palm olein oil. Its sales record is much shorter than the big brands'.

Earth's Best Organic Dairy suits parents set on organic who don't want to pay a big premium for it. It's USDA certified organic, uses lactose as its only sugar with no corn syrup, and includes DHA, lutein and prebiotics. The maker pitches it for topping up breastfeeding as well as for a baby's full diet. Organic formula has no proven health edge over regular formula, and this recipe uses palm oil, which some parents prefer to avoid.

Gas, crying and fussiness after feeds are the reasons parents reach for Enfamil NeuroPro Gentlease. Its milk proteins are partly broken down and it has less lactose, which the maker says eases those troubles within a day. It keeps the DHA and choline of Enfamil's regular recipe. Corn syrup solids are its main carbohydrate, which some parents dislike, and it's not meant for babies with a true milk allergy.

Babies who did well on the old Gerber Good Start Gentle can find the same idea in Good Start Gentle Pro, now sold under the Dr. Brown's name. It uses only whey protein, split into small pieces, which the maker says helps with easy digestion and softer stools. It also adds a probiotic, a breast milk prebiotic and DHA. Partly broken-down protein isn't hypoallergenic, so it won't help a baby with a milk allergy.

If a baby seems gassy on regular formula and lactose may be the cause, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive is Abbott's lower-lactose recipe. Corn syrup and sugar replace most of the lactose, and it carries five prebiotics that match sugars in breast milk. True lactose intolerance is rare in babies, so check with your pediatrician before you switch. It isn't for a milk protein allergy or galactosemia, and the added sugar bothers some parents.

Frequent spit-up in a healthy, growing baby is the job Enfamil A.R. was made for. Added rice starch thickens the formula in the stomach, and Mead Johnson says a study found it cut spit-up by more than half within a week. The maker also says it meets the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance for reflux. The thicker formula can flow slowly through a regular nipple. Talk to your pediatrician first, since spit-up is common and often harmless.

Nutramigen is a hypoallergenic formula for babies with a cow's milk protein allergy, usually started on a pediatrician's advice. The milk protein is broken down so far that most allergic babies don't react to it, and there's no lactose. It adds the LGG probiotic, which the maker says may help babies outgrow the allergy. It costs far more than standard formula, and its bitter taste and smell can take a baby a few days to accept.

When even a hypoallergenic formula doesn't settle a baby's symptoms, doctors often turn to an amino acid formula like EleCare. Its protein comes entirely as free amino acids, the simplest building blocks, so there's no milk protein left to react to. Abbott makes it for severe allergies and some gut conditions, and it's normally started under medical care. The can is small and costly, so ask about insurance, which often needs a doctor's letter.