Enfamil A.R. Lipil Infant Formula Review

Having two babies back to back means continuing the ordeal of serving baby formula from one child to the next. I have used several different brands and styles and found most to be similar with only a few minor differences. One formula I got from the pediatrician and served to my youngest is Enfamil A.R., an infant formula blended with rice starch to help prevent spitting up.

Baby Formula Facts and Figures:

This formula is sold in either powered or a ready to serve bottle. My experience is with the powdered variety and it has a similar look to other powered formulas. It is less fine in texture but it has the same yellowish color and cardboard- like aroma when dry.

The "A.R." in this formula's title stands for "Added Rice" starch and it is this ingredient that helps prevent spitting up. This added ingredient helps to thicken the formula. And thicker formula in a baby's stomach means babies will have an easier time keeping the formula down.

Enfamil A.R contains DHA and ARA (Docosahexaenoic Acid and Arachidonic Acid) fatty acids for better overall health. These fatty acids are also found in natural breast milk and they help aid in a child's development, particularly the brain and eyes. Breast milk is still best according to the experts but these added nutrients make this baby formula a close second- best.

Baby Formula Commentary:

Enfamil A.R. is a specially made formula to help prevent babies from coughing up formula and it is useful to those young children \who have problems in this area. Some babies have a habit of spitting up due to acid reflux and other diseases. Others spit up due to temporary stomach problems that gradually go away over time. Enfamil A.R. helps to keep these problems under control, leading to better health for your baby and fewer messes for you. Enfamil accomplishes this goal through the addition of rice starch- an addition that makes the formula a little thicker and harder to mix.

A few uses confirms that Enfamil A.R. is, indeed, more difficult to mix up. Even if you shake it extra well and then shake it some more, it will still not be completely dissolved and it will leave lumps in the bottle. Pouring the mixture from a large plastic container/shaker into bottles, I felt like I needed to add more water and re-shake because of the lumps. There is probably nothing wrong with doing this except that it means there will be less nutrition per serving than usual due to the dilution of the power in a greater amount of liquid.

Besides the difficulty in mixing, there is one other potential problem that Enfamil A.R. directly causes: Constipation. I noticed that, after my little one had been drinking this for a while, she would often squirm and cry when it came time to relieve herself. I didn't think anything of it at first, but then I checked her diaper and found out what the fussing was all about. Her potty, which is usually runny and soft, was harder and chunky. No wonder the little baby girl was making all that noise. She couldn't relieve herself without it causing some pain.

At this point it might seem like Enfamil A.R. is deserving of a bad overall review and possibly a one- star rating. But there are many positive things to mention about this infant formula and depending on the problems with spitting up and various stomach issues, the constipation and lack of mixability might be unimportant. First and foremost, Enfamil A.R. has been clinically proven to reduce instances of spitting up by more than 40 percent. If you're baby has a serious stomach problem and a chronic case of throwing up his/her infant formula, then Enfamil A.R. could be just the formula you're looking for. Yes, you will still have to deal with the lumpy formula and the constipation but these could quickly become minor concerns for a baby with a bad spit up problem. Second, this formula contains DHA and ARA, along with a well- balanced list of nutritional ingredients, giving well- intentioned parents peace of mind.

Bottom Line:

Overall, Enfamil A.R. is a useful formula for babies with specific health issues that cause digestive problems in the stomach. I didn't know about this special type of formula until this year and it has helped to educate me on the different types of formulas that manufacturers continue to create to address specific infant problems. When I see A.R. on anything, I think of Accounts Receivable, not Added Rice Starch. But Enfamil has shown that, once again, it is a leader in infant health products. Its A.R. formula helps reduce spitting up and it can prove to be a godsend for parents whose baby has a chronic problem.