Hi there. Well lets see my first son now 2 1/2 screamed and cried all day and night pretty much from day one. At 6 weeks they told us to try Nutramigen and he was like a new kid. He still did have silent reflux though.
When he became 1 years old we tried milk and well that is another story. He ended up on Rice milk for a while.
Even if your little is not MSPI, the milk or soy protein could be causing his reflux.
My new baby, now 6 months was the same as yours. He cried and grunted and strained was just so uncomfortable. He had so much gas. we ended having to go on an Amino Acid based formula. Now we are on RTF Alimentum. We did try a regular milk based formula and according to his "poop" he seemed fine, but he was still really fussy and seemed like his reflux was worst.
The signs of MSPI are constipation, diaherra, mucus in poop, etc. But reflux can also be a sign. The reflux can be caused by the milk/soy protein intolerance.
You are deft. headed in the right direction.
Which RTF are you going to try? They are more expensive, but so worth it.
The main difference in the Ready to Feed Nutramigen and Alimentum are:
Nutramigen: The carbohydrate is corn syrup solilds and the oils are different.
Alimentum: The carbohydrate is sucrose (which is table sugar) and different oils are used. Also the Alimentum has medium chain triglycerides.
MCTs passively diffuse from the GI tract to the portal system (longer fatty acids are absorbed into the lymphatic system) without requirement for modification like long chain fatty acids or very long chain fatty acids do. In addition MCTs do not require bile salts for digestion. Patients who have malnutrition or malabsorption syndromes are treated with MCTs because they do not require energy for absorption, utilization, or storage. Rich sources of MCTs include coconut oil and palm kernel oils and are also found in camphor tree drupes. The fatty acids found in MCTs are called medium chain fatty a
Also Alimentum is the only corn free formula.
Now if you do try the RTF Alimentum and for some reason he starts to have diaherra or more gas, then I go to Nutramigen RTF:
The only reason I say that about the Alimentum is because of the sucrose in the RTF. My son had more gas with the Alimentum when he was just a few weeks old, but now at 6 months handles this formula great!
Sucrose intolerance, also called Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (CSID) or Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency , is the condition in which sucrase, an enzyme needed for proper metabolization of sucrose, is not produced in the small intestine. The result of consuming sucrose is excess gas production and often diarrhea and malabsorption.
I did not mean to confuse you in anyway, I just wanted you to have all the information I am familiar with.
Good Luck and please let us know how he takes to the RTF.
Wendy