• Thickening infant formula may help with regurgitation problems.baby's bottle image by Georgios Alexandris from Fotolia.com
  
  

Cornstarch as a Thickener

• A study done at the Hippocration Hospital shows that using cornstarch to thicken infant formula may reduce the number of times an infant vomits. According to the abstract of the research paper, the frequency of regurgitation decreased significantly in the infants fed formula thickened with cornstarch.
  
  

Rice Cereal as a Thickener

• Corn allergy cases are on the rise, according to allergicchild.com. If your family has a history of corn allergies, or your infant has been diagnosed with a corn allergy, rice cereal can be used as a formula thickener. Studies also show that rice cereal is effective in reducing the frequency of regurgitation. However, rice cereal may clog the bottle nipple, and disrupts the careful balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates in infant formula.
  
  

Bottom Line

• Discuss the possibility of corn allergies in your infant with your pediatrician. If your child has no such allergies, cornstarch is an excellent thickener. If your child does display corn allergies, thicken formula with rice cereal. You may have to use nipples with a larger opening, but your child's corn allergies will not be affected.