Higher levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Riboflavin (B2), Niacin, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Inositol, Calcium, Iodine, Selenium, Chloride
Prebiotics and Probiotics
Contains nucleotides and inositol
Contains nucleotides (acts as prebiotics)
Special Features
Supports brain and eye development with DHA and lutein
Supports catch-up growth, brain development with Omega 3 DHA
This article aims to compare the two most popular formulas for preterm babies in the US: Similac Neosure vs Enfamil Enfacare.
We will analyze their nutritional composition and ingredients to help you choose your baby’s best formula.
Let’s get after it!
Our Short Answer
After analyzing the ingredients and nutritional composition of these two formulas for premature babies, if we had to choose one for our baby, it would be Enfamil Enfacare.
It has maltodextrin instead of corn syrup solids.
It has a higher whey protein concentration, making it easier for premature babies to digest.
In general, it has a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals, except for a few.
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Overview of the Two Formulas
Similac Neosure and Enfamil Enfacare are specialized formulas for premature babies, offering extra protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories for growth. Both support brain and eye development with DHA.
Similac Neosure
This baby formula aims to promote excellent growth in your baby’s first 12 months of life, especially if they’ve arrived a bit earlier than expected! Packed full of increased protein, vitamins, and minerals, Similac Neosure is designed to provide those extra calories premature babies require for their growth.
It also helps support your baby’s brain and eye development with DHA and lutein.
Enfamil Enfacare
Enfamil spins its magic in supporting catch-up growth in babies born prematurely or at lower birth weight. Like its competitor, this formula has additional protein content, calcium, and an array of vitamins & minerals to help your little ones bloom healthily.
The Omega 3 DHA amount this formula provides is precisely what experts recommend for successful brain development.
Nutritional Composition
Similac NeoSure and Enfamil Enfacare both use nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate, differing in whey-to-casein ratios.
Carbohydrate sources include corn syrup solids and lactose for NeoSure, and maltodextrin and lactose for Enfacare, with Enfacare having a slightly healthier carb profile.
Both formulas share similar fat sources, essential for brain development and nutrient absorption, with no significant differences in fat content.
Protein Content
Similac NeoSure’s protein content comes primarily from nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate.
Enfamil Enfacare also provides protein content through nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate.
No differences in their protein sources. Both formulas use skimmed milk and whey protein concentrate, which is the standard in infant formulas.
They differ in their whey-to-casein ratio, with Enfacare’s being 80:20, with a much higher whey protein content. We could not find Neosure’s ratio anywhere, but the standard for Similac is around 40:60.
Carbohydrate Content
Carbs are essential for providing energy that fuels our little one’s day-to-day activities.
The main sources of carbohydrates in Similac Neosure are corn syrup solids and lactose, while those in Enfamil Enfacare are maltodextrin and lactose.
Corn syrup solids and maltodextrin are sweeteners derived from corn – they were chosen because they are easy to digest while helping maintain calorie content.
Lactose, often referred to as ‘milk sugar,’ is a naturally occurring sugar that provides sweetness to the formula without causing any harmful effects on your baby’s teeth.
Enfacare has a slightly better carb source on paper since maltodextrin is technically healthier than Corn syrup solids because it has less simple sugars.
Both formulas have reduced lactose content because preterm babies may have issues digesting lactose from infant formulas.
Fats and Oils
Regardless of our grown-up quest for a fat-free diet, babies need fats! They support brain development, provide energy, help absorb vitamins A, D, E & K, and encourage healthy skin development.
Both formulas share similar fat sources: soy oil, high-oleic safflower oil or high-oleic sunflower oil (the latter is exclusively found in Enfamil), medium-chain triglycerides (these magnificent molecules are easily digested and absorbed by babies), and coconut oil.
Also part of the ‘fat gang’ is Mortierella Alpina Oil – a source of ARA, Arachidonic Acid, and Schizochytrium Sp. Oil – a common source of DHA or Docosahexaenoic Acid, found in both baby formulas.
Regarding fat content, there are no tangible differences between both formulas.
Nutrient Composition Comparison
Nutrient
Similac Neosure
Enfamil Enfacare
Calories
100
100
Volume, mL
142
142
Protein, g
2.8
2.8
Fat, g
5.5
5.3
Carbohydrate, g
10.1
10.4
Water, g
120
120
Linoleic Acid, mg
750
780
Vitamin A, IU
350
450
Vitamin D, IU
70
70
Vitamin E, IU
3.6
4
Vitamin K, mcg
11
9
Thiamin (Vitamin B1), mcg
175
180
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), mcg
150
200
Vitamin B6, mcg
100
67
Vitamin B12, mcg
0.40
0.3
Niacin, mcg
1950
1000
Folic Acid (Folacin), mcg
25
26
Pantothenic Acid, mcg
800
850
Biotin, mcg
9
6
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), mg
15
16
Choline, mg
16
24
Inositol, mg
35
24
Calcium, mg
105
120
Phosphorus, mg
62
66
Magnesium, mg
9
8
Iron, mg
1.8
1.8
Zinc, mg
1.2
1
Manganese, mcg
10
15
Copper, mcg
120
90
Iodine, mcg
15
21
Selenium, mcg
2.3
2.8
Sodium, mg
33
37
Potassium, mg
142
105
Chloride, mg
75
78
Enfamil Enfacare has higher levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Choline, Inositol, Calcium, Iodine, Selenium, and Chloride.
Similac Neosure has higher levels of vitamin K, thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin B6, biotin, and copper.
Prebiotics and Probiotics
Similac NeoSure and Enfamil Enfacare don’t specifically list probiotics or prebiotics, but contain nucleotides that support gut health, acting like prebiotics.
NeoSure also includes inositol, beneficial for brain development and gut health.
Probiotics are live ‘good’ bacteria that boost the body’s gut health and immune system.
Prebiotics, on the other hand, are non-digestible parts of food that feed the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut. Like fertilizer for beneficial belly bacteria.
Similac Neosure and Enfamil Enfacare do not list specific probiotics or prebiotics in their ingredients. However, some of their ingredients, such as nucleotides (found in both formulas) and inositol (found in Similac Neosure), have been linked to promoting gut health.
Nucleotides might seem like an odd ingredient for baby formula: they’re actually small building blocks of DNA & RNA. But these shack-sized molecules influence healthy gut bacteria colony growth – effectively acting as a prebiotic.
Inositol, in addition to being essential for brain development, acts as a prebiotic by fostering a healthier environment for your little one’s microbiota (the massive community of microorganisms that share our body space).
We’re Maria and Alberto, a married couple and educators who are nutrition enthusiasts. Even before we had kids, we were already crazy about nutrition.
We’d read scientific articles, watch videos from nutritionists, and spend hours listening to nutrition podcasts.
Today, we continue doing this, but in a different way, as we’ve learned to sift through the noise and trends. Nutrition, like any other field of knowledge, the more you read and learn, the more you develop a comprehensive understanding of reality, and that’s what has happened to us.
Before having our first child, we focused on learning everything we could about child nutrition, using the same techniques we had already employed, backed by our extensive knowledge in nutrition.
Our mission is to help other parents with their children’s nutrition, to help them become the best versions of themselves.
If we are what we eat and drink, which is absolutely true, let’s do it right!
