What risk arises from adding cereal to formula without adjusting nipple size or frequency?

The baby may feel full prematurely and not get enough calories.

When formula is thickened with rice cereal or an anti-reflux product, the intent is to create a heavier substance that moves through the stomach more slowly and stays down better. However, if parents only thicken the formula without adjusting the feeding dynamics, specific risks emerge. If the volume remains the same but the consistency is thicker, the baby might register as feeling full much sooner than usual, leading them to stop feeding before consuming the necessary volume of nutrients and calories needed for healthy development. Conversely, if the baby struggles to extract the thicker substance due to an unchanged nipple size, they may become frustrated and feed inadequately, also resulting in insufficient caloric intake.