ByHeart Interview: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Formula Feeding
In Partnership with ByHeart
A deep dive into formula and feeding with ByHeart’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Devon Kuehn
As a new parent, few choices feel more consequential than breastfeeding or formula. Such a personal choice can become loaded with judgement, guilt, and uncertainty. We all want to make healthy choices for our babies and choosing what works best for your family shouldn’t feel like a compromise.
This is where ByHeart truly shines. ByHeart broke the industry with a formula that's Certified Clean*, clinically backed, and inspired by breast milk. I spoke with Dr. Devon Kuehn, Chief Medical Officer at ByHeart, to learn more about the incredible science behind breast milk and ByHeart’s patented protein blend that gets closest to it. We covered everything from science and innovation to mom guilt and the biggest formula facts and myths. As a happy ByHeart mom myself, this interview was a real privilege. It’s full of insights for any parent - whether you're breast, formula or combo feeding.
*Based on Clean Label Project Purity Award
Key Takeaways:
Reframing “Breast is Best”
“Breast is best” was originally intended to celebrate the benefits of breast milk, but over time it’s started to feel “like a moral choice, as opposed to a practical one,” says Dr. Devon.
Dr. Devon’s Take: Formula is nutritionally complete, highly regulated and safe, and provides its own unique benefits.
“Every feeding journey is valid”
Breastmilk as the Blueprint for Modern Formula
Dynamic + Adaptive: Breast milk changes during a feed and over the course of the day to meet a baby’s hydration, fat, and immune needs.
Bioactives & Immune Components: These are more than just nutrients, they support development and immunity.
Formula Evolution: Science is now working to decode breast milk’s complexity and incorporating those learnings into formula design (ie ByHeart’s patented protein blend gets closest to breast milk by including the two most abundant proteins found in breast milk—alpha-lac and lactoferrin)
Top Tier Nutrition & Ingredient Standards
Whole Milk First: Though it may seem obvious, ByHeart is the first US-made* infant formula made with organic, grass-fed whole milk, not skim. We covered why most formulas historically used skim milk and the unique benefits of whole milk.
Custom Protein Blend: Includes alpha-lactalbumin and lactoferrin, proteins found in breast milk that support development and gut health.
No Palm Oil, No Soy Oil: To set fears aside once and for all, Dr Devon explained why seed oils in formula are essential for babies health and development. But, the quality of those oils matters. ByHeart’s recipe incorporates a blend of coconut, rapeseed, and sunflower oils to balance omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids safely.
Clean Label Project Certified with top ratings for safety.
*made with globally sourced ingredients
Why ByHeart Owns its Manufacturing
At the time of its launch, ByHeart was the first new infant formula manufacturer in the US in over 15 years.
Vertical Integration: ByHeart owns and operates all manufacturing, which means they:
conduct thousands of tests to ensure safety and quality of every batch
work directly with the suppliers they know and trust.
can maintain a reliable supply for parents, especially post-formula shortage crisis
Transparency: Dr. Devon emphasizes the importance of maintaining quality control at every step so they can uphold their commitment to parents. To be able to say with good conscience to every parent, “you can trust this formula”, is the most important part of her job.
Constantly Innovating & Solving for the Real World
Nathalia’s favorite ByHeart Features:
Anywhere Packs: Single-serve formula packets designed for travel, daycare, and “grandparent feeds.” Inspired by real parent feedback.
No-Dig Scoop Tub: Scoop holder at the top of the canister—no more fishing with your fingers. Game Changer!
ByHeart is reimagining infant formula from the inside out—scientifically, nutritionally, and emotionally. With an emphasis on certified-clean* ingredients, science-backed innovation, and total transparency, they’re changing what formula feeding looks and feels like for families.
*Based on Clean Label Project Purity Award
Dr. Devon Kuehn
As a board-certified pediatrician and neonatologist, Devon believes that early nutrition is the foundation for lifelong health. She oversees clinical development, medical affairs, and pharmacovigilance at ByHeart, and is excited to empower both medical and parental communities with greater clarity around infant nutrition and the science behind ByHeart’s products.
Devon joined ByHeart from Paidion Research, the only dedicated pediatric clinical research organization in the US, where she served as the Chief Medical Officer and was the medical monitor on numerous clinical trials. A majority of Devon’s academic career was at East Carolina University, where she built a research program for the Department of Pediatrics. Devon completed her medical training while serving in the US military. She earned her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University and completed her pediatric residency and neonatal fellowship training at Walter Reed.
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