Health experts recommend feeding only breast milk for the first six months of a baby's life and continuing breastfeeding for up to one year with appropriate complementary feeding, with an emphasis on iron-rich foods. Breastfeeding is important for the nutrition, immune defenses, growth and development of babies from one to three years of age. Even after the introduction of complementary foods, the main source of nutrition for an infant up to one year old is formula or mother's milk. What do doctors say about cow's milk?
Age when you can give your baby cow's milk
A common question that parents ask is at what age can you give your child regular milk? Even when the baby is growing rapidly, cow's milk is not recommended until 12 months of age.
Exists There are a number of reasons why you should not give whole cow's milk to babies under 1 year old.
- The digestive tract of babies is not yet ready to digest cow's milk easily and completely, like breast milk or formula. Cow's milk contains a high concentration of protein and minerals, which stress the still unripe kidneys of a child.
- For children under one year old, excessive consumption of dairy products can increase the risk of iron deficiency anemia. Milk interferes with the proper absorption of iron, and iron cannot be reduced or removed from a child's diet.
- Cow's milk is not recommended for children under one year old also because it can irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive system, which is manifested by the appearance of blood in the stool.
- The amount of sodium in cow's milk is three times higher than in breast milk.
However, when your baby is ready to digest whole milk, it can supplement a balanced diet that includes grains, vegetables, fruits and meats.
Why should a child drink cow's milk?
Milk is loaded with calcium, which strengthens teeth and bones and helps regulate blood clotting.
It is also one of the few sources of vitamin D, without which calcium cannot be absorbed in the body. Vitamin also plays a critical role in bone growth.
Milk provides protein for growth, and carbohydrates give your child the energy he needs all day.
If an infant receives the required amount of calcium initially, there is evidence that it will be less at risk of developing hypertension, stroke, colon cancer, and hip fractures in adulthood and old age.
After the introduction of cow's milk, it is not necessary to stop breastfeeding. WHO experts recommend continuing breastfeeding in the second year of a child's life.
How much milk should a baby drink?
A child after 1 year old can get enough calcium and vitamin D by drinking 1 or 1.5 glasses of cow's milk or an equivalent amount of other dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir). At the age of 2 years, the child should receive 400 ml of milk or other milk-based products daily.
Do not offer your child more than 800 ml of milk per day. If the baby is still thirsty, offer water.
How does "baby" milk differ from "adult"?
Dairy products that are produced for children are adapted for the child's digestive tract.
Baby milk must answer several requirements.
- Highest quality. Baby milk is made from high quality cow's milk from cows that are completely healthy and live in ecologically clean areas.
- Control of sanitary and hygienic conditions. Baby milk is prepared in special workshops, separate from milk production for adults
- Microbiological control. Close attention is paid to the control of microbiological data. The number of bacteria in a given volume of milk is strictly regulated.
- Control of the degree of fat content. The limits of the fat percentage for children under three years of age are 2.5 - 3.5%.
- Control of the acidity of the environment. There are special requirements for acidity limits for fermented milk products for children. The acidity of children's products should not exceed 100 Turner degrees.
- Ultra-pasteurization. Milk is specially processed at ultra-high temperatures (125 - 138 ºС) for 2 - 4 seconds in order to preserve the maximum benefit. Then it quickly cools. Thus, all pathogenic organisms are destroyed, useful components are simultaneously preserved.
- Packaging. The final product is packed in a Tetra Pak aseptic box, which prevents the re-entry of harmful bacteria inside after filling. In this package, the dairy product remains fresh and safe for several months.
Can skim cow's milk be given to a one year old child?
In most cases, not yet. Pediatricians recommend giving whole milk to children as young as 1 year old, unless they are at risk of obesity.
Children of this age need a high fat content in milk to maintain a normal weight and an optimal level of absorption of vitamins A, D. When the child is 2 years old, you can switch it to skim milk if there is a good increase in height and weight.
Exceptions are possible. Your child's doctor may recommend giving low fat milk (2 percent) after 1 year if the child is overweight or obese, or has a genetic predisposition to obesity, high cholesterol, or cardiovascular disease.
What to do when a child refuses to drink whole cow's milk?
Some babies drink cow's milk right away, but others refuse it because cow's milk has a different texture, taste, and even temperature than mother's milk.
If this is for your baby, try mixing cow's milk with breast milk or formula first. Try one part milk for three parts breast milk or formula. Then slowly shift the ratio until he drinks 100% cow's milk.
But there are other ways to incorporate cow's milk into your child's diet. For instance:
- add milk to porridge;
- Offer your child yogurt, cottage cheese, pudding, or milkshakes as a snack
- make soup with milk instead of water.
Allergy to cow's milk
If a child drank a mixture based on cow's milk, then he will tolerate ordinary cow's milk without any problems. Even babies who are exclusively breastfed in their first year can drink cow's milk without problems because they have been exposed to cow's milk protein in their mother's milk, unless she avoided all dairy products.
If a baby drank a hypoallergenic formula as recommended by a doctor, consult a specialist before administering cow's milk. A doctor may suggest starting with a soy drink that is fortified with vitamin D and calcium.
But true allergy to cow's milk protein is relatively rare. Only 2 - 3% of children are diagnosed with an allergic reaction. The good news is that children generally outgrow this ailment at age 2.
Differences between cow's milk protein allergy and lactase deficiency
Allergy is an immune response, and lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder. But their symptoms are similar - diarrhea, abdominal pain after drinking milk.
If a child develops a dry, itchy rash or itching and swelling of the face and lips while consuming a dairy product, or has symptoms such as hives, puffy watery eyes, he may be allergic to cow's milk proteins.
Chronic nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath or wheezing can be signs that the allergy is affecting the child's respiratory system. When your child has any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor.
Take your child to a doctor or hospital immediately, if:
- the baby is very pale or weak;
- most of the skin is affected by urticaria;
- swelling develops in the head or neck area;
- bloody diarrhea occurs.
The child may have a life-threatening allergic reaction.
If your baby is allergic to cow's milk, you must be careful. Avoid foods such as cottage cheese, condensed milk, ice cream, yogurt, butter, milk chocolate, and milk powder. All allergens are legally listed on food labels. In this case, the package will indicate "milk".
Take special care when choosing a dairy product for your child. Do not experiment on his health. Provide him with the right, balanced diet. And the child will grow up healthy and energetic.
