How many times have we managed to see the sign, “breast milk is best for babies”? Countless, maybe. But the truth of the matter is that most mothers are unable to follow this rule. Some out of preference while some out of circumstances. So to compensate for the inability to feed babies with milk right out of their mother’s body system, other types of milk are being used. And horribly enough, some people even turn to cow’s milk for a milk substitute although truth be told cow’s milk is indeed a bad move to be fed to children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics do not recommend giving cow’s milk to children below one year old. This is because they will not be able to get the needed nutrients which will be instrumental for their growth and development. Infants to be fed with this type of milk do not receive the needed supply of important fatty acids, iron, and vitamin E. What they get instead is an over supply of sodium, protein, and potassium. Thus a negative imbalance of nutrients is otherwise facilitated and may not be handled enough given the young system which babies have. Other than these, cow’s milk is also harder to digest and become absorbed inside the baby’s body.
Another point to be considered is that cow’s milk does not pass medical accreditation for infant formulas. Notice that commercial infant milk is usually available in different types. This is because infant milk is actually a product of a series of tests and detailed research concentrating on how the milk formula can effectively become an alternative for breast milk. Cow’s milk simply passes the general health considerations to make sure it reaches the general public with no harm. But it is not highly specified to fit in the needs of growing babies.
So if you are unable to feed your baby with breast milk, going for cow’s milk is definitely a no-no. Some adults tend to have this alternative because of its cheaper charges. But really, there’s no point in trying to save up on costs when you end up putting the baby’s health in danger. Anyway there are lots of choices for infant milk these days and you would surely find someone best suited for your baby’s needs. Moreover, infant milk formulas are also highly specialized according to the baby’s age to make sure that it would be able to target and give the right type of nutrients needed at that specific age.
So if you will not be able to give breast milk for the baby, the alternative process you should take is know the different types of infant milk formula which you can feed to the baby. Check the labels at all times especially the indications of the age range of that infant milk formula. Brands may also be something which you would want to look out for because this dictates the costs and the benefits which your baby will be able to obtain from the milk formula.
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You are so right! I was astonished to hear one of my fellow mums was using cows milk. The Casein balance is just not right, and you’re denying your child essential proteins and nutrients. Check out these charts which nicely show the inadequacy of cows milk as a breast milk supplement (ok so they’re a sales tool for SMA Gold, but ignore that, its the best i could find!)
If you can’t use breast milk for goodness sake use an appropriate replacement, your baby’s health is worth a few $ more!
Comment by Sue — July 10, 2008 @ 2:13 am