Milk is synonymous of Cow’s Milk in our country, though cow’s milk has all the necessary nutrients for children, it might not suit babies less than a year.
Many are ignorant of the fact that cow’s milk might not suit an infants stomach not taking in the nutritional harm it causes in replacing breastmilk.
Feeding an infant cow’s milk is one of the main reason of diarrhea and malnourishment in India.
There are lot of different opinions for introducing cow milk for babies below 1 year.
Most of the pediatricians do not encourage cow’s milk in the first year of life.
When the baby crosses its 6th month there is lot of pressure on the mother to start cow’s milk, as the popular belief is that mothers milk would not meet the growing baby’s demand. It is not true, as giving cow’s milk may harm the baby rather than helping them.
Why no cow milk for babies
Why no cow milk for babies before 1 year?
When the above question is put through the pediatricians, they answer in medical jargon that cow’s milk has more proteins, more fat less iron etc… This answer satisfies the parents, and the implication behind it is forgotten.
To understand clearly why it should not be given, let us first compare Human milk with Cow’s milk. (only the important aspects are compared, there are more constituents in both the milks)
No | Component (in 100gm) | Human Milk | Cow’s Milk |
1. | Protein | 1.3g | 3.3g |
2. | Casein : Whey protein | 40:60 | 80:20 |
3. | Unsaturated Fat | 1.6 | 1 |
4. | Saturated Fat | 1.8 | 2.5 |
5. | Calcium | 34 | 120 |
6. | Iron | 0.07 | 0.02 |
7. | Sodium | 15 | 43 |
8. | Potassium | 58 | 156 |
9. | Magnesium | 3 | 11 |
10. | Phosphorous | 15 | 94 |
The table shows that human milk contains more Unsaturated Fat than cow’s milk. There is an important significance behind it
- Unsaturated Fats mainly DHA and AA help in Brain development.
- In Humans the brain develops very rapidly during the first year of life, tripling in size by 1 year.
- Cow’s milk has more saturated fatty acids which help in body building rather than brain development.
4. Calcium
photo credit: __MaRiNa__ via photopin cc
Hello Mam ,
My baby just turned 1 can i start him organic cow milk and also do i have to mix the milk wirh water or should i give him cow milk directly ?
Hi Janki,
Baby can be fed with full fat milk now. Adding water is not needed. While introducing anything new, please follow 3 day rule.
Helo mam..
My 9 month 2 week son is on formula feed and i also give breastmilk to him..i am making solids for him in cows milk only 90-100ml is used twice a day..i used 3 day rules while introducing and he did not showed any sign of allergy…after a week or so i saw some diaper rashes on him…and on his poop hole i could see small red pimples…pls help me are these some kind of allergic symptoms or normal rash! I have given the milk in oats..and have not introduced anything else to him on these days..
Hi,
Cow’s milk is not supposed to be given for babies under 1 year dear. It is mandatory to physically examine baby before getting into conclusions. So kindly consult with your pediatrician.
Hello mam ma baby is one month.bt he does not take breast milk.he does not suck ma nipples.so pls suggest me wat should I do
Surekha, hope by now you are able to feed the little one well. If not please check this https://www.mylittlemoppet.com/how-to-overcome-common-breastfeeding-problems/ or you may message me on our Facebook page too.
Hi doctor..
My daughter is 7month 15days now.. i want to start idli for her.. but after this information am afraid of adding cows milk(v only get fresh cow milk here) in idli to make it smooth..
Can u plz suggest sosomething else.. i dont want to use jaggery also.
Hi doctor..
My daughter is 7month 15days now.. i want to start idli for her.. but after this information am afraid of adding cows milk(v only get fresh cow milk here) in idli to make it smooth..
Can u plz suggest sosomething else.. i dont want to use jaggery also.
Dear Fahmeedah,
You can soak or give it with sambhar or dal without spice
Hi,
You can add sambhar, dal to make it smooth
Hi hema… my baby is 4 months old.. and breast milk is too less…. so I prefer to give formula…. which is good and healthy formula in market?
Dear Anusuya,
Please consult your paediatrician to know the breast formula for your baby, alternatively, try these foods that boost breast milk
My pediatrician recently suggested that I can give my 6.5 month old son food cooked in milk. I’ve done it once/twice and he seems ok. I’m just wondering that if i don’t want to give my child formula then is BM the only option?
At this stage he is already eating 4 meals a day plus around 5 BM feeds. He was a high birth weight baby but ever since i started solids the weight gain rate has slowed down. I’m not planning to replace BM with cow’s milk but wanting to just use it in cooking? Also at what stage can i start giving milk products?
Hi Preetika,
You can use cow’s milk for cooking, if your baby can tolerate, but please do not replace BM with cow’s milk
Good One!! I wish every mom should know this.
Hi Hema, my baby completed 10 months on 1st June. I hav been giving him 120 ml of cows milk since the beginning of 9th month n 240 ml since the beginning 10th month n in addition around 120 ml in food preparation. He takes breast feed around 5-6 times, three main meals n two snacks. He also takes small bites from our plates. He is weighing 10 kg n he passes normal stool 3-4 times a day. Got his stool tested twice n everything has been fine so long. What do u suggest about it. Is it ok??? I don’t find anything wrong with cow’s milk in fact I have seen kids not taking cow’s milk if given after 1 year. I never gave formula.
Hi Jagriti,
Since he is breastfeeding well there is no danger, you can continue with it, the major issues are the allergies, protein overload and cow’s milk replacing breastmilk as the main drink,
Hello mam my doubt is cow milk causes low iron absorption. If i give my 8months baby yogurt from cows milk .does it cause anemia or iron deficiency. I am so worried.pls let me know.can I give yogurt to my8months baby.
Hi Anita, you can give yogurt to your baby but not cow’s milk before 1 year, due to the following reason “Lactose is broken down with the culturing of the yogurt or cheese and milk proteins are either semi-removed or limited. The culturing makes yogurt and cheese easier to digest. Many people with lactose intolerance often are be able to eat cheese and/or yogurt without trouble”
Dear Doctor,
My baby is 7 months old and I am following ur diet chart and my baby is enjoying however i have few concerns
1.how much formula+bf should be given.He drinks approx 350-400ml per day(bf+ff),50ml water approx nd food.
2.he is not chubby 🙁 everyone says he looks so small though his growth is normal as per his birth weight nd length.I am matching with the growth chart.
else he is fine and standing in7 month and very active.Crawling from 5 th month.Plz suggest shoul I add something more
Hi, You are doing just fine, don’t worry. As far as the baby is active and acheieves the milestones, you don’t have to be worried of the weight gain of babies
Dear Mam, my 1 year old kid is mother feeded thrice a day and just started with cow’s milk at nights as milk rice pudding.
i would like to know how much milk to be given a day and dilution proportion as some suggests undiluted milk is healthy. kindly clarify. thanks
Hi Nandhini,
You can give undiluted milk, you can give 100 to 150 ml per feed for 3 to 4 times a day (including the milk that is added in porridges)
Hii my baby is 6 months she does not drink formula..Please suggest me if I can give her buffalo milk..as I will soon join office
Hi Janice,
It is better you consult your pediatrician for this, as I think it is too early to start buffalo milk for the baby
My son is 13months..he is still on nan pro 3.I plan so start on cows milk that we get from tabela. However, where do we get low fat cows milk. I reside in Mumbai.
Yes, low fat milk is available with amul
Thanks for sharing this useful information. I am avoiding cow’s milk for my 8 month old daughter till her first birthday atleast. But my pediatrician has asked me to give regular plain yoghurt 2 tbsp a day. Am a little concerned as yoghurt is also derived from cow’s milk. Can you please explain if yoghurt is fine? Thanks a lot!
Yes you can give yoghurt now. In yogurt the lactose is broken down and so it is easily digestible and there is no danger of yoghurt replacing breastmilk!! Hope this link helps you http://www.mylittlemoppet.com/diet-chart-for-8-month-babies/