Milk is traditionally considered a healthy product, rich in useful elements. Parents, following the advice of grandparents, often try to give this product to their children as early as possible, sometimes even completely replacing them with breastfeeding. But children's doctors have a radically different opinion about whether to use cow's milk for babies.
Basic properties of cow's milk
The best nutrition for a newborn baby is mother’s milk, so it’s not surprising that doctors around the world strongly recommend breastfeeding babies, because the psychological and physiological needs of the baby are met. But there are situations when traditional feeding cannot be involved. In such cases, the question arises regarding an adequate alternative - the choice of a high-quality, healthy, and safe substitute for breast milk for infants.
Using cow's milk for babies needs to be very careful. The beneficial properties of such a drink include an increased amount of minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates in the composition. At the same time, a large indicator of carbohydrates is capable of provoking problems with the gastrointestinal tract in too young children.
Than cow's milk can be dangerous
Understanding whether cow milk can be used in infants, you need to know that the main protein of the drink called casein is one of the strongest allergens. As a result of its incomplete resorption, the product is able to enter the bloodstream and react there as an antigen, provoking a powerful reaction from the immune system. As a result, shaking sometimes leads not only to intolerance to dairy products, but can also lead to the development of type I diabetes.
Why cow's milk is not suitable
If the drink is useful enough for adults, then cow's milk for infants is often associated with some risk. This is based on the characteristics of the digestive system of children and its insufficient maturity. The reasons for the negative effect of this liquid on the baby's body are associated with several factors that you must familiarize yourself with before giving cow's milk to babies:
- Cow's milk contains many salts (chlorides, phosphates), minerals (sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium). In a newborn baby, the urinary system is not yet fully matured, which is why it is not ready to remove excessive amounts of salts. As a result, the latter are able to be deposited in the body of a small person.
- There is very little iron in cow's milk. In addition, it is poorly absorbed by the body, thereby increasing the risk of anemia in infants. A low iron count adversely affects the development of a small child, its growth, the functional strength of the immune system.
- Due to the high content of casein protein in cow's milk, it is difficult for a child to digest it. Excessive volume of this protein can put a big strain on the kidneys.
- The drink is low in copper, zinc, vitamin E and ascorbic acid, and such elements are extremely important for the normal development of the baby. Also in the composition of milk there are very few amino acids cystine and taurine, which are necessary for the development of the brain.
What is better to use: mixes or milk
If feeding a newborn with breast milk is not possible, doctors recommend making a choice in favor of adapted infant formula, which must be selected with the help of a doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby.
Few people know that even a self-prepared mixture for a baby based on cow's milk will be more useful than feeding the baby just pure cow's milk. The advantages of purchased mixtures are as follows:
- The composition of the product is constant and known in advance.
- The manufacturer includes in the mixture only vitamins and minerals that are useful and necessary for the child.
- Casein protein is carefully processed to a state of reduced allergenic characteristics.
- It is convenient to use the mixture, in addition, it can be bought in advance and stored at home for a long time.
With cow's milk for infants, things are more complicated, because it is not known what kind of food the animal fed, whether the container was thoroughly washed, under what conditions the product was stored. On larger farms, antibiotics and other medicines are often used for treatment and prevention. These substances get into milk and, unfortunately, even as a result of heat treatment are not destroyed.
Homemade milk is certainly more beneficial for children, because the animal’s health and nutrition can be monitored independently. The product must be pasteurized. To do this, it is heated to 90 degrees. Medical specialists allow parents to cook home-made cottage cheese for the child, kefir and other products through starter cultures purchased at the pharmacy. So you can diversify the daily nutrition of the child.
From what age is it acceptable to administer cow's milk to a children's diet
Cow's milk for babies at what age is best to start introducing into the diet - many parents ask this question. Experts have done many studies to determine the best age for such changes in nutrition. Most doctors agree that it is not worthwhile to start giving such a drink to a child under the age of one year due to intolerance to the protein of cow's milk in infants. If the mother nevertheless wants to diversify the nutrition of the baby through cow's milk, then the minimum age of the baby should be 9 months.
It is strongly recommended not to introduce milk to children under the age of 3 years, if they are at risk due to several factors:
- intolerance to cow's milk in infants:
- tendency to allergies;
- persistent disorders of the digestive system, manifested in the form of diarrhea and constipation;
- metabolic problems;
- kidney disease.
Many will say that earlier, for centuries and even millennia, children were fed divorced cow milk from an early age if there was no mother's milk. But we must not forget that the deterioration in the health of babies progresses over the years, in particular, cases of allergies to cow's milk in infants are more frequent. So is it worth the risk?
Menu entry rules
It is better to start feeding the baby with milk with goat. It is more beneficial for infants and more easily absorbed by the intestines. Allergic reactions from the body are possible, but are extremely rare. The only thing that can interfere with feeding is an unpleasant odor that can not please the baby.
Then you can start giving cow's milk for babies. At an age closer to 2 years, you need to pay attention to a product with a low fat content in the composition (1-2%), you can also give your child a completely fat-free drink.
It is useful to resort to the alternation of goat and cow milk, since the nutrients in drinks are contained in different ratios. In particular, cow's milk has much more phosphorus than goat's.
How to feed a baby milk
Parents should be aware of the positive and negative effects of cow's milk for babies, how old they can give their baby, and how to properly feed them. You should always start with small volumes, this applies to any new food in the diet of children. It is recommended to dilute half a teaspoon in a ratio of 1: 2.
It is important to monitor the condition of the baby in order to notice in time any possible pathological reaction from the body. If any signs of individual intolerance in the baby become noticeable, the product should be excluded from the diet.
Is it possible to give children milk from the store
Milk, which is sold in stores, undergoes special pasteurization, but is still not adapted for the child’s immature digestive system. Giving such a product to small children under the age of 3 years is not worth it. It is better to opt for a more specialized baby drink.
For the manufacture of such a product, the highest quality milk is used, which necessarily undergoes ultra-pasteurization, during which all pathogenic bacteria are destroyed. The level of fat content of the drink always corresponds to the indicator that the child’s body is able to master. Thanks to the use of special baby drinks, the risk of allergic reactions can be minimized.
The choice of milk to buy
When choosing cow's milk, naturalness and safety are important. You can buy the product from private owners - neat and clean, whose animal is regularly amenable to inspection by a veterinarian. It is necessary to make a choice in favor of a drink that has been in contact with air for as little time as possible, since milk fat is partially oxidized. Information on this can be obtained directly from the farmer.
Milk freshness and pasteurization
Of great importance is the freshness of the product. In the composition of whole fresh milk there are many useful nutrients that can inhibit the development of pathological putrefactive microorganisms. But after 2 hours, such a feature is lost, and therefore raw milk must be pasteurized or boiled. It is best to use instant pasteurization, that is, heat the milk to almost 90 degrees, and then immediately turn off the stove.
Pasteurization almost does not change the taste of the drink, but helps to destroy pathological microorganisms that are causative agents of dangerous diseases, including brucellosis and tuberculosis. Only heat-resistant lactic acid microorganisms and useful nutrients do not die.
Cow milk storage
The period during which milk can be stored primarily depends on the way it is processed, the temperature at which it is stored, and the packaging itself. A raw drink can be stored for 48 hours at a temperature of 1-2 degrees, at 3-4 degrees - no more than a day and a half, at 4-6 - a day, at 6-8 - 18 hours. If the temperature is 8-10 degrees, then you can store milk under such conditions for no longer than 12 hours.
When buying milk in a supermarket, it is recommended to put the packaging in the basket the very last, so that the milk stays in the cold as long as possible. At home, you need to immediately send a drink to the refrigerator. Put it on the door is not worth it, it is better to send it to the shelf. In addition to the original packaging, ceramic or glass containers can be used for storage.
It is important to avoid direct light on milk, because it damages riboflavin. It is permissible to freeze milk, thus preserving its taste and nutritional properties for a long time. But defrosting such a product is allowed only in the refrigerator.
Cow milk should not be given to newborns. Due to the fact that it contains a lot of minerals and casein protein, the product is difficult to digest with the child’s fragile digestive system, and has an increased burden on the kidneys. An allergic reaction to milk is often manifested, so it is always important to monitor the condition of the child. First, you need to dilute the drink with water, increasing the portions a little, if necessary, pass the analysis of cow's milk protein in infants. As a result of following all the recommendations, problems with the introduction of complementary foods will not arise.