Why Is Cow Milk Bad for Infants?

It might seem like the convenient thing to do, feed your infant cow̵7;s milk; but there are risks associated with starting cow̵7;s milk to early. Ideally, according to the AskDr.Sears website, an infant̵7;s main nutrition will come from breast milk until he reaches one year of age. If breast milk is not an option, formula is also acceptable as is solid food, but adding food that has no nutritional benefit for your infant can cause more harm than good.

  1. Low Iron

    • Cow̵7;s milk does not supply the iron that your infant gains from drinking breast milk or formula. Iron is necessary to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. In addition, the use of cow̵7;s milk for an infant̵7;s nutrition might lead to blood loss through the intestinal track, making the infant more anemic. The American Academy of Pediatrics has investigated a link between infants with a low iron count and poor behavior. In addition, infants who start life with a low iron count often have low iron counts throughout life.

    Lack of Nutrients

    • In addition to low-iron levels in cow̵7;s milk, there is also a lack of other vital nutrients. According to ̶0;The Use of Whole Cow̵7;s Milk in Infancy̶1; a publication by the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants who ingest cow̵7;s milk show a lack of linoleic acid, and vitamin E.

    Excess Nutrients

    • While cow̵7;s milk might lack some nutrients your infant needs to develop properly, it also has an excess of some nutrients that can cause problems with your infants organs. High levels of sodium, potassium, and protein might lead to the overtaxing of your infants kidneys. The combination of nutrients in cow̵7;s milk is also difficult for an underdeveloped digestive system -- common in infants -- to digest according to the AskDr.Sears website.

    Allergic Reaction

    • Even if you consume cow̵7;s milk while breastfeeding without noticing any reaction from your infant or if you use a milk-based infant formula, the introduction of straight cow̵7;s milk can cause an allergic reaction in infants. Although according to the AskDrSears website, infant lactose intolerance is rare; it does factor into the reason most pediatricians recommend avoiding cow̵7;s milk in infants. An allergic reaction might cause diarrhea, bloating, tummy aches, runny nose, sneezing, rash and wheezing.

    Approved Dairy Products

    • If you want to introduce dairy to your infant, you can use yogurt and cheese. Both yogurt and cheese have beneficial nutrients from dairy but the process of making these food items reduce the proteins and lactose that can cause problems. Dr. Sears recommends you choose dairy products that are organic, full fat and made with whole milk.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Use a Playtex Drop-In
      Playtex Drop-Ins offer an alternative to the traditional infant feeding systems. The liners are disposable, ensuring that your baby gets a fresh, clean bottle every time. The soft plastic liners are flexible enough to expel the air from the bottle, r
    • How to Wean Babies From Formula to Milk
      The majority of pediatricians recommend that your child can begin to drink cows milk at around one year old. On the other hand, if a child is accustomed to formula, he might be picky and not want to try cows milk. Do not worry, because you can ease y
    • How to Tell if a Baby Has a Milk Allergy
      Milk allergy is the most common food allergy for babies. Some babies that are allergic to cows milk, which is found in most baby formulas, may also be allergic to soy formula as well. There are some obvious clues to an allergy, but some are more chal