Can children drink milk?

Our children since childhood listen to the famous song “Bebed, children, milk, that you will be healthy! It has not lost relevance for many years, and all because, until now, most modern mothers believe that there is nothing better and morehealthy for their children than dairy products.

But this belief cannot be clearly refuted, as well as impossible to confirm unconditionally. The issue of dairy products is full of nuances, which must be resolved.

Is such good milk for children?

The first thing to keep in mind: there is no unique answer to the question of whether milk is good for children. You always have to specify: what type of milk (maternal or cow) is the age of children in question, if there is individual allergy or intolerance to any of the milk components, etc.

Cow’s milk is indisputably indispensable for the growth and development of the child, since it contains all the necessary nutrients, such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. But this only applies to children over one year. Only from 9-12 months of life the digestive system of the infant acquires the ability to process and absorb lactose (milk sugar).

The difference between cow’s milk and breast milk

To end the myth that breast milk and cow’s milk are interchangeable products, we expose the main differences:

• Cow’s milk contains more protein;
• Breast milk protein has a structure similar to the baby’s blood plasma protein;
• Cow’s milk contains more amino acids than breast milk, which is very useful for older children, but harmful to infants due to the possible protein overload;
• Breast milk is richer in immunoglobulin, responsible for strengthening the immune defenses of the newborn;
• Although the amount of fat is the same, the unsaturated fats predominate in breast milk, while the saturated fats predominate in cow’s and goat milk;
• The amount of carbohydrates of breast milk is superior to that of cow’s milk
• Breast milk is richer in enzymes (amylase, lipase), but cow’s milk has a broader set of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Now that the compositions of the two types of milk have made it clear that they are only suitable for children of a certain age and that they cannot replace each other, let’s understand why the dairy product of a noble animal is not suitable for a newborn.

There are six main reasons for this:

1. Cow’s milk is very rich in substances such as chlorine, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, etc. An excess of these minerals becomes a poorly digested ballast for the infant, which immature kidneys can excrete with triple effort. To do this, they will have to make the most of vitamin D as a result, there will be no vitamin to combat rickets and other similar diseases.
2. Cow’s milk, which contains a good dose of the complex casein protein, can cause allergic reactions of different severity in the child.
3. The lack of substances in cow’s milk, such as zinc, iodine and copper, will delay the normal development of the newborn, and the lack of carbohydrates will delay the formation of the muscle corset.
4. Cow’s milk contains insufficient iron amounts. This slows the production of red blood cells in the blood and causes the development of ferropenic anemia.
5. Repeated cow’s milk intake by an infant can cause gastrointestinal bleeding.
6. Babies who replace cow’s milk with breast milk too frequently tend to develop degree diabetes of grade I later.

What is milk made and what is its caloric value?

When examining the benefits and damages of dairy products for children of different ages, study the composition and calories of the two main types of product: breast milk and cow’s milk.

Composition and calories of breast milk

Throughout the breastfeeding period, the qualitative composition of breast milk does not change. It consists of 84% of water, which fully meets the fluid needs of the infant.

In the first month after birth, breast milk is as concentrated as possible. This is necessary to maintain the normal vitality of the newborn. In their composition, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, lactose components, retinol, tocopherol, calcium and sodium. The amount of milk proteins decreases almost monthly, but is based on the needs of the baby. The same goes for fats, but its amount depends directly on the woman’s diet. About 14-17 months after the start of breastfeeding, milk loses approximately 2/3 of its healthy properties, so it is at this age when pediatricians recommend weaning the baby.

As for the energy value of breast milk, it depends on the breastfeeding period:

Composition and caloric content of cow’s milk

Cow’s milk, as we have already mentioned, is richer in various substances and minerals, which entails invaluable benefits for older children, and losses for newborns.

Among other components, cow’s milk contains B/W, different monosaccharides and disaccharides, a set of organic acids, ascorbic acid, some of vitamins E, B and PP. Nor can they be removed on minerals: iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, iodine, cobalt, manganese, etc. In total, cow’s milk contains more than 60 different components.

The caloric value of cow’s milk depends on fat content and is 65-85 kcal on average per 100 grams of product.

Some tips to give milk to children

Thus, we maintain that whole cow’s milk is essential for a child of more than 1 year. Until then, the ration of the infant must consist of breast milk or a special formula.

However, even after the year, pediatricians and allergologists recommend moving to cow’s milk gradually and very carefully. Follow our advice and you will get your baby’s digestive system to get used to the new product as quickly and comfortably as possible:

1. After weaning the baby’s baby, he begins to get used to cow’s milk with small doses. A tablespoon will be enough to start.
2. Look at your baby’s reaction to the new product. Examine your baby’s skin in search of redness, restlessness and other irritable reactions.
3. Dilute the milk with a teaspoon of water if the body reacts to the drink with allergy. If there are no changes, go to the pediatrician.
4. If the baby’s body reacts normally, it continues to give cow’s milk every day, increasing the rations little by little.
5. Keep watching the baby’s reaction to the product. It will indicate the state of digestion of milk and normal dose.

Compatible foods and milk incompatible

We continue to analyze cow’s milk. Its benefits and damages for the child’s body depend largely on the product that the baby’s mother includes in combination with her diet.

Thus, among the food incompatible with milk are:

• Some types of vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, capers, carrots, patches, peppers, topinambour);
• Some types of fruits and berries (watermelon, melon, avocado, different citrus, pineapple, peach, passion fruit)
• salted and smoked fish; and
• fried or smoked meat and sausages;
• All kinds of pickles;
• Different types of sauces:
• legumes;
• Juices (including freshly squeezed);
• Soda drinks.

Nutritionists and pediatricians describe the milk of all origins as a product in their own right. In addition, both adults and children of different ages are recommended to consume it separately from any other type of food. However, there are some foods that can help absorb it better:

• Datiles, bananas and sultane raisins leave a sweet aftertaste and are good for intestines;
• Ginger, saffron, nutmeg and turmeric are best added to hot milk;
• Different types of honey combined with hot milk can not only relieve the child’s cold symptoms, but also calm the nervous system;
• Cinnamon added to cold milk normalizes the cardiovascular system.

Damages and contraindications of milk consumption

As much as it goes against public opinion, the milk that is taken from birth to old age has a series of contraindications. If they ignore or neglect, they can cause great damage to the adult and child agency.

The main contraindications to drink milk are:

1. Individual lactose intolerance, one of the main components of any dairy product.
2. Excess body weight. Due to the high fat content of cow’s milk, pediatricians recommend that overweight children avoid all types of dairy products.
3. Congenital stomach diseases such as ulcers, gastritis, pancreatitis, colitis and others.
4. Food poisoning. Until the complete elimination of all the pathogenic bacteria of the baby’s body, dairy products in any of its forms are strictly prohibited.
5. Kidney calculations and other similar diseases. The kidneys actively participate in the processing of the components that form the dairy product. If they are weakened by a disease, the processing and assimilation load can be overwhelming.
6. Weakened immunity. If for some reason the child has problems with the immune system, it must temporarily renounce milk, in order to eliminate the risk of entry into the body of various pathogens.

We have listed only the most common reasons why children should refuse to eat dairy products. Actually, there are many more. Only the pediatrician who treats the child can give more precise information on this subject.

As you can see, milk is a very controversial product. It is rich in a mass of beneficial substances and minerals that favor the normal growth and development of the baby, but at the same time it can cause great damage to the immature body of the baby. Take note of all our advice and precautions and take care of your child’s health!