Milk, Formula and other "baby milks"

 Accepting "breast is best" for infants we have also to recognise that not every mother chooses to breast feed. There are many manufacturers of different formula milks for parents to choose from. These are well researched and often aimed at particular issues. You can find "Anti Reflux" milks, "Comfort" milks, first second and growing up formulas. The choices can be bewildering. 

Recently some mothers have been talking about using Rice milk to avoid lactose intolerance or allergies. Rice milk is contraindicated for children under 5 years. Arsenic is present in the soil where rice is grown and cultivated, so rice milk may contain very small trace amounts of arsenic. This arsenic can build up in the child's body and is a poison, so, rice milk is not recommended.

Soya/Almond and Oat milks can be used in cooking but are not recommended as a main drink for infants as these are usually very low in calories. When milk is the main food the calorific content is as important as the vitamins and minerals which are generally added to formula milks. Once a child is two years old these can be used  and, by two years of age, semi skimmed milk can also be used.

Alpro have brought out a soya milk which is suitable for children from 1 year of age because it has added fat, calories and vitamin D. This milk is called Alpro+1.

When a child reaches a year of age, they should be offered pasteurized full cream milk. This contains the right amount of calories and fats. Once a child is drinking less than 500mls of formula per day they should be given a daily vitamin supplement, containing vitamin D and this should continue until they are 5 years old.

From the time your little one starts on semi solid diet they should be having about 300mls of milk daily. This includes yoghurt, milk based deserts and drinks. It is good to encourage children to drink water rather than fizzy drinks and sweetened diluting juices. As the child starts on a semi solid diet fluids should be offered in a beaker or cup rather than a bottle. Many parents keep the last drink at night in a bottle for a little longer and until family diet is established. Dummies/comforters and bottles can stop your child talking properly making their speech unclear which is frustrating for both parent and child.

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