How Good Is Cow Milk for Babies Below 1 Years?

My daughter, Saira is all set to hit her 6th-month milestone in the next few weeks. The pressure to wean her off began to mount on me as pieces of advice kept pouring in from friends, family and relatives as to what should be her first food after breastmilk. Elders at home stressed on serving her cow’s milk. Though not very confident about it, I decided to give it a try. 

So, one early morning I served her a bottle of freshly prepared cow’s milk. I was satisfied as she finished her very first serving. By afternoon I could sense that she was becoming unsettled and by evening she was crying in pain. She was getting inconsolable and I was getting all tensed by the minute. That’s when I took a call and without any further delay; I took her to our pediatrician. 

He reaffirmed my apprehensions that my infant was going through colic pain and in this case, the culprit was nothing other than the cow’s milk. It made my angel cringe in pain. The doctor advised that I should feed a suitable alternative instead of cow’s milk to my baby as my breastmilk supply was quite low. 

Why Don’t Experts Recommend Cow’s Milk to Infants below one year? 

My doctor said, cow’s milk is not the perfect food for my newborn and I should have waited for her first birthday. Do you know why? Because infants cannot digest cow’s milk completely or easily. Cow’s milk doesn’t have stomach-friendly and growth-promoting nutrients. In fact, cow’s milk has three times more protein quantity and higher casein. Casein forms a tough and hard-to-digest curd. When I gave cow’s milk to my baby, it put stress on her immature kidneys. Besides this, cow’s milk doesn’t have the right amounts of iron, Vitamin C, and other nutrients that are essential for your baby’s harmonious growth and development during the first twelve months. Read more: Is Cow's Milk Good For Your Infant?

Other Suitable Breastfeeding Alternatives

There are many suitable alternatives to breastmilk that are available in the market. In fact, these alternatives are easier for your baby to digest than cow’s milk. Moreover, unlike cow’s milk, these alternatives won’t put stress on your baby’s kidneys. In fact, these alternatives are recommended by experts as they contain essential fats to promote the appropriate development of your little one. 

I am following my doctor’s advice and touch-wood my baby is doing so much better now. I have been feeding her a suitable alternative and we didn’t have another bout of colic since then. 

Please Note: WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of an infant’s life and it can be continued until age two, complemented with other homemade foods. So, mommies, was this blog useful to you? Do share your thoughts with me in the comments section below. 

Disclaimer: SHSH programme is for educational purposes only, in partnership with doctors. Consult a doctor for queries about your or your child's health.