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Feeding a baby goats milk


Goat Milk for Babies: Is it Safe?

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on March 04, 2021

In this Article

  • Goat Milk and a Child's Safety
  • Nutritional Comparison Between Goat Milk and Cow Milk

Goat milk has higher protein levels than other similar baby formulas, and is also higher in protein than human milk. Goat milk contains minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. With all these apparent health benefits, you may be wondering if it would be safe to feed your baby goat milk. 

Goat milk formulas can be healthy for babies and toddlers who have concerns about cow milk. Goat milk is more digestible than cow milk and resembles human milk more closely than cow milk.

Goat Milk and a Child's Safety

Goat milk alone is not recommended for babies. The milk has a high concentration of minerals and proteins, but less folate than is necessary to meet a child's nutritional needs. Some studies also indicate that goat milk is associated with high rates of anemia.

While goat milk alone is not safe for your child, some medical practitioners recommend goat milk-based formulas. These can be safe from your child's birth to when they are a year old. However, you should avoid fresh goat milk and any other pure animal milk during your child's first 12 months.

Once your child is over a year old, you may want to introduce some goat milk to their diet, but you must consult with your doctor to make sure your baby is getting all the nutrition they need. 

Why consider goat milk? Goat milk is an excellent source for protein and calcium. Studies also indicate that goat milk is a good source of vitamin B1, chlorine, phosphorus and vitamins. Once you administer goat milk to your older child, you can reduce the risk of constipation, diabetes, and cancer.

Goat milk helps reduce cholesterol levels. If your child has high blood cholesterol levels in their arteries and gallbladder, you might want to consider using goat milk. Goat milk has about half as much cholesterol concentration as cow's milk. You can administer goat milk to your child to help keep their saturated fat intake and cholesterol levels in check.

Nutritional Comparison Between Goat Milk and Cow Milk

Goat milk has more protein and fat compared to cow milk. Goat milk also has more potassium, vitamin A, and calcium, essential for your child's growth. It is also generally lower in sodium and carbohydrates. 

Goat milk contains lactose just like cow milk. If your child is lactose intolerant, you can consider plant milk which contains no lactose. Examples of plant milk include hemp milk, soy, or almond milk. In addition, goat milk is easier to digest than cow milk.

Drawbacks of goat milk. The fact that goat milk protein is similar in structure to cow’s milk means they can both give your child allergic reactions. In this case, goat milk may not be a safe alternative to cow milk. Since goat milk is not as common as cow milk, you may have some trouble finding it in stores.

When goat milk is safe. Consider nutritionally appropriate goat's milk formulas for your baby if they are under 12 months. The best goat milk-based formula needs to be fortified with minerals and vitamins. You can consult your pediatrician, who may recommend you to supplement with vitamin D if the goat's formula lacks the nutrient.

If your baby is sensitive to cow milk, provide goat milk as an alternative. Goat milk-based formulas are a healthy and nutritious option for toddlers showing sensitivity to cow milk. 

Should I Give My Baby Goat's Milk?

Keywords

Jessie Hatch

Question #1: Should I give my baby goat’s milk?  

Answer: No.   For all its hype, goat’s milk is actually an unsafe choice for infants under 1 year of age.

This is why:  It’s not nutritionally appropriate for your baby.

Goat’s milk is extremely high in protein when compared to human milk or a similar infant formula. The body must make lots of additional urine to get rid of the extra nutrition. Urinating too much can cause your baby to become dehydrated, which could result in harm and hospitalization.

Other minerals are also excessive in goat’s milk including: sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorous. These nutrients can cause the body to become too acidic, which causes muscle spasms. 

Goat’s milk also has very little folate and other essential vitamins like vitamin D when compared to what your baby needs.  These nutrients are responsible to help your infant create healthy red blood cells. Without them, your child can become fatigued, experience heart and breathing abnormalities, seizure like episodes, or even have internal bleeding. Even if they do not have these extreme symptoms, these nutrients help cells and tissues to grow. Without them, a baby’s brain develop may be impacted.

Question #2: Isn’t most infant formula made from cow’s milk, and cow’s milk isn’t good for my baby until she is 1 year old?

Answer: It is true that most formulas are made from cow’s milk and babies should not have cow’s milk until they are 1 year old; however, formulas are adjusted dramatically. The formula companies are required by law to adjust the protein and other nutrients to match what we know babies need to grow optimally.

Question #3: What if I want a more natural option to feed my child?”

Answer: The desire to provide your infant with natural nutrients and foods from infancy can be a great choice for some families. If you are unable to or do not want to provide breast milk for your infant, there are organic and non-GMO formula options that may be better suited to your personal and family values for food choices, while still making sure your baby gets essential nutrition for health and growth.

Question #4: What about goat’s milk formula or even making my own goat’s milk formula?

Answer: It is very difficult to give your baby enough calories, protein, and essential nutrients by trying to add water and/or other components to create a home goat’s milk formula. For example, if you dilute the goat’s milk with water to give less protein, as is commonly done, the calorie level in the milk is very low. If you find a commercial goat’s milk formula or recipe, please chat with your doctor or a registered dietitian about it before offering to your child.

Question #5: What if my child has a milk allergy?

Answer: Allergies are a very real and serious thing and should be handled carefully. Goat’s milk protein is actually quite similar to cow’s milk protein. So, if your child has a bad reaction to cow’s milk formulas, goat’s milk may cause the same reaction.

If your child has an allergy or intolerance, please consult with your pediatrician and a registered dietitian to help find an appropriate formula alternative.

As with all choices, we know that what you feed your baby is a very personal one. We also know that parents do so much to try and make best decisions for their families’ health and well-being.  Our goal as healthcare professionals is to respect your values and desires while doing our best to ensure the safety and health of your baby and family. If you have questions regarding this or any other nutrient choices for your baby, we encourage you to reach out to reputable healthcare professionals to give you safe and helpful advice.

Happy feeding and growing!

Intermountain Moms Baby Your Baby, Breast Feeding, Dietitian, Intermountain Moms, Labor and Delivery, Lactation, McKay Dee Hospital, Nutrition, Pregnancy, Women and Newborn

Last Updated: 10/27/2017

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Goat milk to infants: can it be given and when

Tiunova Elena

Published: 01/15/2023

Reading time:

4078

Modern mothers are often aware that cow's milk is not the right food for babies. Such a product is an excessive burden on the kidneys and intestines of the baby, the cause of anemia and food allergies. At the same time, goat's milk often seems like a panacea to them. Like it or not - let's figure it out now.

What is the difference between goat's milk and cow's milk

The composition of goat's milk has a number of advantages:

  • The composition of goat's milk proteins is quite similar to cow's. The difference is that goat milk contains a smaller amount of one of the protein fractions - alpha-S1-casein. Thanks to this, goat milk proteins form a softer and more tender curd clot in the stomach, which is easier to digest by the immature gastrointestinal tract of the child.
  • Goat milk fats have a higher content of short and medium chain fatty acids and are small fat globules (globules), unlike the fat composition of cow's milk, so they are easier to digest and assimilate by the body.
  • "Goat product" contains more vitamin A and B vitamins and minerals such as Ca, P, Mg, K, Mn, Zn, Se, compared to cow product. And iron and folic acid in it is not enough.
  • As for the carbohydrate composition, goat milk contains 10 times more oligosaccharides than cow milk. Oligosaccharides, being nutrition for the microbiota of the large intestine, stimulate its growth and vital activity.

Is it possible to give goat milk to a child

Yes, as mentioned above, whole goat milk is a healthy and easily digestible product with high nutritional value, but it is not suitable for an infant as food.

  • Goat's milk contains a lot of protein and mineral salts, which creates a high load on the immature intestines, kidneys and pancreas of the baby.
  • Whole goat's milk protein is as common and strong an allergen in the first year of life as cow's milk protein.
  • After a year, the situation changes, the baby's immune system is in most cases ready for a gradual encounter with various allergens, and whole goat's milk in acceptable quantities is usually well tolerated.

Myths about goat milk

Myth 1. You can not boil goat milk
This is not true. Such a product can cause infection with various infections, as it may contain various viruses (for example, hepatitis A or tick-borne encephalitis, which affects goats and sheep), bacteria (staphylococci, brucella) and fungi (Candida). Therefore, boiling is the only way to disinfect market-bought or homemade milk.


Myth 2. Goat milk has an unpleasant smell and taste
This is not true. A clean goat, as a rule, gives tasty milk without taste and smell. Animal nutrition is also important. Some herbs can give a bitter taste.


Myth 3. Goat milk for children should be diluted with water
This is true. At the first introduction to the diet and the baby's acquaintance with goat's milk, it is possible to dilute it with water 50:50, to see the body's reaction and tolerance. Subsequently, the amount of water for dilution can be reduced and gradually switched to whole goat's milk.

From what age can goat's milk be introduced? The main substances (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) in them are adapted to the needs of the body and are more easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.


"Third" and "fourth" formulas contain additional useful substances (dietary fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids), iron, iodine, selenium, B vitamins and antioxidants (which is especially important for children growing up in industrial cities with unfavorable ecology ). According to the manufacturer's recommendations, such fortified milk drinks can be given in a volume of 200-400 ml per day.
Whole goat milk, boiled for at least 5 minutes, can be given to a baby after a year in a volume of no more than 200 ml, and also, if necessary, used in cooking (cereals, vegetable purees, etc. ).

Information verified by an expert

Tiunova Elena

Pediatrician of the highest category, nutritionist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the department of faculty pediatrics and propaedeutics of childhood diseases, Ural State Medical University

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Contents of the article

  • What is the difference between goat's milk and cow's milk
  • Is it possible to give goat milk to a child
  • Myths about goat milk
  • At what age can goat milk be introduced

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When can I give goat's milk to a child.

Goat's milk for newborns

Mothers often ask themselves the question: is it possible to introduce goat's milk into complementary foods for babies? It happens that without consulting a pediatrician, they begin to feed their baby from the age of 3 months.

Naturally, nothing can replace real breastfeeding, but due to some factors (stress, caesarean section, illness, etc.), when a mother's lactation disappears or decreases, parents have to look for alternative options for feeding their baby.

Benefits of goat's milk for children

According to experts' research, it is goat's milk that is closest in composition to mother's milk.

It is known that milk consists of tiny balls, which, depending on the type, have a different size and consistency. Human contains the smallest, goat - medium, cow - the largest.

Children's intestines perfectly digest the first, largest balls most often cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract. But goat's milk is a kind of golden mean, it can be given to a baby much earlier than whole cow's.

This product contains the following benefits:

  • includes a large amount of useful minerals of groups A, C and D;
  • it contains vitamins such as: B12, which improves the process of hematopoiesis in the human body, and magnesium, which helps to remove heavy metals from the body and strengthens the child's nervous system;
  • Silica helps prevent rickets in infants;
  • fatty acids are easily broken down in the child's body;
  • is indispensable for babies prone to constant spitting up, as the small size of the milk balls allows it to be completely absorbed;
  • practically does not contain milk sugar (lactose), respectively, it can be safely given to all children with lactose deficiency.

Harmful goat milk

Despite the fact that this milk is healthy and nutritious, it is better not to fully consider it as the only food for feeding:

  • it contains casein protein, which is hardly absorbed by the child's body and often leads to intestinal colic in children under one year old;
  • it contains a lot of mineral salts that increase the load on tiny kidneys;
  • contains virtually no iron, so children who consume exclusively goat's milk are often diagnosed with "anemia";
  • also contains an insufficient amount of vitamin D3, which is so necessary for an infant;
  • a large percentage of fat content makes goat's milk not only nutritious, but also not entirely suitable for full digestion.

It is known that the milk of any animal is what it eats. And if a cow eats exclusively fresh grass or hay, then goats can chew anything, for example, grass containing heavy metals, or withered plants that contain various toxins. Therefore, it is important: in what conditions the goat is kept, how and what it eats.

When can I start giving goat's milk to babies?

Before feeding goat's milk to her baby, any mother should consult a competent pediatrician, since for any organism there are peculiarities and intolerance to a particular product.

Many doctors agree that for children over the age of three, this milk is very useful, but for babies there are many restrictions. Firstly, each child may have an individual intolerance to one of the components in the composition of milk. Secondly, this product has a specific taste that can cause discomfort to the baby. And finally, goat's milk cannot be a source of all useful substances, which means that it is impossible to give exclusively this product to an infant.

The well-known pediatrician Komarovsky believes that goat's milk can be given to children from the age of one, and in some cases, it is better to wait until three years with the introduction of this complementary food. According to the doctor, goat milk is generally given too much importance. And you can enter it only when you have your own goat, and there is no way to buy a high-quality adapted mixture. And if the parents have already decided to feed the baby with this product, then it must be diluted to 2% fat.

How to introduce goat's milk into the children's menu?

In order to competently introduce a goat's milk product into the baby's diet, some rules must be observed.

Be sure to boil fresh goat milk. As mentioned above, if you are buying a product from someone, it is important to know what conditions the animal is kept in and what it eats. If the purchase is made in a store, you need to pay special attention to the expiration date.

Since goat's milk has a very high fat content, one-year-old children need to dilute it with boiled water in a ratio of 1:4, gradually reducing this ratio. Children after three years can be given undiluted.

Boiled milk cannot be reheated or boiled a second time, due to excessive heat treatment, useful properties are lost, so it should be consumed immediately after cooling down at the first boil.

This product should be stored in glass or ceramic containers, but never in metal.

Complementary foods should be started when the child is perfectly healthy, with 10 milliliters diluted with 40 milliliters of boiled water. After the first time, it is necessary to endure for some time and follow the reaction of the baby: does he have a violation of the stool, allergic reactions or intestinal colic. If there are negative consequences, then you should immediately stop entering this product. Although an allergy to goat's milk in children is rare.

Basic rules for choosing goat milk

If a parent decides to give a goat milk product to their child, then you need to know a few simple rules for choosing quality milk:

  • buy only from people you know and trust;
  • clarify the conditions for keeping the animal;
  • if milk is purchased on the market, be sure to ask the seller for the necessary documentation;
  • if you buy it in the store, make sure that the composition does not contain any additives.

Video: goat's milk for feeding a baby

The best food for a newborn is mother's milk, which can fully meet the needs of children. However, natural feeding is sometimes impossible for various reasons, so parents face the question: “Give goat milk for babies, buy an adapted formula, or try to feed cow milk?”. And how does this affect the health of the baby up to a year?

Goat milk benefits

The digestive system of a newborn is not yet perfect, so there are not enough important enzymes to digest the food received. According to the recommendations of pediatricians, if natural feeding is not established, a child under 6 months old should be given an adapted milk formula. If parents do not trust the basis of artificial formula, then mother's milk is replaced by goat's milk for a number of reasons:

  1. From whatever age goat's milk is introduced, babies practically do not have an allergy to it.
  2. The composition includes potassium, calcium, vitamins B6 and A, folic acid.
  3. Goat's milk will bring undoubted benefits to infants, since calcium is completely absorbed from it, which is an effective prevention of the development of rickets.
  4. The minimum lactose content allows you to feed babies with lactose deficiency.
  5. The fatty acids contained in the product are better absorbed by the child's body.
  6. The composition of goat is similar to maternal due to the content of taurine, thanks to which the child receives all the necessary substances that strengthen the immune system.
  7. Goat's milk is indispensable for newborns prone to frequent regurgitation. The homogenized appearance of milk balls allows you to fully assimilate the product and establish good nutrition.

Cons of goat milk

Compared to cow milk, goat milk is much healthier and more nutritious, but it is undesirable to consider it as a separate product:

  1. It contains casein protein, which is poorly digested by the baby's body. In the stomach, the protein turns into a dense clot resembling cottage cheese, which leads to colic and whims of a baby up to a year old.
  2. The high content of mineral salts puts an increased burden on the kidneys, which is not easy for a child to cope with.
  3. For good hematopoiesis, an infant under the age of one year will need iron, and there is practically no iron in goat's milk, so the parents will have to personally get acquainted with the diagnosis of "anemia" in a child.
  4. Also, goat's milk is undesirable for newborns as the main food due to the reduced content of vitamin D.
  5. The product is based on a lot of fat, which makes it nutritious and at the same time unsuitable for full digestion.
  6. Lack of lipase enzyme minimizes fat breakdown.

There are many supporters of this diet, who have a lot of stories that the baby's diet should include this product from the first days. But the final decision is made only by a pediatrician who, after weighing all the pros and cons, for each specific child, will prescribe this product or not.

The benefits of goat's milk have been proven for children up to a year old, when porridges based on it and cottage cheese made from this product are introduced into complementary foods. However, it is extremely dangerous to completely transfer a month-old baby to feeding with unadapted whole goat milk!

Well-known pediatrician Komarovsky believes that goat's milk should be introduced into the children's menu from the age of 1 year. And in some cases, it is better to wait until 3 years with an acquaintance.

Goat milk formulas

Infant milk formula is produced with the latest technology and is an alternative nutrition in the absence of breast milk. According to the formula and composition of the mixture, they are as close as possible to women's milk, so they can be given to a child from birth. Mix Use:

  1. Reducing the load on the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys of the baby, which contributes to the timely development of the musculoskeletal system.
  2. The addition of nucleotides to the mixture helps the full maturation of immunity.
  3. All production facilities are certified and strictly controlled.
  4. The product is easily digested, and all the nutrients are absorbed by the child up to a year.
  5. No matter how many months the mixture has been introduced into the diet, it is an excellent prevention of childhood obesity.
  6. Goat's milk based infant formula has a positive effect on the functioning of the digestive tract, reducing the risk of colic, stool disorders and regurgitation.
  7. The addition of prebiotics to the mixture allows parents to improve the digestion of the baby. Goat's milk based formula is recommended for children prone to constipation.

If breastfeeding is not possible and you want to feed your baby with goat's milk, then the safest and most appropriate solution is to purchase an infant formula based on goat's milk!

  1. as a complete diet for a healthy baby
  2. for digestive disorders
  3. for the prevention of allergic reactions
  4. children under one year of age in case of intolerance to soy and milk protein
  5. frequently ill and debilitated babies
  6. underweight babies

Complementary feeding period

For the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, pediatricians recommend adding fermented milk products to the diet so that nutrition remains complete and does not cause problems with stool. Giving cottage cheese is important for the formation of beneficial microflora in the intestines, but this is not always possible with an allergy to cow's milk.

But goat's cottage cheese is in no way inferior to its usual "brother", and even better in some respects.

Many children do not like the rough texture of cottage cheese. Moms have to grind it to achieve uniformity. All this can be avoided by making goat's milk curd at home.

Recipe for goat's milk curd for the first feeding

  1. Pour 1 liter of milk into an enameled saucepan and heat on fire to 40 C.
  2. Gently place 700 g low-fat yoghurt in a saucepan, mix thoroughly. To make the cottage cheese tender, it is advisable to dilute the yogurt with a small amount of milk in advance.
  3. Remove pot from heat, wrap in a blanket and leave overnight. By morning, the milk mass will thicken, it should be stirred and heated over low heat. After 20 minutes, the mixture should be stirred. The intensity of mixing depends on what composition it is planned to obtain curd. For large curd flakes, gentle movements from the bottom up will be required, and for fine-grained ones, solid circular ones.
  4. Bring the mass to 80 C and transfer to a large container with cold water until completely cool. Frequent water changes may be needed.
  5. Pour the mixture into a deep colander lined with a dense cloth that passes liquid well.
  6. Tie the fabric on top and place the colander, in which the future curd is located, in the refrigerator for a day. Serum secreted should be drained regularly.

Rules for the introduction of goat's milk into the diet of infants

It is better not to offer whole goat's milk to children before six months. This product may have a specific taste and smell, which is not always liked by babies. On goat's milk, you can cook porridge, make cottage cheese, thereby accustoming the child to goat's milk.

Initially, for a one-year-old baby, you will have to dilute the milk with warm boiled water. At first the ratio is 1:3. Too much fatty food will cause constipation.

As soon as the baby gets used to the new food, the product is diluted in a ratio of 1:2, and a month later it is given in its pure form.
Start with half a teaspoon. Watch the reaction of the child's body. If everything is in order, the amount of milk can be gradually increased.

Product selection rules

If parents and pediatricians decide to give goat milk from the first months of life, it is important to follow the basic product selection rules:

  1. Buy only from trusted people.
  2. Do not hesitate to check in what conditions the animal is kept, since only a quality product will benefit. You can not be too lazy and come to the milking of a goat to make sure that all the necessary standards are met.
  3. When buying from the market, ask for a certificate from a veterinarian.
  4. The store-bought version also requires care, as any dairy product can cause severe food poisoning - even cottage cheese. Examine the composition for the presence of various unwanted additives.
  5. Check the date of manufacture and do not purchase a product that is nearing its expiration date.
  6. Milk must be boiled, but the container should not be made of metal.
  7. Store in ceramic, enamel or glass containers.
  8. The benefits of the product significantly exceed all the existing disadvantages if it is impossible to establish nutrition for the baby with mother's milk. However, before self-use, it is advisable to consult a pediatrician.

Breast milk is ideal for feeding your baby. But sometimes a woman, for a number of reasons, cannot feed her baby. In such situations, it is advisable to offer goat's milk to children under one year old, since when using it, allergies are practically eliminated. Often parents are interested in at what age a goat milk product can be given to an infant without compromising his health. Such milk can be consumed from a very early age if no other nutritional options are available. This product has its pros and cons, which every parent should be aware of before feeding them to their child.

Many mothers doubt which milk is better for a child - goat's or cow's. Goat for babies is preferable for a number of reasons.

  1. Toddlers, who often have allergies, can more easily absorb and process goat's milk product due to the reduced amount of casein in their composition.
  2. It contains many vitamins belonging to different groups.
  3. Due to the high content of calcium, which is easier for the baby to absorb, the child's teeth grow stronger, and sometimes even earlier.
  4. In this product, the milk balls are very small, which are easy to digest, which protects the child from frequent spitting up.
  5. Goat's milk, like women's milk, in the baby's stomach takes the form of small lumps, similar to cottage cheese, which contributes to its easier digestion.
  6. One of the main advantages is that it is hypoallergenic. That is why it is recommended to use it for children when they often have dermatitis and allergies.

Cons

However, this product has its drawbacks, which you need to pay attention to . Unfortunately, the protein and fat composition of these two types of dairy products is different. Doctors have identified several negative aspects of goat's milk that women do not have.

  1. Goat product has a fat content much higher than that of mother's milk.
  2. It does not contain the enzyme lipase, which helps to break down fats.
  3. High levels of phosphorus can put an increased burden on the baby's kidneys.
  4. Lack of folic acid can cause anemia.

Age limit for goat milk

There is no definite answer from how many months it is allowed to give goat's milk to an infant. Pediatricians advise using it when the child reaches the age of 9 months. Until then, you can use special mixtures and cereals for feeding, the basis of which is goat's milk.

It should be noted that in the form of such a porridge, milk loses most of its useful properties. Despite this, cereals are more easily accepted by the baby's digestive system. Porridges adapted for baby food contain goat's milk with reduced fat content. The lipase enzyme is also added to the composition of the porridge, which facilitates the process of splitting fats in the child's body. Also, for the production of porridge from milk, excess phosphorus can be removed, which facilitates the work of the kidneys. A separate advantage of such porridge is the ability to give it to children from the first months of life.

If it is not possible to choose a mixture for the child, and he spits up some, you can use goat's milk from the first months of life. But do not forget that whole milk should not be given to the baby at the first time of feeding - it must first be diluted. No matter how many months the baby begins to eat goat's milk, it is necessary to regularly observe and consult a doctor.

At such an early age, it is important to choose and prepare milk for breastfeeding.

  1. Reach out to people you know who keep goats. Assess the conditions in which the animal is kept. You also need to control the milking process. If the goat is healthy, kept clean and milked hygienically, this milk can be used to feed an infant.
  2. If goat's milk is bought at the market, a veterinary certificate of the animal's health can be requested. Without such a certificate, trading in market conditions cannot be carried out. The document must be provided at the request of the buyer.
  3. When buying milk in the store, you need to check the shelf life so that the baby eats only fresh product.

Preparation rules

Before preparing a drink, you must personally verify the freshness of the product by tasting it. During the test, extraneous tastes, especially bitterness, should not be felt. After a sip, you can wait a few minutes to feel the aftertaste, because even the slightest unpleasant aftertaste can cause the child to vomit.

For the first use, milk must be diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1:3. If this advice is neglected, the baby may suffer from constipation caused by an excessively fatty diet.
Milk must be heat treated by boiling. It is not advised to boil in metal utensils - ceramic or glass utensils are suitable for this purpose. For storage, preference should be given to containers made of glass, ceramics or enamel.

After the baby gets used to this diet, you can dilute the milk in a ratio of 1:2. From what month is it allowed to give pure milk? After a period of one month when diluted milk has been consumed, undiluted milk will do.

Start giving undiluted product with half a teaspoon, constantly monitoring the well-being and external condition of the baby. If no reactions were noticed, you can gradually increase the volumes.

If your baby develops a severe allergy or feels unwell, stop using goat's milk and consult a doctor.

Complementary foods

If you want to give your baby goat's milk as a complementary food, homemade cottage cheese made from it is the best option. It is cottage cheese that contributes to the organization of beneficial microflora in the intestines. Pediatricians advise making cottage cheese from goat's milk, because it does not cause allergies in children. There is a special recipe for cottage cheese for babies.

In an enamel pot, heat 1 liter of milk to a temperature of 40 degrees. When the desired temperature is reached, pour 700 g of fat-free yogurt into the pan and mix everything thoroughly. After a homogeneous mixture has been obtained, the container must be removed from the stove and wrapped in a blanket. In this state, it is left overnight.

The next morning the mixture is gently stirred and put on a slow fire for 20 minutes. After this time has elapsed, the product must be mixed again. For large lumps, you can stir gently in the direction from the bottom up. If you need small cottage cheese, you should stir more actively and in a circular motion.

As a result, the whole mixture must be brought to a temperature of 80 degrees, after which it must be transferred to a container with cold water until completely cooled, where the curd will begin to form. When the water warms up, it must be replaced. After this procedure, the mixture will resemble the consistency of porridge.

Next, you will need a colander lined with a thick cloth - pour the mixture into it when it has cooled. The fabric should be tied at the top to create a slight pressure on the curd. A colander can be placed on a deep container so that the whey that the cottage cheese secretes flows there. The entire structure must be placed in the refrigerator for a day, constantly draining the whey.

It is necessary to give cottage cheese to the baby after breaking up lumps, as many children do not like such a rough texture of food. After eating a fermented milk product, children may experience an allergy. If it is mild in nature and is not accompanied by a deterioration in the child's well-being, then treatment is not required.

Goat's milk is a healthy product for babies, but it is advisable to wait until the age of 9 months to protect the baby from unpleasant problems with the stomach or skin that allergies can cause him. If you decide to give the baby this product or make cottage cheese out of it, you should be careful. In no case should you forget to boil the initial milky liquid, because the future health of the child depends on it.

Is it possible to feed a child with goat's milk? This question is asked by many mothers who do not have breast milk, consider what are the disadvantages of such feeding and what are the advantages.

Cons of goat milk

People consider goat's milk to be a healing product. Is it similar in composition to breast milk? According to doctors, it is more fatty, which will lead to its longer digestion and load on the digestive tract, in addition, it lacks the so-called lipase enzyme, which is involved in the process of splitting fats.

In addition, goat's milk contains a lot of the mineral component of phosphorus, which creates an additional burden on the baby's body, which is not yet strong, in particular on the kidneys of a newborn.

In addition, goat milk lacks the important folic acid, which can cause anemia in the baby. Can a baby be fed to them? The answer suggests itself that no, but not everything is so clear...

Pros of goat milk

If there is a choice between cow's or goat's milk, then, according to doctors, it is better to give preference to goat's drink, since it contains less casein, and it is known to be digested for a long time and turns into a dense clot in the child's stomach.

In addition, goat's milk contains more different vitamins, in addition, it contains a lot of such a mineral component as calcium, it is perfectly absorbed by the baby's body, as a result, the child's teeth begin to grow earlier.

It is indicated to take goat's milk for babies prone to the so-called regurgitation, as this product is better absorbed, unlike cow's. It is worth noting that goat milk practically does not cause allergies in children, that is, it belongs to a hypoallergenic drink, which is important for children who have, for example, atopic dermatitis or other allergic reactions. As you can see, in some cases it is not only possible, but also necessary, to give goat milk to an infant.

When can I give my baby goat's milk?

What is the correct way to introduce this product into a child's diet?

If you decide to introduce goat's milk into the diet of your newborn, then you should first consult with your pediatrician, after which it is important to follow some rules.

Try to buy goat's milk from friends or on the recommendation. It is worth seeing in what form the animal is kept, in addition, do not be too lazy to come at least once to the so-called milking.

If you plan to buy milk on the market, then it is recommended to ask the seller for a special certificate from the veterinarian, which will indicate the state of health of the goat.

If the milk will be purchased in a store, it is important to carefully study the date of manufacture of the dairy product on the seam of the package, as well as its expiration date. If it is expired, in no case should it be bought and given to a child.

When feeding a child with such milk, it is recommended to first dilute it with boiled water so that it is less concentrated, while three parts of water should be used for one part of the product. Such a procedure must be carried out, since milk is quite fatty and can provoke problems with stools, in particular, constipation is not ruled out in a child, respectively, it is better to add water.

It is worth remembering that milk must first be boiled, as heat treatment will contribute to the death of possible bacteria. It is desirable to store it in glassware, and ceramic or enameled containers are also suitable.

When the child is somewhat accustomed to the use of a new product, you can dilute the milk in a ratio of 1 to 2, and after one month you can start using undiluted milk.

As you can see, the benefits of goat's milk still outweigh its disadvantages. Of course, for a nursing baby, the use of mother's milk is optimal, but in the absence of such, goat's milk may well become its replacement. When transferring a baby to artificial feeding, it is recommended to consult with a pediatrician.

Of course, nothing can replace mother's milk for a child, but sometimes, in its absence, one has to look for ways to replenish it. Many young families use cow milk, but a child may be allergic to it. In such a situation, pediatricians recommend using mixtures based on a goat product, they are as close as possible to mother's milk.

It is worth remembering that before using goat milk, you should consult a pediatrician, maybe for a baby, the doctor will first recommend some mixtures, and then, depending on the age of the child, this milk can also be used, only it is important boil beforehand. After that, it is filtered through a strainer, cooled and given to the child.

It is important to use the milk within 24 hours, the remaining product is recommended to be disposed of. In no case do not experiment and do not give the child raw milk, as this can lead to negative phenomena from the digestive tract, in particular, vomiting, diarrhea, and pain in the abdomen is possible, in addition, constipation is possible.

There are many stories and myths about the benefits and harms of goat's milk for babies. On the relevant sites, you can find many examples from personal experience that young mothers generously share. However, how to distinguish truth from fiction? How good is goat's milk for newborns?

Reasons

Doctors usually say that this animal drink is harmful for babies and should not be given to infants under one year old. Most artificial formulas are based on cow's milk with biological additives that minimize the potential for bloating and constipation. It is on this fact that the emphasis is placed.

Despite modern possibilities, some parents prefer to feed their babies with goat's milk. The following arguments are given in his favor:0003

  • the cow's milk used in formulas is, unfortunately, genetically modified. Most farmers feed their cows with chemical additives to increase milk yield. Consequently, the quality suffers greatly from this.
  • Soy used in blends, also GMO. Therefore, do not trust the manufacturers.
  • Artificial goat milk formulas are expensive and therefore out of reach for most young families.
  • Immunity of a child fed on such milk is unusually strong, although doctors say otherwise.

Goats, unlike cows, eat anything and everything, therefore, the diet of the "supplier" of milk is of great importance. However, due to its absence, as often happens, parents are forced to look for alternative options. The reason for this phenomenon is stress, caesarean section during childbirth, bad habits, occupation, and so on. Alas, now there are few healthy mothers who are able to breastfeed. So, a scientific point of view.

Any milk consists of small balls that have different sizes and textures. The smallest ones swim in human milk, the medium ones in goat milk, and the largest ones in cow milk.

The child's body absorbs the first ones without problems, but the biggest difficulties arise with the cow product. In this regard, goat's milk occupies the golden mean.

This table can also serve as a good example.

Considering benefits goat milk from a scientific point of view, it would look something like this:

  • it contains a large amount of vitamins and useful potassium;
  • it rarely provokes allergic reactions, as is the case with breast milk;
  • a small amount of lactose, therefore, milk is well absorbed by children with lactose enzyme deficiency;
  • The fat in this product is easier for babies to digest than its counterpart;
  • goat milk contains the amino acid taurine, which has a beneficial effect on the development of babies.

Arguments against

In addition to prejudice and prejudice, there are such arguments against giving goat's milk to infants:

  • high content of mineral salts, which adversely affects the kidneys;
  • casein protein content, which has a bad effect on the gastrointestinal tract;
  • vitamin D and iron deficiency;
  • content of acids harmful to the tiny organism;
  • too much fat in milk, which makes it too saturated and poorly digested by the baby's stomach.

    • Also not in favor of the goat product is what the goats eat. If a cow eats only fresh green grass or dried hay, then a goat can chew anything. For example, bushes of unknown origin growing near a car path, or withered leaves containing many harmful toxins. That is why it is strongly recommended not to use this product.

    A compromise solution

    Of course, nothing can replace breast milk for children, but you have to look for options in case of its absence. The vast majority of young families resort to a cow product. However, sometimes babies are allergic to it. How to be in such a situation?

    Plain goat's milk should not be given to newborn babies. This can cause indigestion and make the baby feel worse. On the Internet, you can find reviews of experienced mothers who fed children from birth with a goat product, but it should be understood that they do not have a medical education, which means they cannot know how such milk actually affects the child.

    Prescription

    The product should be given to children who are at least six months old. To begin with, mix milk and water in proportions 1: 1 and mix thoroughly. Then heat to a boil and remove the foam. Then we pass the product through cheesecloth three times and feed the baby. Milk should be used within a day. Also, do not experiment with unboiled milk.

    At what age should goat products be given? The fact is that the enzyme system of babies at this age is still very weak, and you can easily cause constipation, diarrhea or vomiting.

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