There’s no arguing that Baby would look adorable with a milk mustache. But milk itself causes a significant amount of debate in online discussions of babies’ diets, and many disagree about when whole milk can be introduced into Baby‘s diet. According to current medical thinking in the US though, when Baby is a year old, they are ready to give real milk a whirl.
Why not sooner?
Before one year, Baby’s stomach may not be able to digest all of the proteins in cow’s milk. In addition, cow’s milk does not provide all of the nutrients Baby needs before one year, at least not in the way that breast milk or formula does. Babies who drink cow’s milk before one year run the risk of iron deficiency, as well as not enough vitamin E or zinc in their diet.
If ever?
There are a lot of heartfelt articles out there detailing reasons why babies shouldn’t be started on cow milk at all. Some of these are sensible and fairly self-evident (Baby is not, in fact, a baby cow), while others are a little more controversial.
The truth is that it is possible for Baby to get the nutrients they need without cows’ milk. Adult vegans do it, and so can Baby. Plus, if Baby does end up having milk allergies or intolerances, you may not have another choice besides formula or breastmilk. If you do want to give Baby cows’ milk, it can provide them with a good source of protein, B-vitamins, and vitamins A and D, as well as zinc, after the one-year mark. At a point when Baby’s stomach is still fairly small, a concentration of nutrients like that can make it easier for them to get the balanced diet they need, but there isn’t really a need to get your child drinking cow’s milk by a year, or 2 years, or ever at all.
