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Timing of when to introduce cow's milk

Authoring team

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommend delaying the introduction of cow's milk until after 1 year of age due to its low absorbable iron content (1).

  • early introduction of cow's milk is a strong negative determinant of iron status
  • unmodified cow's milk does not meet nutritional requirements of infants although it is acceptable to add small volumes of cow's milk to complementary foods (2)
  • cow's milk protein allergy has a prevalence ranging from 2 to 7%, and the age of recovery is usually around 2-3 years (2)

There is study evidence (1) that there is an association between the introduction of cow's milk before 1 year of age and an increased rate of delayed developmental milestones after 1 year of age.

Goat's milk (2):

  • unmodified goat's milk is not suitable for infants because of the high protein and minerals content and of a low folate content
  • goat's milk has no clear nutritional advantage over cow's milk and is not less allergenic

Reference:


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