Formula, not cow's milk, for babies

Milk is an inappropriate substitute for breastmilk

- July 6, 2020

Is a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Children’s Center for Digestive Health Care / GI Care for Kids, whose books on nutrition for parents led him to start Nutrition4Kids with his co-founders.

Infant formulas are made to be like breastmilk, not cow's milk. That's because milk has:

2x the sodium, up to 3x the protein and 3x the phosphorus as breastmilk or infant formula – and that can be hard on an infant's immature kidneys
Curds of protein that can upset a baby's stomach (remember Little Miss Muffett)
And it doesn't have enough zinc, iron, or vitamins E or C to sustain Baby's rapid growth
And it doesn't have enough of essential fatty acids and DHA for brain, nerve and eye development

After about a year of age, a baby can wean off of breast milk or infant formula and onto cow's milk. Then milk can be an important part of a healthy diet because it is a good source of calories, protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and phosphorus.