If Cows Milk Is So Bad For Babies Then How Come Most Of Us (31 Years And Older) Given Cows Milk And We Are Ok?
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 at
11:01 am
How do I know if its not just a marketing ploy for formula companies. Our Dr’s office is sponsored by enfamil. They pass out everything from free formula samples to diaper bags. Anyone around my age 31 and over was given cows milk.
Tagged with: Babies • Come • Cows • Given • Milk • Most • Older • Then • Years
Filed under: Free Baby Stuff
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I am in my 40s and I was given whole milk after age 1. Many doctors are now discovering that the introduction of eggs and dairy products early on may cause food allergies. This was the case of my niece and nephew. Severe food allergies.
Just my guess.
BTW, I do remember my dad and I having this conversation recently. He is in his 70s and he said that one of my grandmother’s friends reminded him that when he was a newborn, he somehow wasnt able to nurse or my grandmother couldnt produce any milk. The friend came over, saw how sickly my dad was and went out, milked the cow, boiled the milk and fed him. Presto, dad started thriving and never had a problem.
Cow’s milk isn’t bad, but it is much lower in iron than an infant needs. Once a baby is over 1 year old, cow’s milk is fine as they should be getting adequate iron from other food sources such as meet, eggs, green vegetables etc. But until the baby’s diet is adequately varied, they must continue to have either breast milk which has very easily absorbed iron in it, or formula.
Of course, a baby would survive on cow’s milk, as people may well have done if given cow’s milk before people realised it was less than ideal, but they probably would have become iron deficient at least for a time.
It increases the probability of having allergies.
I don’t know about you, but it seems most of my friends (and myself) who, yes, were given cow’s milk before age 1 as per advice at the time, also spend an awful lot of money on singulair, claritan, and other allergy meds.
Knowing that thanks to genetics my children are almost certain to have allergies (and they all do, so far) my hope is to minimize both their discomfort and the amount of medications they need. I spent a childhood frequently sick with allergies, and have several life threatening allergies. My two oldest daughters also have severe allergies (penicillin’s and insect stings) but both myself and my mother have observed that even though their allergies qualify as ‘severe’, they don’t seem as truly life-affecting as mine were (I was unable to partake in sports for many years, had special, uncomfortable bedding, and injections thrice weekly for YEARS).
Considering that they have two allergic parents, my guess is avoiding the milk and breastfeeding has in fact reduced theitr allergies- and their need for exposure to drugs. So…why not follow what research suggests on this one?
Thirty years ago, parents smoked in the home and benzene (a well-known cause of cancer in children) was less contained/regulated, too- fortunately we have learned more about preventative healthcare in the interim.
No kidding! My mom said we were giving evaporated milk mixed with karo syrup! And at night, she used powdered milk and mixed with tap water (from lead pipes, probably!). And they all drank and smoked during pregnancy too.
Probably MOST kids turned out ok but there were a percentage that didn’t and it could have been contributed to these factors. I agree with you as far as the formula being a product and the purpose is to profit from it, not really nourish babies. I think it is better than the ‘old way’ but much over hyped. I’m sure there are just as many babies that have trouble digesting the chemicals too.
I am 26 and my mom fed me and my brother cows milk mixed with baby tea (in Europe) because she didn’t have breast milk and couldn’t afford formula. We both turned out fine, and neither of us ever got sick badly, the only time I was in the hospital since I was born was when I gave birth to my son.
I am not saying is as good as breasmilk, for moms who can bf I highly encourage it, but those who can’t and have to feed their babies formula, shouldn’t feel bad. Babies will turn out just fine as long as you take good care of them.
As with all risk factors, not everyone suffers harm. But many people do. There are risks to home made formula and ordinary cows milk.
I never once rode in a car seat when I was a baby. And I survived. Does it follow then that riding unrestrained is safe? My mother smoked while she was pregnant. Should we encourage smoking?
FWIW, there WAS commercial formula in the 60′s and 70′s, and it was widely used. So not all babies were fed on home-made formula.
The bigger question of course is WHY your doctor is handing out formula samples. That is a big no-no. He’s supposed to be promoting breastfeeding, which was best 31 years ago, and is still best today. If a mother is unable to breastfeed, then commercial formula IS the next best option.
Since so much of the formula is cow milk based, it isn’t that cows milk is so bad. They just feel that you need to add in all the extra vitamins and such. Before commercially produced baby formula came out, and at a time when women did not breast feed their babies, evaporated milk was used for feeding babies. Baby formula is just another money making gimmick. Feed your baby what you feel is proper. Just no raw honey before the age of one.
Cows milk was made for baby cows. Your generation was also raised on formula or breast milk. Drinking cow’s milk causes microscopic bleeding in the intestine of infants younger than one year of age. That is why your doctor tells you not to use it.
If you asked your doctor she/he would recommend breast feeding.
Cow’s milk alone doesn’t have the vitamins and nutrients that formula does. That is why infants have to be on formula. My 3 month old is on formula, but if you read the cans, its cow milk based formula. I don’t know where you live, but I am 31 and I was given formula when I was a baby.
marketing ploy or not, i sure aint gna take the risk! feel free to do as u please..
wen i stop breastfeeding before he turns one then its definately formula for him!
so u sayin the the Bird Flu could hav been a hoax as a marketing ploy for the cow companies after the chicken companies invented Mad Cow Disease
The cow’s milk that you can buy at the store is hardly actually cow’s milk. The milk is pasteurized and over-processed and about the only thing that you are getting is calcium. My husband worked on a dairy farm for years, so i know what actually is in milk.I personally would not give it to my child,breast milk is best.
Formula has been around much longer than 31 years. Before formula, mothers who were unable to breastfeed would have to hire a wet nurse. Babies who were unable to nurse would have little chance of thriving. It has NEVER been acceptable practice to give newborns cow’s milk.
I love questions that pose that because something happened to them and they didn’t die, that makes them okay. Yes, you did not die from cow’s milk, but you can not deny there are cancers and other disease for which the cause is unknown. Could this be a factor?
when my daughter was 6 months i gave her cow milk, not in the battle but with cookies – mushed. She was so fine and she did notHervee any reactions. Now she is 10 months and for breakfast she eats cereal with milk. I grow up in europe and we were given milk faster than a one year old.
It’s not so much that cow’s milk is so bad it’s just human milk is so much better.Humans are not cattle.Use as little formula as possible too.Go with what nature has provided.
I was fed cows milk with Karo syrup to.it probably does have something to do with the vitamens in formula
They just want your child to be over 1 yrs. old before giving cows milk. I’m 35 and had formula until about I was 1.
If you don’t want to buy formula, breast milk is always the best option!