Which Milk Is Best For 1 Year Old Baby

Categories: Baby

Which Milk Is Best For 1 Year Old Baby

What About Milk?

Milk is an important part of a child's diet because it provides calcium and vitamin D, which help build strong bones. Most children under the age of 2 should drink whole milk.

If a child is overweight or has a family history of obesity, high cholesterol, or heart problems, your doctor may recommend switching to low-fat (2%) milk.

In this blog, I will take you through the first 0-3 years and explain what type of milk is recommended for your baby. I've also included a few tables as a quick reference guide to what you can offer, and when!

If your child cannot drink cow's milk, try a soy drink enriched with calcium and vitamin D.Other milk alternatives (such as almond, oat, rice, or coconut) contain less protein and may not be as fortified.

Babies this age don't need special infant milk or formula with added sugars. Toddlers can get all the nutrition they need by drinking cow's milk or fortified soy beverages and eating a variety of solid foods.

6-12 Months

Around 6 months you will start introducing more foods to your baby's diet, and so naturally the amount and requirement of milk will gradually reduce.

If you're breastfeeding, your baby will naturally adapt to the amount you eat along with other foods you eat throughout the day. For formula-fed babies, NHS guidelines suggest they may need around 600ml per day between 7-9 months and this will drop to around 400ml between 10-12 months.

Please remember this is just a guide.

Why Is Iron Important?

Iron makes red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. Low levels of iron can affect growth and lead to learning and behavior problems and anemia.

After 12 months of age, babies may not get enough iron because they no longer drink iron-fortified formula and may not get enough iron-rich foods in their diets.

To help reverse iron deficiency:

• Limit your child's milk intake to 16–24 ounces (480–720 milliliters) a day.
• Include iron-rich foods in your child's diet, such as meat, poultry, fish, beans, and iron-fortified foods.
• Continue offering iron-fortified cereals until your child is eating a variety of iron-rich foods.