4 Different Types Of Milk For Babies
There are different types of milk for babies. The most important of these is breast milk because it contains many different nutrients and is good for digestion. But there are also other alternatives that you should know.
The most common and widespread is cow’s milk. It is high in protein. It is further processed industrially so that it is as similar as possible to natural breast milk. There are also other types of milk for babies .
You only feed the diluted milk to your baby for the first month. Later you will gradually switch to a 2: 1 mixture of milk and water. At 6 months you can finally give your baby pure milk.
Types of milk for babies
There are several types of milk for babies on the market. They differ in some ways. Each tries to serve the special needs of small children in the best possible way. We’ll show you the most popular ones here.
1. Goat milk
You need to dilute this type of milk. The so-called Malta fever is often spread through ingestion of raw milk. It is therefore always advisable to first boil the milk and only then drink it.
2. Lamb whey
Some experts recommend using it in the manufacture of artificial breast milk. This solution consists of 25% water, 10% sugar, 25% sheep milk and 50% sheep whey.
This then usually contains more protein than cow’s milk, but the same or less lactose. However, caution is required here because of bacteria. That means you have to store them carefully to maintain the quality.
3. Cow’s milk
Some types of milk are made from cow’s milk:
- Evaporated milk : Even if it contains only a few vitamins, it is recommended for feeding to the baby. However, it should always be freshly prepared, because especially in summer it is dangerous to store it openly in the heat. As a rule, observe a balanced mix of boiled water and condensed milk. However, this type of baby milk is the least common.
- Milk powder: milk powder is produced from evaporation. There are various methods for doing this, for example the one according to Krause. However, this also leads to the loss of vitamins and usually requires adding sugar later.
You should only feed whole milk if your pediatrician has approved it. Whole milk powder is high in fat. Babies may not get used to this properly, depending on how old they are.
4. Special milk
In some cases, plant-based milk can also be given. Namely when a baby was born prematurely, has an allergy or cannot tolerate the high fat content of cow’s milk or processed milk.
This type of milk is of plant origin and will also take good care of the baby. This will protect it from colic or other stomach and digestive problems.
Some children have an allergy to milk protein from birth. Then you should give a so-called allergy milk. It is ideal because it does not contain the protein in question.
The doctor will prescribe a special mixture for premature babies or newborns with a low weight. It is high in calories and contains many minerals. These babies just need more.
Unfortunately, there are also babies who suffer from permanent heartburn and do not gain weight properly. For them, milk is also enriched with starch from rice.
5. Breast milk
Of course, you cannot buy this type of milk in the supermarket. But when it comes to baby food, it’s impossible not to mention it.
Breast milk is often described as the only complete type of milk. It is everything your baby needs from birth to 6 months.
A characteristic of breast milk is that the ratio between fats and sugars is 2: 1. This is what makes them so excellent for taking care of the baby.
Breast milk also contains some substances that are good for the little one’s digestion. And as if that weren’t enough, it also contains substances to strengthen the baby’s own defenses.
When it comes to our baby’s health, we should always look for the best option. Your diet shouldn’t be left to chance. Therefore it is always good and advisable to ask an expert for his opinion. This could be your midwife or the pediatrician, for example.
Fortunately, there are also some alternative types of milk for babies. And these are also tailored to the needs of the little ones. So if for some reason breast milk or breastfeeding is not an option, then you have good alternatives on hand.
