Lima Memorial Health System Logo
Approximate ER WAIT TIME WAIT TIME MACRO

Health Library

Cow's milk - infants
     
Print-Friendly
Bookmarks

Cow's milk - infants

 

If your child is under 1 year old, you should not feed your baby cow's milk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Cow's milk does not provide enough:

  • Vitamin E
  • Iron
  • Essential fatty acids

Your baby's system cannot handle the high levels of these nutrients in cow's milk:

  • Protein
  • Sodium
  • Potassium

It is also hard for your baby to digest the protein and fat in cow's milk.

To provide the best diet and nutrition for your infant, the AAP recommends:

  • If possible, you should feed your baby breast milk for at least the first 6 months of life.
  • You should give your baby only breast milk or iron-fortified formula during the first 12 months of life, not cow's milk.
  • Starting at age 6 months, you may add solid foods to your baby's diet.

If breastfeeding is not possible, infant formulas provide a healthy diet for your infant.

Whether you use breast milk or formula, your baby may have colic and be fussy. These are common problems in all babies. Cow's milk formulas usually do not cause these symptoms, so it may not help if you switch to a different formula. If your baby has ongoing colic, talk with your health care provider.

 

References

Meek JY, Noble L. Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057988. PMID: 35921640 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35921640/.

Parks EP, Shaikhkhalil A, Sainath NN, Mitchell JA, Brownell JN, Stallings VA. Feeding healthy infants, children, and adolescents. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 56.

Stuebe AM. Population health and informed feeding decisions. In: Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM, eds. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 6.

BACK TO TOPText only

Self Care

 
 

Review Date: 7/1/2023

URAC Seal
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- 2025 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
© 1997- 2025adam.comAll rights reserved.