Not every young mother can boast of good lactation . Unfortunately, more than 50% are forced to replace part of the feeding or all feeding by alternative nutrition. Doctors-pediatricians recommend doing this with the help of highly adapted milk formulas. However, some mothers believe that the milk of a cow or goat is more natural and useful, giving them a preference when feeding a baby. Next we will consider what is the use of goat's milk for a baby, and how much it is equivalent to the mother's milk.
Can baby goat milk?
If the child has enough milk, then up to six months of age, he should not be fed anything. If goat's milk is the main food, then it should be introduced by a special system, diluted with water. To see the various healing properties of goat's milk, let's look at its composition.
The composition of goat milk includes a large number of important vitamins, such as A, B, C, D, E, as well as trace elements (potassium, cobalt, magnesium, iron). It is worth noting that it is significantly different in composition from the milk of other animals (even cow's).
As is known, in this milk there is practically no alpha-casein, which is perceived as an allergen by a child's body. Therefore, the reception of goat's milk practically does not cause the child allergies, in contrast to the cow. A very important point is the high content in the milk of goat beta-casein, which in its structure is similar to that in breast milk. This complex protein easily breaks down into amino acids in the form of flakes and is well absorbed in the child's body. Due to the low content of lactose (even lower than in the mother's), goat's milk is recommended even for children suffering from intolerance to lactose.
I would like to separately say about the fat composition of goat's milk. Its average fat content is 4.4%, and the size of fat globules is so small that it provides almost 100% digestion. In addition, 69% of goat's milk fat is polyunsaturated fatty acids, which do not turn into cholesterol.
How to give goat milk to a baby?
If you still want to feed the baby goat's milk, then consult an experienced pediatrician. An important point is the choice of the place of purchase of milk. It should be taken from a certified goat-maker on recommendation. It is not superfluous to look at the conditions under which goats are kept, and what they eat. For more confidence, you can order an examination of this milk in the laboratory.
Before you give babies goat's milk, it should be boiled. Given the high percentage of fat in goat's milk, before the first feeding it should be diluted in proportion of 1 part of milk and 5 parts of water. If the baby reacts normally to such food, then the concentration should be gradually reduced so that by the age of 1,5 the child could drink already whole.
How to introduce goat milk into the diet of a baby?
To begin with, give the baby 50 ml of diluted goat's milk in the morning. For several days, the child should be observed if he has an itch or rash, frequent loose stools, then do not continue to give him goat's milk for at least 1 month.
If a similar reaction occurs in a month after a similar dose in an infant, then the idea of feeding the baby with goat's milk should be abandoned. If the baby responds well to such food, then the dose and concentration should be gradually increased. A child from 1 year to 2 years old should drink up to 700 ml of milk.
Thus, having got acquainted with the composition of goat's milk, we saw that it is a worthy alternative to highly adapted milk mixtures as the main food. And even more so, very valuable as lure. The main thing is for goat's milk to bring the child benefits, it should be introduced into the diet according to the rules.