Goat Milk for Babies: Benefits & Recipes

As a new parent, it is essential that you do everything possible to take care of your baby’s health. A large part of that is understanding baby nutrition. Understanding and knowing the nutritional needs of your baby will not just help you plan out his diet better, it can help you plan it out smarter as well. One tasty must-have for any baby’s diet is milk. In a world where there are numerous types of milk like soy milk, almond milk, buffalo milk, and the traditional favourite, cow milk, a lot of doctors have begun recommending goat milk for your baby.

Is Goat Milk Safe for Your Baby?

Milk contains a sugar called lactose. This is generally considered one of the hardest elements of any food group to break down in our digestive system. Traditionally used cow milk, while rich in calcium, has a lot of lactose in it, which can make it hard for a baby to digest. While goat milk for a newborn baby is not completely lactose-free, it is known to have a lot less of it.

So, why is goat’s milk healthy or healthier than options like soy milk, rice milk or almond milk? It has much higher calcium content, and is nutritionally much better for babies. Milk is an essential part of a baby’s diet, because its body develops from the nutrients available in milk. Most non-dairy milk products like soy milk are healthy for adults, but for a developing newborn, it is essential to have dairy as such as goat milk, which can be more beneficial for your child than cow milk or non-dairy milk.

When Can You Start Giving Goat Milk to Your Baby?

It is important to understand that goat milk is not an alternative to breastfeeding. This means your baby still requires breast milk. It is not recommended that you use goat milk for formulas. Goat milk should only be given to babies after 18 months of age. This is because it has a high load of sodium and potassium, which can burden the kidneys. Thus, serving goat milk at an earlier age could cause problems with the child’s nutritional balance.

Benefits of Goat Milk for Infants

Switching your child over to goat’s milk can have numerous benefits, some of which are:

1. Lower Risk Of Allergies

Cow milk has certain substances and proteins that make it up that can be highly allergenic, such as lactose. Those allergic to this have a condition called lactose intolerance. This condition can cause severe discomfort to your baby. Goat’s milk has considerably less lactose. This means the risk of severe allergies is lower. Goat’s milk is not as allergenic as cow and buffalo milk, but children who are allergic to cow’s milk can be allergic to goat milk as well, as the protein content is the same.

2. Good Fat

Compared to cow milk, goat’s milk is easier to digest, and has a higher content of good fats like polyunsaturated fat. This means that your baby can digest goat’s milk better, and the good fats are better absorbed by the body. Good fat is essential for the proper growth of your child.

3. Better for the Intestines

Lactose is hard to break down, and it is slow to digest. Another issue with lactose is it can harm the intestines. The lower quantity of lactose in goat’s milk can help preserve your baby’s intestine health.

4. Prebiotics

Most milk types have healthy bacteria known as prebiotics and probiotics. When compared to other dairy-based milk, goat’s milk has higher prebiotics. This helps your baby stay healthy and maintain a good amount of healthy gut and digestion-based bacteria.

5. Lower Cholesterol

Goat’s milk has smaller quantities of bad cholesterol, and lower amounts of all types of cholesterol in general. This is considered very healthy for both adults and babies, as cholesterol imbalances later in life could lead to issues like hypertension or blood pressure problems.

Recipes of Goat Milk for a Baby

The great part about goat’s milk is it can be used identically to cow milk. Thus, you must ensure that you boil the goat milk, or buy pasteurised goat milk, so your baby doesn’t fall sick. You can feed your baby goat milk from a bottle, and if he is old enough, you can mix in drinking chocolate, or use it in cereal.

Should You Give Goat Milk-Based Infant Formula or Goat Milk Yogurt to Your Child?

Depending on the situation, you may be considering giving your child goat milk yoghurt, due to the added healthy bacteria available in yoghurt in general. Before you do that, it is highly recommended you talk to a nutritionist or doctor. There are some nutrients that milk has and yoghurt does not, so it is essential to replace these nutrients when feeding your child.

Why Goat Milk May Not Be a Proper Substitute for Cow Milk-Based Dairy Products

Although lower in lactose than cow’s milk, goat milk still has a certain amount of lactose, and as such, your child could develop lactose intolerance. Another thing to consider is that goat’s milk doesn’t have folic acid, which is a crucial part of your baby’s nutrition. It is present in cow’s milk. It is recommended that you talk to a doctor in detail first, and understand the risks of using goat milk instead of cow milk.

Tips to Keep in Mind While Choosing Goat Milk for Your Infant

As with any ingredient, there are a few things to keep in mind while feeding your child goat’s milk, such as:

• Goat’s milk is low in folic acid. This is important for a baby’s nutrition. Always buy goat’s milk with added folic acid.
• Vitamin B-12 is an important component of your baby’s diet. Cow milk has higher quantities, so if your baby is on goat milk, ensure you give him some form of vitamin supplements.
• There is a risk your baby could become dehydrated with goat milk or any other milk, so ensure your baby is hydrated regularly.

It is recommended that you seek medical advice before changing or adding to your baby’s diet. Always listen to your doctor, and understand the benefits and risks of making dietary changes. Never make drastic changes to your baby’s diet. Gradually build it up, and if your baby reacts badly to the change, see a doctor immediately.

Also Read: Baby Not Gaining Weight – Causes, Signs & Remedies