Home | Site Map | Contact Us | About Us | Articles | Tips | Resources | Links
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breast-fed for
at least 12 months and thereafter for as long as mutually desired. The only
acceptable alternative to breast milk is infant formula iron fortified and solid
foods can be introduced gradually when the baby is 6 months old, but a baby
should drink breast milk or formula, not regular cow's milk, for a full year.
"There aren't any rules about when to stop breast-feeding," says Ruth Lawrence,
M.D., professor of pediatrics and obstetrics at the University of Rochester
School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y., and spokeswoman for the academy. "As long
as the baby is eating age-appropriate solid foods, a mother may nurse a couple
of years if she wishes. A baby needs breast milk for the first year of life, and
then as long as desired after that." Formula, however, should not be continued
after the first birthday. That's the time to introduce milk. For all babies the
milk, however, should be whole milk. Low-fat and skim milk do not have enough
fat and calories to supply the nutritional needs of a 1-year-old, explains John
Udall, chief of nutrition and gastroenterology at Children's Hospital of New
Orleans. At that age, "the child is growing so quickly, and the fat is so
important for brain and central nervous system development," he says. "The
recommendation that our daily intake of fat should compose less than 30 percent
of our caloric intake does not apply to children under 2 years of age."
New on the market are special toddler formulas that claim to be better than
milk. The formulas are good nutritionally, says Udall, but they're not
necessary. "A well-balanced diet with milk and juices would be just as good in a
healthy, normally active, normally growing child," says Udall.
William Klish, former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee
on Nutrition, says that if a child needs to take a vitamin supplement, the
toddler formula, fortified with a full range of vitamins and minerals, including
iron, can serve that purpose. In addition, the toddler formulas don't need
refrigeration, making them a convenient choice for snacks away from home.
Source :
http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/breastfeeding/wholemilkfirstbirthday.asp