How old can babies drink milk powder? How to choose milk powder that is easy to absorb?

Babies who are fed with formula milk and families who are formula-fed may have this question: How old should babies continue to drink formula milk?

Because there are many "stage 3" and "stage 4" milk powders on the market, many parents believe that milk powder should be consumed until the baby is at least three years old, or even seven years old. Is this really the case?

How to choose milk powder that is easy to absorb? This question also worries mothers!

How old should children be to drink formula milk? Major authoritative organizations say so!

There are still some slight differences among major authoritative organizations regarding how old babies should be when drinking formula milk.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Hong Kong Department of Health, and the World Health Organization (WHO) all recommend that milk can be used instead of formula after the baby is one year old. Parents do not have to use formula (i.e. stage 3 or stage 4 formula) as the main source of nutrition for their babies.

Because after the baby is one year old, he should gradually transition from milk to meals, and eventually three meals a day will be the baby's main source of nutrition.

International authoritative organizations and Hong Kong institutions recommend that babies can drink milk powder until they are one year old, while the Chinese Nutrition Society is relatively conservative.

The Chinese Nutrition Society believes that the protein and mineral content of ordinary fresh milk, yogurt, cheese, etc. is much higher than that of breast milk, which increases the burden on the kidneys of infants and young children, so they are not suitable for feeding to infants aged 7 to 12 months.

Infants aged 13 to 24 months can gradually try it as part of food diversification, but it is recommended to eat it in small amounts and not to completely replace breast milk or formula milk.

After reading the suggestions from major authoritative organizations, I believe that all mothers and fathers have their own judgments.

I think that if your baby's daily diet is relatively balanced and he is not picky about food and likes to eat all kinds of grains, fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, vegetables and fish, then you can wait until the baby is one year old and gradually start to switch from milk powder to milk.

If your baby refuses to eat this or that, and simply refuses to eat well, then it is better to just give him milk powder.

In short, after the age of 1, whether you choose formula or milk, you must gradually switch to meals. Three meals a day as the main food, supplemented by breast milk or formula.

As for [stage 3] and [stage 4] milk powder, it all depends on the baby's wishes. If he likes to drink it, it's fine to let him drink it. If he doesn't like it, there is no need to force the baby to drink it until the age of 7, because milk powder is no longer a "necessity" for the baby at this time, but balanced and nutritious meals are.

(Image source: Pixabay)

Three points to look at when choosing milk powder

First, look at the ingredient list on the outer packaging of the milk powder can - remember these 5 must-haves and 4 don'ts:

(Photo source: Ding Xiang Mama)

In addition to the nutrients that must be added, the addition of some ingredients is a bonus. For example:

DHA & ARA: can help the baby's brain and retina development;

OPO: helps soften stools and reduce the risk of constipation;

α-lactalbumin: helps improve feeding-related gastrointestinal symptoms (such as bloating, vomiting, intestinal colic), and helps promote the absorption of iron and zinc;

Lactoferrin (LF): can reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases and related symptoms (such as runny nose, cough, wheezing, etc.) in infants and young children.

…

Secondly, you can pay attention to the source of milk. The quality of milk greatly affects the quality of milk powder.

It is generally believed that excellent milk sources are mainly countries and regions with developed dairy products, such as:

In the southern hemisphere, the southern regions of Australia, the South Island of New Zealand, and the Pampas region of Argentina;

The Netherlands, Normandy, France, Ireland, and northern Germany in the northern hemisphere;

Inner Mongolia and the three northeastern provinces of China.

Finally, for babies with special medical conditions, such as lactose intolerance or milk protein allergy, they should choose special medical purpose infant formula, referred to as "special medical milk powder", under the guidance of a doctor or clinical nutritionist.

For "special medical milk powder", please look for the product registration number: National Food Registration Number TYxxxxxxx. Of course, the words "special medical purpose infant formula" must also be on the product packaging.

(Image source: Internet)

**About "easy absorption", this is something you must know! **We all know that breast milk is the best nutrition for babies and the most convenient nutrition for babies to absorb.

The casein contained in breast milk is easier to absorb, and the breast milk oligosaccharides contained in it can also promote better digestion and absorption by the baby.

So, what ingredients in formula milk can make the baby taste like mom’s milk?

The combination of A2 protein + long and short chain prebiotics can be called a hard-core CP that makes it "double easy to absorb" for babies!

A2 protein has always been very popular among mothers - but many mothers only know that A2 protein is easier to absorb, and don’t know why it is easier to absorb.

That’s because A2 protein is an affinity protein in natural breast milk, which is suitable for the baby’s tender stomach. A study on Chinese baby digestion found that A2 protein can make babies eat more comfortably!

A2 protein is not only closer to the protein structure of breast milk, it is also a very precious resource.

The other side of the “double absorption” CP is also worth talking about! Moms may think: Aren’t prebiotics very common? Many formula milks have them.

However, did you know that prebiotics also have a “chain of contempt”?

The short-chain prebiotics added to some formula milks can only act on a part of the intestine; however, the long- and short-chain prebiotic combination PDX+GOS can act on the entire large intestine, providing the baby’s gastrointestinal tract with more complete barrier protection[2].

Wrong! The composition of raw milk is very different from that of breast milk - fresh does not mean easy to digest.

Raw cow's milk contains too much protein, which is difficult to digest and absorb, and can easily put a lot of pressure on the baby's immature organs.

Moreover, it has not undergone sterilization, homogenization and other processing processes, so it is easy to breed various microorganisms!

It is not recommended for adults or children to drink directly!

(Image source: Internet)

The article is compiled from:

1. How old should babies be to drink formula milk? At this age, don’t waste money (newborn care)

2. How to choose milk powder that is easy to absorb? The "ingredient-control" dad sent me his notes, come and copy my homework! (Scientific Family Parenting)

3. When choosing milk powder for your baby, keep these 3 points in mind (Dingxiang Doctor)

Source: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd.

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