Contents:
- Medical Video: Breast to Bottle: Tips to Help The Transition
- From the beginning of life, humans have drunk milk
- Children must drink milk to help meet their daily calcium needs
- Don't give too much milk
- What if the child cannot or does not want to drink milk?
Medical Video: Breast to Bottle: Tips to Help The Transition
Milk is very sticky with children, to the point that there are children who cannot escape from milk until they are adults because they are very used to drinking milk. But, is it true that children must drink milk?
From the beginning of life, humans have drunk milk
Actually, without realizing it, since you were little, even just born, you have drunk milk. This milk is produced by the mother's body so it is called breast milk (ASI). Through this milk, the mother can feed her newborn child. This is because humans are including mammals.
Breast milk contains various nutrients in the exact composition needed by newborns. Even breast milk also contains antibodies that can help strengthen the baby's immune system so as to protect babies from various diseases. This is the reason why breast milk is very important given to babies until the first 6 months of life. Even though it's milk, but breast milk cannot be equated with cow's milk or formula milk.
Children must drink milk to help meet their daily calcium needs
After breastfeeding, children are usually given formula milk in bottles. Giving milk to children is good because milk can help meet the nutritional needs of children, especially calcium for the strength of bones. Milk also contains many proteins that are needed to support children's growth.
However, the assumption that children must drink milk is actually not entirely appropriate. Milk does not always have to be given to children because the nutrients in milk can be obtained from other food sources. Although indeed, children may have difficulty meeting their calcium needs if they don't drink milk.
This is because the child's calcium needs are very high, while the calcium sources in food are generally small and children may not eat calcium-based foods every day. So, milk seems to be enough for children to meet their nutritional needs, especially calcium.
Don't give too much milk
But, not too much and often give milk to children, 2-3 cups of milk per day is enough for children. Most drink milk can make children full so they are not interested in eating other foods. This can make children lack nutrients that are not contained in milk. Most milk can also increase the risk of children becoming obese, as quoted from Live Science. This is because milk contains quite high calories.
Therefore, drinking milk must be balanced by eating a healthy and balanced diet. We recommend that you adjust milk consumption in children. Don't let milk be the child's main food, this can't. Milk is one source of protein, similar to meat and nuts. So, children need to eat other foods (besides milk) to be able to supplement their nutritional needs (including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals).
What if the child cannot or does not want to drink milk?
Milk can be needed by children and can also not, depending on the child's eating habits. Milk is a good source of calcium and protein, and can also provide additional calories needed by children. So, milk is very helpful, especially for children who like to be picky to eat, in meeting their calorie, protein, and vitamin and mineral needs.
However, that does not mean that if the child does not drink milk, the child's nutritional needs will decrease. Some children may be unable to drink milk because of milk allergy, for example or maybe because the child does not want to drink milk. This is not a big problem that can reduce child nutrition. You don't need to worry, because the nutrients in milk can be obtained from other food sources.
For example, calcium is abundant in milk, can also be found in broccoli, kale, spinach, anchovy, sardines, edamame, almonds, and others. For children who do not drink milk, they may have to eat more food sources of calcium so that their calcium needs are met. Children's calcium needs are quite high, which is 1300 mg per day. This is because bone growth and development is very rapid in childhood.
