Feeding low‐fat milk during infancy

Despite the widespread agreement that low‐fat milk should not be used during infancy, there is a sizable portion of infants in the United States who were fed a diet that included low‐fat milk (⩾2% fat). In 1985, 14% of infants 8 months old, 20% of infants 10 months old, and 32% of infants 12 months old were fed low‐fat milk. The reasons given most often by mothers for low‐fat milk use was their consideration that low‐fat milk has less fat than whole cow's milk and that low‐fat milk use was recommended/suggested by their physician. Nutrient intakes of infants fed low‐fat milk are compared to those of infants fed whole cow's milk and infant formula. Except for fat, nutrient intakes of infants fed low‐fat milk or whole cow's milk were similar. A majority of infants fed either low‐fat milk or whole cow's milk received amounts of sodium, potassium, and chloride that exceeded the recommended safe and adequate ranges and amounts of iron below the RDA. These data are considered in relation to dietary requirements during infancy

Animal science · Biology · Cow milk · Milk fat · Milk substitute · Nutrient · Whole milk · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences · Food Science · Infant Health and Development · Infant Nutrition and Health · Medicine

• The problem with one‐day dietary intakes

  Stanley M Garn, Frances A Larkin et al.•Ecology of Food and Nutrition•1976

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• Problems in the use and interpretation of the recommended dietary allowances

  D M Hegsted•Ecology of Food and Nutrition•1972

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• Milk fat and gastrointestinal illness

  James S Koopman, V J Turkisk et al.•American Journal of Public Health•1984

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