Milk is a high source of protein for both babies and adults. When mothers start complementary feeding and even after they have been weaned, babies and young children need milk for healthy development. I have heard some mothers argue that there is no difference between the adult (whole) milk and the baby (infant) milk. This is not true. There are diffrences in both types of milk and inherent health implications.
As mentioned earlier milk is protein but there are two types of protein inmilk;- the whey protein and casein protein. The baby milk (infant milk) usually have high concentration of whey protein which is about 80% and 20% of casein protein. While the adult (whole) milk has the reverse, which is 80% of casein protein and about 20% whey protein.
The casein protein is difficult for babies to digest and absorb in comparison to the whey protein. Also this difficulty can lead to some intestinal damage or related organ damage, over a prolonged period of time. Also, adult (whole) milk when given to babies can make it difficult to other vitamins such as iron needed for optimal blood levels. Also, baby are fortified with other vitamins and minerals compared to adult (whole) milk.
Health Tips
- Continue to breastfeed your baby even after you have started complimentary feeding in order to provide antibodies that serve as immunity for your child.
- Introduce adult (whole) milk gradually and if there is history of allergies in the family, be more watchful.
- Also note that toddlers still need a lot of milk to grow healthy.
Watch the full video on YouTube: Baby Milk Versus Adult Milk