If you suspect that your child is intolerant to lactose or gluten, you should always consult with a doctor who can give a proper diagnostic. If they confirm that your child has an intolerance then the doctor can give you advice on how to feed your child most appropriately or can give you the details of a nutritionist. Why is soya milk or other vegetable based milks so dangerous for your baby’s health?
Soya milk and babies: A tragic case
In 2014, a little boy died aged seven months old from malnutrition and dehydration as he was fed exclusively vegetable based milk for four months. According to his parents he was allergic to both lactose and gluten.
According to a report published in 2013 by ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety vegetable based milk are not well balanced and do not cover all the nutritional needs of young children.
Certain risks for young infants fed exclusively vegetable based milks include:
- Shortages of nutrients,
- Malnutrition,
- Infectious complications,
- Breathing difficulties,
- Stunted development,
- Metabolic disorders.
According to the report by ANSES, metabolic disorders and malnutrition can happen within a couple of weeks and can lead to infections that cause the death of the child.
When can you give your child vegetable based milk?
During your child’s first year they require certain types of energy, protein, amnio acids, lipids, minerals, vitamins and trace elements. However vegetable based milks do not contain all the nutrients that your baby requires. This is why vegetable based milks shouldn’t be given to children under the age of one year old, according to ANSES.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends young mothers to breastfeed their children until the age of six months old. If it isn’t possible to breast feed you should ask a pediatric doctor for advice on how you can give your child the appropriate nutrients.
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