Buzz
Today, many Vietnamese families recognize the importance of regularly giving children fresh milk to support their comprehensive physical and intellectual development. However, not every child can drink fresh milk at any age, and it's crucial to ensure that children consume it correctly to maximize nutritional benefits. So, should children be given a lot of fresh milk? Let's explore this in the following article!
When should children be given fresh milk?
According to doctors and nutrition experts, children under 12 months should be exclusively breastfed to enhance their immune system. In cases where mothers don't produce enough milk, formula milk can be introduced for children under 12 months. Giving fresh milk to children under 12 months may lead to bloating, indigestion, and a loss of appetite. This is because the child's immature digestive system cannot effectively process the high levels of protein, calcium, and phosphorus found in fresh milk.
For children aged one and above, this is an opportune time to introduce them to fresh milk to provide essential nutrients for their development. Fresh milk contains a significant amount of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A, promoting strong bones and teeth in children. The fat content in milk helps children gain weight evenly, supporting efficient brain development. Additionally, the protein in milk partially fulfills the protein requirements for steady growth, reducing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Is it advisable for children to consume a lot of fresh milk?
In the journey of caring for a child, the question of whether children should drink a lot of fresh milk is a concern for many mothers. The answer is not to give children too much fresh milk because:
While milk is considered a very good food and drink for children as it provides protein, fat, and calcium, excessive consumption is not healthy for the child.
Children who are just learning to walk until the age of 4-8 should not drink more than 3 glasses of milk per day to avoid constipation and receiving too many calories from drinking milk. When a child's body receives too many calories, it often leads to a reluctance to eat other nutritious foods, resulting in underweight. Conversely, if your child drinks a lot of milk but can still eat well, it can lead to overweight and face obesity.
Therefore, young parents should limit their children to 3 glasses of milk per day. This means that the child will receive about 600 to 900 calories from milk. It is estimated that each day a child needs about 1300 calories from milk and other healthy foods.
If your child also consumes a lot of fruit juice per day, they can already receive almost all the necessary calories from daily milk and food intake. Fruits contain a more diverse range of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals than milk.
A potentially dangerous issue for children who drink too much milk when they start walking is the risk of iron deficiency anemia. The reason is that milk does not contain a significant amount of iron, so to get iron in their diet, children must form connections with many other iron-rich foods. Therefore, if iron deficiency due to excessive milk consumption is not detected in time, it can lead to profound iron deficiency in children.
On the other hand, if your child is not iron-deficient (your pediatrician can conduct a blood test to check for anemia), milk contains a lot of calcium, promoting good growth. However, excess calcium can lead to deposits and cause kidney-related illnesses. Additionally, children may face a range of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and more.
Choosing and giving the best fresh milk for your baby
About the type of milk:
For children under 2 years old, mothers should choose whole milk labeled as raw milk available in the market instead of skimmed milk. In this age range, children need additional fat to achieve ideal weight.
For children above 2 years old, it's advisable to continue giving them whole fresh milk. Except in cases of overweight or obesity, consider giving partially or fully skimmed milk and choose sugar-free milk for your child. If opting for milk with sugar, ensure your child cleans their mouth thoroughly or drinks filtered water afterward to prevent tooth decay caused by sugar residue attracting bacteria and damaging the child's tooth enamel.
Regarding the timing of consumption: giving fresh milk to a child at the right time is crucial. Mothers should only give fresh milk to their children about 2 hours before or after the main meal. If given too close to a meal, it may make the child feel full and reject other foods. If given immediately after a meal, the child may not digest the amount of food efficiently, potentially causing digestion issues.
About the dosage:
For children above 2 years old, you can give them around 200ml-300ml/day, considering the child's absorption capacity. Do not force the child to drink if they don't want to avoid creating aversions to drinking fresh milk.
Here, Mytour has addressed mothers' concerns about whether children should consume a lot of fresh milk. We hope this information helps mothers in their journey of caring for their beloved children.
- Advice for mothers on whether to give children sugar-free fresh milk
- Review of the best whole fresh milk for 1-year-old children today
- At what age can children drink fresh milk? How should they drink it reasonably?
