The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breast-fed for at least 12 months and thereafter for as long as mutually desired. The only acceptable alternative to breast milk is infant formula iron fortified and solid foods can be introduced gradually when the baby is 6 months old, but a baby should drink breast milk or formula, not regular cow’s milk, for a full year.

“There aren’t any rules about when to stop breast-feeding,” says Ruth Lawrence, M.D., professor of pediatrics and obstetrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y., and spokeswoman for the academy. “As long as the baby is eating age-appropriate solid foods, a mother may nurse a couple of years if she wishes. A baby needs breast milk for the first year of life, and then as long as desired after that.” Formula, however, should not be continued after the first birthday. That’s the time to introduce milk. For all babies the milk, however, should be whole milk. Low-fat and skim milk do not have enough fat and calories to supply the nutritional needs of a 1-year-old, explains John Udall, chief of nutrition and gastroenterology at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. At that age, “the child is growing so quickly, and the fat is so important for brain and central nervous system development,” he says. “The recommendation that our daily intake of fat should compose less than 30 percent of our caloric intake does not apply to children under 2 years of age.”

New on the market are special toddler formulas that claim to be better than milk. The formulas are good nutritionally, says Udall, but they’re not necessary. “A well-balanced diet with milk and juices would be just as good in a healthy, normally active, normally growing child,” says Udall.

William Klish, former chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, says that if a child needs to take a vitamin supplement, the toddler formula, fortified with a full range of vitamins and minerals, including iron, can serve that purpose. In addition, the toddler formulas don’t need refrigeration, making them a convenient choice for snacks away from home.

–I.S.

About this Article:
Provided by FDA.

For many nursing moms, keeping up their milk supply is difficult. They find that for whatever reason, their supply is not great, or they feel like their baby is not getting enough milk when they are nursing.

There are several free methods that a mother can use, as well as products she can buy which are said to increase milk supply. A nursing mother should always check with her doctor or her baby’s pediatrician before starting any new regimen to increase her milk. She can also call her local chapter of the La Leche League for help and advice.

Make sure your baby is latched on correctly to begin with. Many times, if the baby is not latched on right, it will be hard for them to get the milk, making them not want to try. The more you nurse successfully, the better supply you will have. When nursing, especially early on try not to go more than 2 or 3 hours without feeding your baby. If for some reason this is not possible or you are away from your baby, have a breast pump handy and pump milk, keeping your breasts stimulated and your milk glands producing milk. Try to get your baby to nurse for at least 15 minutes on each breast, during each feeding. If your baby is full and doesn’t want to nurse anymore, end the feedings by pumping the rest of your milk. Your breasts don’t know if it is a baby or a pump, they just know that the milk is needed.

It is also important to keep up your food and calorie intake while nursing, including your milk consumption. You need extra calories when nursing your baby to produce the milk and assure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs. Your body will take what it needs first, so if you attempt to cut back or diet during this time, it is likely that your body will not have enough resources to make a sufficient amount of milk and your mlk supply will be effective.

There are a few products on the market that you can buy online or at specialty stores that are supposed to help increase your milk supply. They work for some women, for others they might not. One is Mother’s Milk, also known as Mother’s Milk Tea. It is a drink for nursing mother’s that has been used for centuries by European women, made up of herbs and is traditionally used just to increase the milk supply.

Another popular herbal supplement a nursing mother often takes is called Fenugreek. It is supposed to increase milk supply in less than 72 hours and has no side effects for the baby. Again, talk to your doctor or your babies pediatrician, as well as a lactation consultant before trying either of these methods for increasing your milk supply.

During pregnancy your body starts creating colostrum as your breasts prepare to nurse your unborn baby. Some women begin leaking colostrum weeks or months before delivery. For first time moms who are unaware of what this is it can be a bit frightening and worrisome until they talk to their doctor or midwife who assure them it is normal. First time moms may start leaking colostrum during the third trimester, while previous mothers may start leaking as early as the second trimester.

Colostrum is a thick and sticky, yellow to orange colored milk that is created by your breasts to give your baby the nutrition he needs immediately after birth. It is low in fat, high in carbohydrates and has a laxative effect on the baby which helps him pass the first meconium stools that are sitting in his intestines. This also helps get rid of the bile and helps lessen the chance of jaundice in your newborn.

Not only does it provide nutrition, but also contains cells that act as agents in protecting your newborn against germs. The concentration of immune factors is much higher in the colostrum than it is in the later mature milk that your baby will receive when your milk comes in.

It is important if you plan on to nursing to nurse frequently and often during the first few days of your babies life so that your baby not only gets all the colostrum and antibodies he needs, but also so that your milk comes in strong.

Colostrum is also a 100% safe vaccine for your baby. Many parents will refuse to have the eye drops delivered to their babies after birth, and will instead use their colostrum to rub on their babies eyes in hopes of killing bacteria and preventing infection. This vaccine is referred to as immunoglobulin A (IgA) and is different from the immunoglobulin G (IgG) that your baby received from the placenta while you were pregnant. IgG worked through the baby’s circulatory system, but IgA protects the baby in the places most likely to come under attack from germs, namely the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines.

If you do not start leaking colostrum during your pregnancy, it is not a cause for concern. Not all pregnant women leak before their baby is born and it is not known to have any effect on the success or failure of a mother nursing her newborn.

By Christine Albury

It may sound daunting, but traveling with baby does not have to be a nightmare! A little preparation and forward planning is all you need for a successful trip with your tiny traveler.

There are certain supplies that are essential for any trip with your baby. The most important, of course, is enough food and milk for the journey. Always pack more than you think you’ll need and include plenty of finger foods if your baby is old enough — these are great for helping to keep him occupied! If you are breastfeeding and need to express milk, you can store it in a cooler, with ice, for up to 24 hours. You can also store bottles of pre-made formula in the same way — alternatively, you can add pre-measured powdered formula to the bottles, then top it up with cooled, boiled water as required.

Another option is to bring “ready to drink” cartons of formula. Whilst ideal for the journey itself, be aware that you may not be allowed to take these cartons with you into certain countries. Sealed containers of formula do not normally present a problem.

Solid foods can be packed into a cooler, although a better idea is to bring foods with you that you can easily prepare during the journey. Avocado pears and bananas are good examples, as they can be simply peeled, mashed and served to your baby at room temperature.

Always bring your own feeding bowls and utensils when traveling with baby – many eating establishments do not have cutlery appropriate for an infant’s use. A travel high chair is incredibly useful, too — and means that you can comfortably feed your baby wherever you go. Disposable bibs, or a wipe-clean plastic bib, can be very convenient when traveling and they certainly cut down on the laundry!

If you ask for food or milk to be warmed for you, be VERY careful to check the temperature on its return. Busy waiters or cabin crew may overheat the food and you will need to wait for it to cool down. With this in mind, ask for any food or milk to be warmed well before you’re actually going to need it!

Many parents worry about how to sterilize feeding equipment when traveling with baby. There are many products available to assist with this, from microwave sterilizer bags to disposable bottle liners. Most stores dealing with infant feeding equipment will offer a range of traveling accessories such as these.

Other essential items for your trip will include nappies/diapers and scented diaper bags. If you’re heading to a warm destination, adequate sun protection is a must! Also, consider bringing a small nightlight – if you’re breastfeeding, it can be very useful in a dark, unfamiliar hotel room.

To help your baby cope with the trip and to reassure him in new surroundings, be sure to bring his favorite blanket. This can also serve as a handy “curtain” to shield an airplane sky cot/bassinet from the light, or for naps in his stroller when out and about.

Dress your baby in light layers when traveling — not only does this make it easier to cope with fluctuating temperatures, but if your baby spills his food, for example, you can easily remove the top layer of clothing. Bring a change of clothes for yourself, too — baby’s mess tends to have a habit of transferring itself to his parents!

Enjoy your trip!

About this Article:
Christine Albury is the author of http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com, a complete guide to solid feeding during baby’s first year. For more information about traveling with an infant, including tips on air travel and taking your baby overseas, visit http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/traveling-with-baby.html.

By Lisa Barnes

We all have heard “milk does a body good” – but what kind of milk? While some milk is fine for some, many others, especially children are allergic or intolerant from their first drink. An estimated 30 million Americans have some kind of lactose (the milk sugar in all dairy products) intolerance, and more than 100,000 babies are thought to suffer from milk allergies.

There is a difference between lactose intolerance and milk allergies. Children with lactose intolerance are deficient in lactase, an enzyme produced internally to break down lactose. This can result in stomach aches, gas and diarrhea. However children allergic to milk have reactions to some or all of the proteins: casein, whey, and lactalbumin. The adverse effects can cause gastric problems as well as skin issues such as rash, and eczema, and nasal distress such as runny nose and congestion. These reactions can come as soon as babies are breastfed (by mothers ingesting dairy products) or given milk based formulas.

The good news is that most children outgrow a milk allergy by the age of 4, according to Paul Ehrlich, M.D., pediatrician, allergist and clinical assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine. Plus he says, “the more attentive you are to keeping milk out of your children’s diet, the sooner the allergy with go away.”

Today many people are asking which milk is the best choice for their families and children. Some households have more than one kind of milk and milk alternative to satisfy different ages, dietary restrictions and tastes. In addition to considering the various cow’s milk alternatives, many parents of children who can drink cow’s milk are buying organic brands to minimize the exposure of the hormone bovine somatotropin (bST) or recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH), which some pediatricians and nutritionists such as Robert Pastore, Ph.D suspect as an agent of premature development in children.

So what milk or milk alternative should you buy? Here are some options. And no matter which brand or alternative you try, choose those with fortified calcium, magnesium and vitamin B-12, which makes cow’s milk such a nutritional giant. Let’s discuss your options:

Almond Milk
Not high in protein (only two grams per 8 ounces, as compared with 8 grams in cow’s milk) this naturally sweet beverage does have some beneficial fats and calcium. Because of the smooth and creamy texture it also works well for cooking and baking. Almond milk is not an alternative for those with nut allergies.

Goat Milk
Coat’s milk has only slightly less lactose than cow’s milk, making it an inappropriate alternative to those with intolerance. However it does have different proteins from cow’s milk, so may be a good choice for some with allergies. Goat’s milk is slightly sweet and salty with a fat level and consistency similar to whole cow’s milk.

Rice Milk
This is the least allergenic milk alternative, as it is suitable for children with milk intolerance and allergies. However it is lower in protein and much thinner in consistency than cow’s milk. Young children not getting enough protein from food sources, should not substitute rice milk.

Oat Milk
Oat milk is high in fiber however low in protein. Oat milk has a slightly sweet taste and light consistency. It is highly tolerated by most kids who have soy, rice and milk allergies. However it is not acceptable for children with celiac disease or other wheat and gluten intolerances and allergies.

Soy Milk
This is high in protein and the most popular cow’s milk alternative. However recent research and questions have arisen over soy’s phytoestrgen levels and possible link to interference with children’s hormonal and sexual development. Pediatrician’s caution not to give more than 2 serving a day to children.

About the Author:
Lisa Barnes is the founder of Petit Appetit, a culinary service devoted to the palates and health of infants and toddlers. She teaches in-home private cooking classes to parents, nannies, mothers’ groups, and parenting resources throughout Northern California and is the author of The Petit Appetit Cookbook (published by Penguin Books, March 2005). For more information on Petit Appetit, The Petit Appetit Cookbook or to sign up for a free email newsletter, go to http://www.petitappetit.com.

Before 12 Months
It seems like it would be so much easier, as your baby gets older, to just give him a bottle or sippy cup full of cow’s milk from the fridge. For formula feeding moms not only is it easier, but much cheaper. However, your doctor tells you not too. This brings up the question, why is cow’s milk bad for your baby?

Breast milk and formula are specifically designed to be sensitive for your baby’s belly. Cow’s milk has certain proteins in it that breast milk and formula do not have. A baby’s digestive system is not capable of processing these proteins, and the lack of processing can make your baby sick. Cow’s milk also has a large amount of sodium, potassium and chloride that can be hard on your baby’s kidneys.

During your baby’s first year, it is important that he get the right amount of vitamin E, zinc, iron and other vitamins and minerals that cow’s milk does not have. These vitamins are found naturally in breast milk and are added to formula. Cow’s milk could lead to an iron deficiency in your baby and in some rare cases cause internal bleeding. It can also lead to dairy allergies as your baby gets older.

There is no doubt that cow’s milk can be more convenient that formula, but until your baby turns a year you should steer clear of giving him cow’s milk.

After 12 Months
Once your baby hits his first birthday and has his one year well-check, if your pediatrician gives the ok for you to give your baby cow’s milk, there are a lot of benefits to your baby. In most cases, for that second year of life, you will be told to give your baby whole, vitamin D milk. It is because this milk has the highest concentrate of vitamins that your baby still needs to grow. A great source of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and magnesium, whole milk will help your baby’s bones and teeth grow and become strong.

Now that your baby’s digestive system has matured, milk will give him the protein that he needs to run and play during the day. Calcium is important to a baby’s future health because it can help prevent later cases of certain types of cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and other medical emergencies later in life.

If Your Baby Won’t Switch
If you are lucky your baby will make the switch to cow’s milk smoothly and easily. If you are not lucky, your baby may fight the change. This could happen for any number of reasons. Milk has a different texture, temperature, color and taste from the breast milk or formula that you have been feeding your baby, and your baby may not want to adjust. If this happens try making it a gradual process. Try giving your baby cow’s milk straight from a sippy cup, instead of through a bottle. Also, try mixing cow’s milk and your breast milk or formula, slowly increasing the amount of cow’s milk, until it is only cow’s milk. If he won’t take it through a sippy cup, try spoon feeding it to him, or mixing it in with cereal and other baby food until he gets used to the taste.

To insure that your baby is as healthy as possible, ask your pediatrician about what he recommends when it comes to giving your baby cow’s milk. If you feel that your baby is not taking to cow’s milk well, then speak with your pediatrician to see if he thinks there is a problem, or has any suggestions for you to try.

As always, check with your doctor before starting any kind of diet. The following information is for reference only:

For breastfeeding mothers the joy and closeness they feel to their baby while nursing is undescribeable. Occasionally however the baby will have unexplainable crying periods that doctors refer to as colic. While breastfeeding for the first year is best, formula feeding moms have choices in the formulas they can use to help easy the baby’s crying. However, for breastfeeding moms there is only one choice, the breast milk the mother produces.

There are things however that a mother can do to help change the consistency and nutritional aspects found in her breast milk. These include cutting out a few known gassy foods like broccoli and onions, to cutting just about everything out. Cutting everything out is often referred to as an Elimination Diet and is often recommended by doctors and pediatricians for mothers of gassy or colicy babies that are breastfed.

The Elimination Diet focuses on eliminating all hard to digest foods in a mother’s diet. It also includes eliminating all spices and seasonings except for salt and pepper. This is likely to make the food bland and at times tasteless, but if it helps your baby it would be worth it. On the Elimination Diet was created by William G. Crook, M.D. to help determine what different food allergies a person suffers from. It focuses on eating the least allergenic food in each of the food groups.

For the first two weeks it is suggested that the only meats you eat are turkey and lamb, partnered with baked or boiled potatoes or sweet potatoes. For a vegetable you can have cooked yellow and green squash. It allows you to have pears for your fruit, or pear juice, and rice as a side dish as rice is easy to digest. It suggests using a rice-based drink in place of milk to drink or cook with.

After the first two weeks you are allowed to slowly add foods back into your diet starting with items such as sunflower seeds, carrots, beets, salmon, oats, grapes, avocado, and peaches. Add one new food every four days and keep a journal documenting what you add, when you add it and what reaction, if any, that your baby has to it. After you have successfully added the above foods to your diet with no visible problems in your baby you can begin adding other foods like wheat, beef, eggs, nuts, and corn.

Once you determine that these food items are not bothering your baby it is safe to slowly begin adding back in the dairy products to your diet. Other items you should wait on include peanuts, shellfish, coffee, tea, colas and other beverages containing caffeine, chocolate, gas-producing vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, green peppers), tomatoes, and citrus fruits.

Like any “diet” you may begin to feel deprived of your favorite foods or hungry when you first start on the Elimination Diet. It is important not to let yourself starve but rather to make and eating plenty of the foods you are allowed to eat at each stage. Once you determine the foods your baby’s belly can tolerate you will successfully be able to add back in some of your favorites.

Because breast milk is the only form of nutrition to most gassy and colicky babies, they normally respond to the diet change quickly, and begin to act happier and healthier relatively soon. For older babies who are still nursing as well as eating baby food and other solids, it may take longer to see a response and change in the fussiness. It is important to remember NOT to give up and to give both your body and your baby a chance to adjust to your change of diet.

Rashes, colds and upset stomachs are common baby ailments. But the occurrence of one or more of these symptoms can signal a serious allergy. If unrecognized, these symptoms can make an infant miserable and malnourished.

More than 100,000 babies each year suffer from milk allergy. The condition causes digestive, respiratory and/or skin problems and is often difficult to recognize.

“These babies cannot process the complex protein chains found in milk-based baby formula. And many also react to soy-based formulas,” says Dr. John Moissidis, a Board certified pediatric allergist at The Asthma Allergy Clinic in Shreveport, La.

Infant milk allergy is treated by either eliminating the milk proteins from the nursing mother’s diet, or by replacing the regular formula with an amino acid-based formula.

“An amino acid-based formula is safe for babies with milk and soy allergies because it is comprised of non-allergenic amino acids, the building blocks of protein, instead of partial or complete protein chains found in other formulas,” says Sarah O’Brien, nutrition specialist for Nutricia North America, the manufacturer of amino acid-based formula Neocate.

This specialized formula does not require a prescription, but infants taking it should be under the care of a physician.

Here are eight signs, provided by Dr. Moissidis, to help parents of infants identify a potential milk allergy.

1. Diarrhea
Diarrhea is common in babies, but if it is persistent (an average of two to four times a day for more than five to seven days) and/or if there is blood in the stool, it could signal a more serious milk allergy.

2. Vomiting
Babies often spit up bits of food, but vomiting beyond the typical mealtime regurgitation should be examined by a doctor. Reflux symptoms, such as spit-up and difficulty swallowing, can also be milk allergy symptoms.

3. Skin Rash
There are many causes for infant skin rashes like eczema. Milk allergy is one possible cause, especially if the rash occurs along with some of these other symptoms.

4. Extreme Fussiness
Every baby cries, but crying continuously and inconsolably for long periods of time is abnormal. When there is no apparent reason, this is usually called colic. Sometimes this extreme fussiness is actually caused by the gastrointestinal pain resulting from an allergy to the proteins found in milk.

5. Low or No Weight Gain
Most infants double their weight by six months and triple it by 12 months. But when babies are not getting the nutrition they need because of excessive diarrhea and vomiting, they are unable to grow like they should.

6. Gassiness
All babies have gas, but when it occurs along with several of these other symptoms, it can also signal an allergy to milk proteins.

7. Respiratory Problems
Colds are common for infants, but wheezing, struggling to breathe and developing excess mucus in the nose and throat is not. For some kids, these respiratory problems can be the baby’s reaction to the protein found in milk.

8. Failure to Thrive
Babies with milk allergy often suffer from a lack of proper nutrition characterized by dehydration, loss of appetite and lack of energy. This overall failure to thrive is often the result of the effect of the other symptoms effect on the infant’s body.

Parents can take the allergy test and learn more about infant milk allergy and amino acid-based formula at www.testforallergy.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content