Making the Switch

Introducing Milk to Your Baby

By Gina Roberts-Grey

Each new stage and phase of your baby's life brings a new set of questions, concerns and decisions. In your quest to sort through each experience and phase, well-wishing friends, family members and often complete strangers standing next to you in line at the store all have an opinion on when you should take away your child's pacifier, when he'll begin walking and when you should stop nursing.

Having and raising a child is a unique, personal experience. Just as no two children are identical, no two parenting experiences are the same, even when raising two children in the same house. Issues such as when to introduce your baby to milk usually top the list of highly debated parenting topics. Compounded by stories of "When you were a child, you had milk at the age of ..." and "I never gave my children milk before the age of ...," it is easy for parents to begin questioning whenthe best time is to make the switch from nursing to cow's milk or formula and how they shouldinitiate the change.

Dr. Daniel Levy, a pediatrician from Owing Mills, Md., president elect of the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland, offers assurance to parents. "There are many factors to consider when weaning a child from nursing," he says. In addition to offering a baby the most healthy diet possible, work schedules, feeding habits and a parent's motivation to continue nursing or to wean are just a few considerations.

Duringthe past few decades, the debate over what age is best to change a baby's diet has sparked many controversial opinions. Some parents introduce cow's milk at 9 or 10 months while others insist on waiting until 18 months or longer to begin making the switch.

Because of the beneficial antibodies found in a mother's milk, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a baby be fed either breastmilk or formula for the entire first year. There are also many studies supporting the AAP's recommendations thatsuggest introducing a child to milk too early might increase the risk of a baby developing an intolerance to cow's milk. Some health professionals also caution that early introduction to cow's milk may put a child with a family history at a greater risk for developing diabetes or anemia.

Want to see more?

• The Other White Drink: 10 Ways to Incorporate Soymilk Into Your Family's Diet
• What's Happening to My Body? Weaning Issues for Moms
• The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning
• Talk about it!