2% Milk

Whole milk should be given until at least 2 years old. After that, it's pretty much a personal choice. Whole milk provides the extra sugars/fat that are needed.

I would say that whole milk probably is best. However, when I was a baby I couldn't digest milk-based formula and was given Isomil. My mom said she couldn't give me whole milk because it made me sick, so she gave me two percent. I'm 23 now and I still can't really stomach whole milk. So if that's the case with your child, I would try whole milk first, but keep an eye out for lots of gas and tummyaches, just in case your child has trouble digesting it. That's what I'm going to do with my son when he's old enough, we have on him on "gentle" formula, because he couldn't digest anything else (including Isomil).

Hi Aleisha.
I just spoke to my pediatrician the other day regarding this. My daughter will be 2 next week and we just now were able to switch her to 2%. She explained to me that babies need the fat content in whole milk until they are 2. I'd keep your little on whole for the next year!
H.

My son is almost 4, and I still have him on whole milk. It's personal choice at this point, but I think after 2 would be ok for 2%. He still needs all the vitamins, and extra fat that's in whole milk.

Hm, my sons doc said whole milk so I just did that. Whole milk has more calories which their brains still need for development, and with growing and moving around so much their matabolisms are much higher than ours. We would buy a gallon of whole milk and use it in recipies and things that called for milk so it wouldn't go bad, but we also drank skim instead of 2% so the whole milk was the best choice. I would say talk to your doctor. I know for one year they are suppose to drink whole milk...so until they are two.

The only reason to serve your child whole milk instead of 2% is for the added fat (by the way whole milk is actually 3%). If your child needs the added fat content because they are underweight or not getting enough essential fats and lipids from other sources, than serve them whole milk. There is no more vitamin content in whole milk than in 2%. Vitamins such as A and D are added after the fact to fortify milk and the same amount is added to each. Both A and D are fat soluble vitamins and are more stable in whole milk, but it does not mean that they are not found in 2%. In the case of vitamin D, if you do not buy your milk in a light-proof container, it will degrade over time.

However, the best way to get vitamin D is by exposure to sunlight and vitamin A is abundant in carrots and other yellow or orange vegetables. Fifteen minutes in the sun WITHOUT sunscreen will give your child enough vitamin D for the week or longer. This minimal exposure will not cause cancer as so many people think and is the best way to get this essential vitamin. Vitamin D is crucial for healthy bones and many scientific studies have shown added benefits to vitamin D such as strengthening the immune system and actually preventing cancer. So think twice about slathering your child in sunscreen everytime they go outside. Give them up to fifteen minutes of good old fashioned sunlight, then put the sunscreen on.

From age 1-2, kids should drink whole milk, they still need the fat in it for growth and development. After age 2, they can be switched to low-fat (or whatever) kind of milk. If the child had weight challenges, it would be best to check with your pediatrician.

It's been said from 12-24 months babies need the extra fat for brain and cell development but after that it's ok to switch tot eh lowest fat milk that you are comfortable drinking, my kids all now drink 1 percent.

No, babies need the added vitamins and fat in whole milk. They should be on vitamin D until they are around 2, then you can switch to 2%.

Well, they do say whole milk, I believe it's for the fat content in it. My sister didn't listen and started her daughter out on 2% at 12 months. Her daughter is just fine. I went w/the whole milk till 15 months, then went down to 2%. At 18 mos. I'll go down to 1% and then by the time she's 2 I'll have her on skim. That's just the way I've decided to do it.

S.

I agree with alot of what the other moms are saying. I give my daughter whole milk because she is very small. Only 18 pdas and 14.5 months old. She loves it. The added D3 is also good for them, and my doctor recomends that all kids be on whole milk. If you are concerned about the calories, than you can try adding water to it, but the whole milk has the added vitamins. :)

A lot of people are saying that cow's milk is "needed for the calories and vitamins" until the age of 2 yrs or so, but in fact, if you are breast feeding did you know that YOUR breastmilk is the *best* whole milk for your baby? It's the perfect human milk (high in carbohydrates, low in fat and proteins) for human babies and is *best* for human brain development!!! Cow's milk has a very different make-up specifically for baby cows (high in fat and protein). Even the World Health Organization says that babies should be breastfed for the first 2 years of life, with introduction of solids happening no earlier than 6 months old. So... no baby *should* drink whole cow's milk - it's not a rule. It's just that most babies in our culture are now formula fed, and formula is far more expensive than cow's milk, so it's easier/cheaper to switch to cow's milk at a year. Pediatricians are used to seeing formula fed kids, which is why the common recommendation is cow's milk after a year old (that, and pediatricians get less than ONE HOUR TOTAL of breastfeeding training during all of their years of med school, residency, and training - they're not nutritionists, so it's important to take their diet recommendations with a healthy dose of skepticism).

Anyway, cow's milk is *never* required - it's simply one option. Plus, if you're breastfeeding and your baby is also eating a healthy variety of foods to get vitamins and minerals, there's no nutritional need for cow's milk. Many societies live without dairy products (for example, many Asian cultures have no or very, very little cow's milk products in their diet) and are quite healthy!

Aleisha,

Whole milk! Babies must have the fat for proper development of the mylin sheath in cells. After two, it's okay to start 2%.

i agree with the other moms. the fat and sugars in whole milk are important to their development right now.

my doctor advised whole milk till they were 2 years old. we switched our daughter to 2% right before she was 2.

I have given my son 2%, but the whole milk is because they need the fat and iron that is in it. My niece however, hated whole milk, so they gave her 2% with iron drops in it, and she's developing fine. Hope this helps

until they're two, they are supposed to have whole milk - has good omega-3 fats like fish, and vitamins A and D. the latest research says that after age 2, because of the childhood obesity rates going up so dramatically these days, it is recommended to switch from whole milk straight to skim, b/c kids after age 2 don't need that much extra fat and it is thought to be part of why they're gaining too much weight. ask your pediatrician to be sure. good luck!