Pros and Cons?

My son was actually on goat's milk for the first year of his life because he was allergic to formula. From goat's milk he went to soy milk. Only now that he is 18 can he actually drink regular milk.

Goats milk can be modified for safe, human-baby consumption - but it doesn't come that way. It, because it doesn't have to double the brain mass while only increasing in overall size by double in the first year. Goats grow different parts of their bodies in different ways from human infants, and are nearly adults in a year -- what will take a human child 16-20 to accomplish.

PPD almost always starts in pregnancy, actually, and is often marked by 'absolutes' like what she will not do with this one. One factor that makes PPD dramatically worse is the sense the mother has that the child would be better off without her, that she is replaceable.

It is easy to feel replaceable when 'anyone' can feed the child, and clearly 'anyone' is better at taking care of it.

Strongly suggest to this mother to make arrangements now for counseling, starting now, and to have progesterone shots as early as possible after the birth (the sudden drop in progesterone seems a factor in making moms crazy in the first weeks after birth).

Unpasteurized goat's milk is a poor substitute for breast milk or formula. Goat's milk is low in Vitamin D and it is also low in iron, Vitamin B12 and folate, which can lead to an iron deficiency or megaloblastic anemia (low blood counts). Goat's milk is also very susceptible to brucellosis, a bacterial infection in animals that can be passed on to your infant.
If you are going to feed your infant goat's milk, make sure that you use a commercially prepared pasteurized form or boil it yourself. You will also need to give vitamin supplements to ensure that your child is getting enough iron, Vitamin B12 and folate.

For children with an allergy to milk proteins or lactose and who can not breast feed or tolerate a cow's milk based formula, a better alternative to goat's milk would be a soy formula (like Isomil or Prosobee) or an elemental formula (such as Nutramigen, Alimentum, or Pregestamil).

i got this from :

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/newborn/newbornquicktips/g...

Breastmilk is absolutely the best nutrition for a newborn. Infant formula is second. ANY other milk (cow, goat, soy, etc) is absolutely inadequate nutrition for an infant under 1. Different formulas are based on different milks, so perhaps she meant a goat milk formula?? This issue should definitely be discussed with her pediatrician.

It is absolutely untrue that she should avoid breastfeeding to avoid PPD. Breastfeeding will HELP reduce severity of PPD - oh those wonderful hormones! I wonder why she regrets breastfeeding with her first two children? Breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn't meant it is always easy - especially in the beginning. Breastfeeding support should be available through her pediatrician, her prenatal care provider, or the La Leche League.

I would also suggest (if you can) that she talk to her prenatal care provider about her depression. Many, many women experience this during and after pregnancy and there is help. Even though you say she got over PPD in August, depressive tendencies are still there, and depending on how she responds to this new pregnancy, she could already be having issues again. The regretting breastfeeding comment, and the fact that she's thinking about a risky decision about the goats milk seems to me to be someone who might be having more depressive thoughts. It might not be, but it's definitely something to watch out for.

Hello M...I hope the below information will help you to help out your friend. H.

If you do find you need to supplement your breastmilk with some other liquid, goat's milk is not the best choice. It is low in iron, folate and vitamins C and D. It has a high solute load relative to cow's milk and very high relative to mother's milk and may cause metabolic acidosis if fed in the first month of life. I

nfants below the age of one year should not be fed cow milk, goat milk, or soy beverage. These milks are low in iron and differ in the protein composition compared to mothers milk. Since infants depend so much on milk, it is likely that they will develop an iron deficiency if they consume cow, goat or soy beverage.

Really, breast feeding or infant formula are the way to go, with breast feeding most superior. The iron in breast milk is highly bio-available and will cover the needs for the infant until about the age of 6 months. After that, the Academy of Pediatricians suggests, infants should be supplemented with iron-fortified infant cereals (such as rice cereal), while ideally breast feeding should be continued until at least the age of one.

Another reason that infants should not be fed cow or goat milk is because of the protein. Breast milk is higher in whey and much lower in casein compared to cow and goat milks. Casein is more difficult to digest than whey and may lead to internal gastrointestinal bleeding, which again, could lead to iron deficiency.

There are also mineral differences among breast milk, cow milk and goat milk. Goat milk, in particular, is low in the B vitamin folic acid.

Ask her why she wouldnt give herself the chance to not go thru Postpartum with all the nautural chemicals that relax your body with breastfeeding. At least a few months as her hormones calm down. Not every pregnancy brings on postpartum, but the best thing to beat it is nursing.

Goat’s milk is a good alternative milk for any type of new born it is the only milk that transcend all species. I have a sister that was born premature and allergic to milk and breast milk. My parents elective to use goats milk since this was in the early 70’s my mother did not trust formula or even like the idea of it. Hence there is nothing wrong with my sister she grew normally and was a happy healthy baby this I do remember. In fact she ended up weighing more in a year then rest of us did. For a child that started out 5 pounds less than any other of her brother and sisters and had many health problems in the first month of her life. She can now drink milk. The down side is it can get expensive depending on who or where you get your milk my parents just bought a couple of goats (that then ended up with use raising them and having a around 80 at a time).

P.

I found a link for feeding goats milk to newborn children.. It is not a good idea!

People used to say children that young don't have allergies, but clearly they do. About 6 percent do, more than one in 20. Most of these are allergic to only one allergen, but among those whose allergy is to cow's milk, there is a higher chance that they will also be allergic to soy and perhaps to goat's milk. The good news is that these children are very likely to outgrow these allergies, most by the first birthday and almost all by age 3.

Formulas like Nutramigen or Alimentum are hydrolyzed so that there is very little cow's milk protein and many babies will do well on them. Those who are very allergic could use Neocate, which has none. I recommend that babies get either breast milk or formula for the full first year.

Goat's milk is closer to human milk than cow's milk is, and in many countries it is used exclusively for infant feeding. The protein in goat's milk is easier to digest than the protein in cow's milk. If you are going to use goat's milk, the biggest things to be aware of are the vitamins, especially vitamin B12 and folate. Children who do not get supplemented with these can develop megaloblastic anemia. The other big thing to be aware of is that a bacterium called brucellosis can occur in goat's milk, so you should boil it before giving it to babies. For children over 1 year old, goat's milk is probably better than cow's milk, just not used so much in the U.S.

I have heard about goat's milk, usually in cases where children were lactose intolerant, though. From what I hear- goat's milk is easy to digest and eases babies with colic also. I'm not sure what age that would be useful for, so definitely check into that. I would say that if she had dealt with post partum previously, it could very well be good for her to try things new things, it could make her feel so much better. You never know. Just keep an eye on her and be there for everytime she needs to talk or cry, as thats what she will need the most!!! =)

M.,

I'm not sure about the goats milk thing. But I can tell you from personal experiences and also research states that once you have ppd. That your chance decrease of getting with the next child. I had PPD. with my second child and I had it bad I did not get dx. with it until my son was over a year old. My third child is 21/2. and I'm doing fine.

Hi M.,
Goats milk is commonly given to children who have difficulty with formula as it is the closest in design to human breast milk. That being said the proteins in goats milk are larger and can be difficult for some infants to break down.

As for your friend and post partum depression there is a lot of research out there that indicates it is due to decreased levels of the essential fatty acid DHA. So your friend should consider supplementing with a quality fish oil that has been purified. Baby requires a significant amount of this for brain development and if they don't get it from your diet then they steal it from where your body stores it. Think Pregnancy brain! I personally like Pro DHA from Nordic Naturals and purchase mine from www.pfchealthnaturally.com

Best of Luck
N.

I think you should stay out of your friends business. You are overstepping.

Here's what I found on using goat's milk
"Using goat's milk before 6 months or regular use between 6 and 12 months is not recommended. Goat's milk is no more appropriate to give baby than cow's milk. If you need to supplement and breastmilk is not available, formulas are a more nutritionally complete product. There are several comparisons of goat vs. cow vs. human milk in the links below. Using this information, goat milk is much closer in composition to cow milk than human milk. Goat's milk is high in sodium (like cow's milk) and is very high in chloride and potassium, which makes the renal solute load too high for babies. This can cause gastrointestinal bleeding and can result in anemia and poor growth (these problems are usually undetected until months later). Goat milk is also deficient in folic acid, which can lead to megaloblastic anemia. Also, infants who are allergic to cow's milk protein are often allergic to goat's milk too.

While it's true that whole goats milk (and whole cow's milk) was commonly used prior to the advent of infant formulas it is also true that the infant mortality and morbidity rate during the times of such substitutions was very high."

Wow...I can't say that I have ever heard of someone wanting to do this before and I don't know how goats milk differs from cows milk, but I do know that babies should only have breast milk or formula. These are the things that are formulated for a baby....

As for the not breast feeding. If she had postpartum with the last baby, it is probably best that she doesn't breast feed. The hormone levels stabilize more if you don't breast feed and thus can eliminate the depression.

Parents of babies allergic to cow's milk and other commercial formulas often ask if it's safe to use goat's milk as an alternative. In theory, goat's milk is less allergenic and more easily digestible than cow's milk, but it should not be used as a substitute for infant formula. Like cow's milk, it can cause intestinal irritation and anemia. If your baby under one year of age is allergic to cow's milk-based formulas, try either a soy-based formula or a hypoallergenic formula. If your baby can't tolerate either soy or hypoallergenic formulas, in consultation with your doctor and/or a pediatric nutritionist click here for the recipe for goat's milk formula.

Taken from http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032400.asp

Your friend will be sorry if she tries feeding her baby goat's milk. And I would suggest that it would be cruel for the child to have it when there is no reason the baby cannot have formula. There is even special formula for babies who are allergic to everything, so even that cannot be an excuse.

Sounds like your friend needs to get information based on scientific research or get therapy. Goat's milk is for baby goats. It does not contain the unique nutrients needed for a human baby. Science has never been able to duplicate mother's milk; it is always the best for baby. It changes as the baby grows and provides important elements for optimum neurological development, etc. Anyone can find this information through the Internet, La Leche League or your local hospital. Breastfeeding also provides a special emotional bond between mother and child. Refusal to nurse a baby has historically been associated with the rejection of a child. Perhaps your friend also fears the possibility of depression with this new pregnancy and did not expect to have another baby so soon. Let's face it: having a newborn and a toddler at the same time is daunting enough for any of us. She may be feeling overwhelmed. It's important for her to express these concerns instead of hiding them. Please insist she speak to her doctor about this. She'll feel more in control if she and her doctor can plan together to prepare for any post-partun depresseion as well as proper nutrition of her infant. Good luck.

Absolutely no on goats milk for a newborn. Tell your friend to talk to her pediatrician - it doesn't have what a newborn needs. Also, one response said it's best not to breastfeed if you have had PPD in the past. This is totally untrue. Breastfeeding certainly can help with PPD - look it up on the internet - Post Pardum Depression and breastfeeding. You will find so much information.

My doctors always said formula for babies. If there is formula made from goat's milk, fine, but any type of "milk" alone is not enough for the babies, of course unless it's breast milk. She should consult her doctor first. Perhaps your doctor can provide you with literature to present to her. Otherwise her baby can severely suffer from things like anemia.

Whole goat milk, like whole cow milk, is unsuitable for infant feeding.
She should obviously consult her doctor but maybe with some information in hand.
Here is a website I found about commercially produced goat milk formula.
http://www.dgc.co.nz/page.cfm?id=26
under their products page their infant formula is fortified, but this company is in New Zealand and I don't know what is available here or if it can be ordered.

M.,
Don't take this the wrong way, but did your friend ask for information or is this what she has decided? If she has decided this, it is really not for you to tell her what to do even if you don't agree (hard to do I understand). If she wants info, suggest she ask her pediatrician.

I had a hard time when I stopped nursing emotionally. Darn those hormones! The information I've read about goats milk is that it is easier to digest than cows milk- hence better for little ones.

goats milk is the closest milk to breast milk so many women use it. i've never heard of peoblems, its uncommon so people tend to freak out because "whoa something different" but its actually getting more popular.