Infants and Dairy Products - Why Yogurt is OK Before Age 1 year old
Why can my baby have yogurt and cheese before she turns 1 year old but she cannot have whole milk? Are yogurt and cheeses special?
The answer to the above question is yes and no, yogurt and cheese are "special" in one way yet quite simple in another. The two most common reasons for babies being allowed to consume dairy products (not whole milk)prior to age 1 year old are:
Unlike Whole Cow Milk beverage, your baby is not at risk of formula/breast milk being replaced by Yogurt or Cheese. The medical community worries that if Whole Cow milk is introduced to an infant prior to 1 year old, that parents would stop formula and/or breastfeeding and use Milk as the replacement. This would possibly be dangerous to your baby's health! Lactose is already broken down with the culturing of the yogurt or cheese and milk proteins are either removed or limited thus it is typically easier to digest; people with lactose intolerance often are be able to handle cheese and/or yogurt without trouble. The same is true for some people with a milk protein (either to the casein or the whey) allergy. Whole milk does not contain enough nutrients, vitamins or minerals for it to adequately and properly sustain an infant's growth. Indeed, prior to 1 year old, the consumption of a lot of dairy products may put baby at risk for iron deficient anemia. Milk impedes the proper absorption of iron. Iron intake is one thing that an infant can not afford to have cut down or cut out of the diet.