How old should babies drink milk powder?

We all know that breast milk is the most natural food for babies, but many mothers often have insufficient breast milk due to their physical constitution, so they need to feed their babies artificially with milk powder. However, as the baby grows day by day, the nutritional value of the milk powder may not provide what the baby needs for growth. Therefore, the baby should be weaned at an appropriate time and let the baby eat some rice or porridge to supplement nutrition. Many mothers and parents don’t know how old their baby should be to drink milk powder!

How old should babies drink milk powder?

In fact, there is no rigid standard for how much milk powder a baby drinks. If family conditions permit, it is okay to let children drink until they are 5 or 6 years old. Most families choose to let their babies drink milk powder until they are about 3 years old. Because babies after 3 years old can eat normally. Of course, it is best not to let the baby drink only milk powder during this period. You can appropriately add some nutritious and easily absorbed foods such as vegetable juice, fruit puree, porridge, eggs, etc.

In fact, after weaning, your baby can drink some formula milk appropriately, but you should gradually add complementary foods until it can replace milk powder. Generally speaking, the protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, carbohydrates, calories, etc. in milk powder are very important for the baby's growth and development.

Therefore, many people in life, especially those with old ideas, believe that babies only need to eat normally after weaning. In fact, this is not the case. Firstly, because the baby's stomach and chewing function are not yet fully developed, and secondly, milk powder also contains certain nutrients that other foods do not contain. Therefore, it is recommended to let the baby drink milk powder until at least 3 years old after weaning. Of course, if the conditions at home permit, you can let your baby drink for longer according to his needs.

So can fresh milk be used instead of milk powder?

In principle, fresh milk cannot be used instead of milk powder. In fact, experts believe that babies under 2 years old should not drink fresh milk. Because the child's kidney system and gastrointestinal function are not yet fully developed at this age, if the baby drinks fresh milk directly, it will cause considerable harm to the baby's body.

For example, some ingredients in fresh milk are not easily absorbed. Usually, fresh milk contains more phosphorus and less calcium, and infants and young children have a great demand for calcium, so fresh milk cannot meet the baby's daily needs.

Furthermore, the lactose in yogurt is mainly type A lactose, which promotes the formation of E. coli, making infants and young children more susceptible to intestinal diseases.

The rich minerals in fresh milk will also increase the burden on the baby's kidneys, causing the baby to experience dehydration, constipation and other symptoms of getting angry.

The saturated fatty acids in fresh milk can also irritate the intestines of infants and young children, causing chronic hidden blood loss, etc.

So from a professional point of view, it is best not to feed your baby with fresh milk instead of milk powder.

In fact, although milk powder is made from milk, it contains more unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and various trace elements. It is more in line with the growth and development of young children and is therefore more beneficial to the physical and mental health of young children.

For parents with babies at home, in fact, the milk powder suitable for babies at different stages is different. In principle, mothers are advised to pay attention to the nutritional ingredients contained in the milk powder when purchasing milk powder to see whether it can meet the current growth needs of the baby. Try to choose a milk powder manufacturer with a larger brand and better reputation, and try to choose milk powder based on different nutrients.

The above is an introduction to how old babies should drink formula milk. After understanding it, we know that when feeding babies with formula milk, we should not stop feeding at a fixed time. After all, each baby's physical condition and development are different. When the baby is over 6 months old, parents should add some complementary foods to the baby appropriately, which is very helpful for the baby's growth and development.