Is calcium lactate good for babies?

Calcium lactate is a food that can supplement calcium for the human body. Many parents choose to supplement calcium for their babies through calcium lactate. But in fact, if the baby is not particularly calcium deficient, there is no need for parents to feed the child calcium lactate. This is because the calcium intake of children in infancy is sufficient, whether they are breastfed or fed with formula milk, and there is no need to supplement calcium.

1. Do babies need to supplement calcium lactate?

Breastfed babies consume 600-700 ml of milk every day within 6 months. Every 100 ml of breast milk contains about 50 mg of calcium. Therefore, babies who only eat breast milk will consume 300-500 mg of calcium a day. In terms of nutrition, the recommended daily calcium intake for babies under 6 months old is exactly 300 mg. Therefore, for babies who are exclusively breastfed, there is no need to rely on other calcium supplements within 6 months.

Formula milk is a breast milk substitute made based on the composition of breast milk. Its various ingredients are similar to those of breast milk (including the calcium content, of course). Therefore, there is no need for additional calcium supplementation for babies who are fed solely with formula milk or babies who are fed a mixture of breast milk and formula milk within 6 months.

After 6 months, until the age of 3, if the baby can drink at least three small cups of milk every day, each cup is about 150 ml, then there is no need to consider taking other calcium supplements outside of the diet.

2. Characteristics of calcium lactate

Calcium lactate is white granules or powder, has no peculiar smell, and tastes bitter. It is slightly efflorescent, easily soluble in hot water, insoluble in ethanol, ether and chloroform. It has high solubility, fast dissolution rate, high bioavailability and good taste, and is widely used in dairy products, beverages, food and health products and other fields.

3. Precautions for the use of calcium lactate

1. Used as food additives, fortifier of children's nutritional food, and medically used to supplement calcium.

2. Calcium lactate is a very good food calcium fortifier and is better absorbed than inorganic calcium. It can be used in infant food, with a usage of 23~46g/kg; in cereals and their products, it is 12~24g/kg; in drinking liquids and milk beverages, it is 3~6g/kg. It is also used as a leavening agent and buffer for bread baking powder.

3. Used as a calcium supplement as a nutritional enhancer, and as a buffer and leavening agent for bread, pastries, etc. As a medicine, it can prevent and treat calcium deficiency diseases such as rickets and tetany, as well as supplement the calcium needed by women during pregnancy and lactation.