NON DAIRY MILK’S IMPACT ON CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT

Milk is considered to be one of the staple foods among kids’ diets. As soon as the child is born, he is fed breast milk, and as he grows, doctors and older experienced people recommend parents to feed milk to their child after every meal. Milk was considered vital for the development of teeth, bones, and overall growth. I still remember my parents used to force me to drink milk as I never liked the taste of milk. But they somehow managed to incorporate one glass of milk daily in my diet. It is considered as a part of a balanced diet without which our food is said to be incomplete.

But nowadays, dairy milk is losing its customer base as more and more families are switching to dairy-free products either because of a personal choice or because of some allergies.

In older times, breast milk and cow’s milk were highly recommended and included in the daily diet of kids, but now the times have changed. Now some kids often receive dairy-free products from infancy.

The options of dairy-free products are increasing day by day, so it becomes elementary for parents to switch to non-dairy products. Some of the options at present are almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk.

As more and more children are growing up consuming non-dairy products, scientists and doctors are concerned about the impact it can have on the kid’s growth and development. Researchers are still trying to find more about the effects of non-dairy products on kids. Here are some of the findings which can help us to understand better the impacts of non-dairy products on a kid’s life.

Non-dairy milk may affect growth

According to some studies, it was found that kids who were not consuming cow milk and were only fed upon non-dairy milk resulted in having small heights.

In a study conducted by the American journal of clinical nutrition in 20197, 5034, healthy children were examined in Canada aged between 24 to 72 months and compared kids who drink cows milk and who did not. And they found a correlation between heights and cow’s milk. Those who drank cow’s milk were on an average 0.4 cm taller than those who drank non-dairy milk.

We can conclude from this study that those who drank cow milk resulted in having taller heights, but we can’t develop a proper association between the impact of non-milk dairy products on kids. There could be many other reasons for kids drinking non-dairy milk being shorter than those who regularly drank cow’s milk.

Researchers are still looking for more specific results regarding the impact of milk on a child’s health.

Some infants have allergic reactions or intolerance to cow milk, and then it becomes elementary for parents to switch to non-dairy products. But we must know which non-dairy product is suitable for your child. Let us know about some of the non-dairy milk, which is a good option for kids.

Almond milk

According to one study, it is found that almond milk is a perfect replacement for kids having an intolerance to cow’s milk. Babies who were given almond milk resulted in having better growth and development as compared to babies who consumed other non-dairy products.

Soy milk

Some kids are lactose intolerant, so consumption of dairy also results in chronic constipation in them. Such kids are when fed cow’s milk can get into worse condition and can struggle a lot with regular illness.

According to a study, it’s found that kids who were facing such problems were getting benefits by using soy milk. Soy milk helps kids to relive this condition and results in good growth.

The impacts of non-dairy products on kids are still under research, so we are not fully aware of how non-dairy products can affect kids. But some families are strictly intolerant to cow’s milk, maybe because of some allergy or because of dietary preference.

If you are not comfortable with the dairy products due to any reason, then it is highly recommended that you consult a pediatrician for your kid before replacing dairy products with non-dairy products. There are some vital nutrients in dairy milk products which are essential for the proper development and growth of a child.