Goat’s milk is a tasty, healthy alternative to cow’s milk for adults, and I love it and have always enjoyed having my milking goats on the homestead to provide me with fresh milk.
One thing that has become more popular recently is alternatives to ordinary baby formula, made from cow’s milk.
Since goat’s milk was so good for people, and could even be palatable for people with allergies to cow’s milk, I wondered if goat’s milk formula was safe for babies.
So, I decided to look into it.
So, is goat’s milk formula safe for babies?
In short, it is not a great option for babies, at least under 1 year old. It is not considered nutritionally appropriate, containing way more protein than a baby that young would need and also lacking in iron, folate, vitamins C and D, thiamin, niacin and other essential nutrients.
Given that your baby at that age will be consuming virtually nothing but formula, you have to consider whether the formula you are using contains everything your baby needs.
In the case of goat’s milk, it just won’t cut it.
Before standard formulas were produced, home made formulas like from goat’ milk would be very popular but would leave babies with nutritional deficiencies.
So, let’s look into the details of it and why goat’s milk formula is not the best option for your baby.
Is goat’s milk formula good for babies?
The first thing to mention is that, if you are thinking of switching your baby to goat’s milk because of an allergic reaction to cow’s milk, then you shouldn’t do this.
The substances which caused the problem in cow’s milk will be present in goat’s milk in virtually the same amounts.
Goat’s milk has actually been quite hyped up as a cow’s milk alternative in recent years.
Indeed, for grown adults and young children, it is indeed a great option.
It’s richer in protein and calcium than cow’s milk, so you can drink less of it while getting the same benefits.
However, a baby’s needs are very different.
As I mentioned, this higher protein level is too much for your baby.
Human babies grow relatively slowly, as compared with goats.
The same is true of cows.
Human babies and calves grow at a much slower rate and ultimately live longer.
Because goats grow faster, they need more protein in their milk to promote their growth at an early age.
Even the higher calcium content, though only marginally higher than cow’s milk, can be a problem.
As I mentioned, goat’s milk also lacks sufficient quantities of many necessary nutrients.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it lacks countless minerals and vitamins in sufficient quantities that you would find in human or cow’s milk.
As I said, baby goats have very different needs to baby humans.
These deficiencies can even lead to anemia.
Goat’s milk, and indeed cow’s milk, can also put a lot of stress on the baby’s kidneys.
When fed to infants in the first month of their life, a dangerous condition called metabolic acidosis can result.
So, ultimately, you shouldn’t feed your baby any kind of milk than proper baby formula or breast milk in their first year of life.
After this, you can think about moving to dairy milk.
Is goat’s milk closest to breastmilk?
In theory, goat’s milk is less allergenic than cow’s milk.
Indeed, many adults with lactose intolerance are able to better digest goat’s milk than cow’s milk.
However, it must be stressed that before the first 12 months, babies should only drink formula; no fresh milk.
That said, goat’s milk is often said to be closest to breast milk.
It is indeed rich in fat, but the lack of folic acid and vitamin B12 mean it lacks nutrients essential to your baby’s growth.
Growth in the very early stages is of utmost importance, as the baby is developing so much so fast compared to how it will grow later in life.
If your baby is allergic to cow’s milk, try a soy-based or hypoallergenic formula.
Always consult your doctor before going ahead with changing your baby’s diet if it appears to be sensitive to the formula.
Human milk contains more whey, lactose, vitamin C, B12, folic acid and certain essential fatty acids than goat’s milk does, and though these differences might seem subtle to us, it makes all the difference for an infant.
What milks are good for babies?
If you do not have the option of breast milk, then your best option is likely to be plant-based milk early in life.
As I said, baby formulas should always be given for at least the first year and after that you can think about giving some regular goat or cow’s milk.
Cow’s milk is nutritionally complete, but highly allergenic.
Try it, but if your baby seems to suffer digestive issues as a result, take them off it immediately.
One option which comes highly recommended is coconut milk, which is high in lauric acid, a predominant fatty acid in human milk.
It makes the milk easily digestible, strengthens the immune system while protecting against infection.
It does not have quite the quantity of protein and calcium needed, but this can be added with liquid calcium.
Hemp milk is another very popular option which has recently become available.
It is rich in vitamins, proteins and fats, and is even easy to prepare yourself at home. It contains omega-6, 3 and 9.
So, in general plant-based alternatives contain all the nutrients but virtually none of the allergenic properties.
The short conclusion, then, is that goat’s milk is not the best option for your baby.
It is nutritionally deficient for a child that age, and will be just as allergenic for a baby as cow’s milk would.
If you aren’t able to provide breastmilk, regular baby formula for the first year will be fine, and after that you can think about introducing a plant-based alternative if they can’t handle goat’s milk. Let them enjoy it later in life.