Can I make my own baby milk?
If you do not breastfeed your baby, then it should be fed with a special infant milk in the first months of life. You can buy these, for example, in the supermarket or the drugstore. But can you make baby milk yourself? And if so, what do you have to pay attention to? We have collected the most important information for you.
Feeding baby with milk
The Research Institute for Child Nutrition in Dortmund (FKE) recommends that infants and babies should be fed exclusively with milk formula in their first four months of life. Breastfeedingis best suited for this, as breast milk naturally contains everything the baby needs for healthy, physical and mental development. If you are not breastfeeding, then there are specially developed infant milk on the market. The various products are based on breast milk in their composition and completely cover the nutritional needs of the baby, just like the breast milk itself, in the first few months. You can find out more about these products in our articles “Bottles: Which milk for babies?” and “HA Food and Co.: Special milk food for babies“.
Make your own baby milk?
Since infant milk is a highly processed product, some parents are considering whether they can make the milk themselves to feed their baby so that they can keep a better overview of the ingredients and ingredients used. Cost reasons can also be decisive for such considerations. However, the FHE strongly advises against self-prepared substitute milk for infants. On the one hand, home-cooked milk cannot achieve the balanced nutrient content of ready-made milk, which could lead to serious nutrient deficiencies and failure to thrive. On the other hand, it is very difficult in practice to comply with the necessary, perfect hygienic measures when preparing the baby formula, which can lead, for example, to serious gastrointestinal problems.
Different types of milk substitutes
Many advocates of “alternative infant milk” argue that in the past, when there were no special powders for feeding infants, it was quite normal to feed children cow’s or goat’s milk. Today, however, there is a lot of scientific evidence that confirms that simple milk substitutes cannot adequately meet the nutritional needs of babies.
- Cow milk: Cow’s milk is often the trigger for early allergies and intolerances. Although infant formulas are also made from components of cow’s milk, the nutrient content is largely modelled on that of breast milk. Cow’s milk contains significantly more minerals and protein, which is also composed differently than that contained in breast milk. This can put a strain on your baby’s kidneys as well as its immature digestive tract. In addition, cow’s milk contains only very small amounts of vitamins A and C and very few unsaturated fatty acids, which are of great importance for the growth of the child’s nervous system.
Even the so-calledhalf-milk, in which the relative mineral and protein content is lowered in the same amount of drinking by mixing the cow’s milk with water and which is then enriched with sugar and fat, is not suitable for a balanced diet and has long since ceased to be recommended by officials.
In the article “Cow’s milk for the baby?” you will get more interesting information on this topic. - Fresh grain milk: Fresh grain milk is a mixture of raw cow’s milk diluted with water and up to four varieties of very finely ground, raw cereals. This type of substitute milk is not recommended for several reasons. First of all, children should not eat cereals until the age of six months, as the gluten contained greatlyincreases the risk of allergies. In addition, fiber is not yet well tolerated by many infants because their digestive system is still immature. Rice and other cereals are more likely to becomplementary foods, which are recommended by the experts of the FHE only from the completed fourth month of life. In addition, the consumption of raw milk and products made from it is not recommended for small children, as the bacteria contained can lead to serious infections.
- other “animal milk”: When there was no industrial infant milk, children were often fed goat’s or sheep’s milk. Thus, the negative effect of cow’s milk should be circumvented. Today, however, it is clear that the milk of these animals does not contain everything babies need for healthy development. Although the milk of mares is relatively similar in composition to human breast milk, it is not recommended for hygienic reasons. Also, it is usually rather difficult to get sufficient quantities of mare’s milk.
- vegetarian alternatives: Parents who do not want to put animal milk in their children’s bottles decide in good time for the diet with products based on soy or almond milk. However, these are not suitable for feeding infants. Almond milk contains far too little vitamin C and calcium to meet the needs of an infant. Essential amino acids are also missing and the protein contained in almond milk has a significantly lower biological value than that in industrially produced baby milk or breast milk, which is why it cannot be optimally processed by the body. Almonds also have a relatively high allergenic potential. Also, a diet with soy products is not recommended for your baby in the first months of life. Soybeans contain relatively high levels of isoflavone, a plant hormone similar to estrogen. Since it is not clear whether this hormone has long-term effects on infant development when consumed regularly, both the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the German Society for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ) advise against soy-based infant nutrition. In addition, allergies occur no less frequently with a diet with soy products than with that with cow’s milk.
So there are some serious points against making the formula for your baby yourself. In addition to the great effort that the meticulously accurate and hygienically perfect preparation would require, this is above all the high risk of malnutrition of your child. Unfortunately, home-made milk cannot achieve the nutritional quality of industrial ready-made milk, which is why you should refrain from preparing your own for the benefit of your child.