Can We Talk Milk?

[SunshineMama]

I am continuously reading about milk causing so many problems in chldren, and am experiencing it first hand with one of my daycare kids. The parents are trying to train his stomach to handle milk, and his stomach is fighting back.

What is behind the big idea that kids have to be on cow's milk anyway? Are there no other ways for them to get nutrients? Why do parents feel that they have to force milk, when clearly the children's bodies cant handle it.

What are your personal views on milk? Have you noticed in increase in digestive issues from it?

I'm over milk. Kids are not cows. Kids do not have 2 stomachs to digest it, but I digress.

I would love to hear different perspectives and opinions on the subject other than my own. Your thoughts?

[Cat Herder]

We are required to serve it twice a day... I am not paid to think it seems...

I switched to 2% and see few issues, though.

[DCBlessings27]

Milk

I am a dairy farmer's daughter, but I myself have never cared to drink milk. I haven't had any problems serving milk to my dcks. My daughter loves it, and she's never had problems.

The food program just required us to serve 1% or fat free milk, and my state just passed regs that say the same thing. I serve only fat free milk. We don't have a choice in the matter unless a doctor's note says otherwise. I personally don't have any problems serving milk to children.

[littlemissmuffet]

I know Silver isn't big on serving milk at daycare.

I rarely serve milk in my daycare. I NEVER serve juice. Mostly water, and sometimes soy milk. My DCKs can have the majority of their cow's milk at home - they already all get WAY too much milk at home as it is. I agree that children have a difficult time digesting milk (as do adults). It also doesn't sit well with me that bovine growth hormones are used in the US to help aide in the production of milk... those BGHs are IN milk. Thankfully Canada doesn't allow use of such products.

Calcium is important, but there are other foods and beverages that can be consumed as an alternative. Vitamin D is important, but natural sunlight is adequate - in places that lack much sunlight (like where I live) there are easy to use Vitamin D drops that can be added to drinks or food, and tablets for older children and adults. All other nutrients in milk can be replaced with a well-rounded diet of various healthy foods.

On a side note, I am HUGE on serving other dairy products such as yogurt and various cheeses - but I find that those made with goat's milk as opposed to cow's milk are easier to digest by children and adults alike!

[Blackcat31]

http://milk.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000656

great site that clearly and fully explains the pros and cons of milk consumption

[SunshineMama]

http://milk.procon.org/view.resource...ourceID=000656

great site that clearly and fully explains the pros and cons of milk consumption

Awesome article!

[jojosmommy]

Why don't you offer soy or almond? Fp allowed.

[itlw8]

soy and almond milk are allowed with a drs orders only.

I have no problem with milk per say but the reason it is a big allergy thing is it is served several times daily. that is why peristant symptoms you always think milk first. If an allergy comes and goes it iw usully something other than milk.

train the stomach? when a child has milk allergy after being off milk along time you do introduce a small bit a at time. I remember Mother doing it a drop at a time with my sister. Ds could handle uo to 1/2 cup a day.

It is not training the stomach it is finding what the trouble point.

those parents can try the lactose free milk some can handle it better.

[SunshineMama]

Why don't you offer soy or almond? Fp allowed.

I think I will suggest that to the parents on monday. They are pretty he&&-bent on "getting his stomach built up so it tolerates milk."

[saved4always]

I personally love skim milk for myself and my stomach can usually handle it. My middle son though is lactose intolerant and so is my youngest daughter.

My son had stomach aches and problems with constipation for a long time. He was my child who LOVED his milk. He would order a big glass of milk at a restaurant, drink it before his dinner arrived and order a refill. We took him to the ped and I think he had him take laxative type meds but that only helped temporarily. We ended up seeing a pediatric gastro dr. and she determined he was lactose intolerant. He doesn't like taking lactaid so he just doesn't drink milk. He does fine with other types of dairy products like cheese.

My daughter never liked milk but also had stomach problems this last year. The ped had blood tests done that showed a lactose intolerance and through some trial and error we found she can eat products that contain milk if she takes lactaid with it. She still has some issues with ice cream and diarrhea afterwards but, for the most part, she no longer complains about stomach aches.

Kids do not need to drink milk to get their calcium. My daughter drinks calcium fortified juice and eats yogurt, cheese and other dairy products. I also give her calcium supplement for kids. One little boy I watch is highly allergic to milk so he drinks soy milk and eats soy yogurt, etc.

[nannyde]

I wish we weren't required to do cows milk too. I don't mind it as being an option but I would love to rotate out almond, soy, rice etc. for variety. My kids love the others so I give them their four ounces of cows milk and then top them off with the other milks for extra liquids.

[Michael]

I personally love skim milk for myself and my stomach can usually handle it. My middle son though is lactose intolerant and so is my youngest daughter.

My son had stomach aches and problems with constipation for a long time. He was my child who LOVED his milk. He would order a big glass of milk at a restaurant, drink it before his dinner arrived and order a refill. We took him to the ped and I think he had him take laxative type meds but that only helped temporarily. We ended up seeing a pediatric gastro dr. and she determined he was lactose intolerant. He doesn't like taking lactaid so he just doesn't drink milk. He does fine with other types of dairy products like cheese.

My daughter never liked milk but also had stomach problems this last year. The ped had blood tests done that showed a lactose intolerance and through some trial and error we found she can eat products that contain milk if she takes lactaid with it. She still has some issues with ice cream and diarrhea afterwards but, for the most part, she no longer complains about stomach aches.

Kids do not need to drink milk to get their calcium. My daughter drinks calcium fortified juice and eats yogurt, cheese and other dairy products. I also give her calcium supplement for kids. One little boy I watch is highly allergic to milk so he drinks soy milk and eats soy yogurt, etc.

From the article that BlackCat suggested: http://milk.procon.org/view.resource...ourceID=000656

Raw milk is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, the finest source of calcium available...People who have been allergic to pasteurized milk for many years can typically tolerate and even thrive on raw milk."

[nannyde]

From the article that BlackCat suggested: http://milk.procon.org/view.resource...ourceID=000656

Raw milk is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidophilus, vitamins and enzymes, and it is, in my estimation, the finest source of calcium available...People who have been allergic to pasteurized milk for many years can typically tolerate and even thrive on raw milk."

[Jenniferdawn]

I agree with the benefits of raw milk. It's expensive, but we've switched over and my daughter has stopped getting ear infections and my son has stopped getting his horrible coughing fits. I have no doubt homogenized, pasteurized milk was to blame. Unfortunately, I can't serve that to my daycare kiddos so they get the yucky stuff.

[Nellie]

I agree with the benefits of raw milk. It's expensive, but we've switched over and my daughter has stopped getting ear infections and my son has stopped getting his horrible coughing fits. I have no doubt homogenized, pasteurized milk was to blame. Unfortunately, I can't serve that to my daycare kiddos so they get the yucky stuff.

My dad was a dairy farmer so I grew up on raw milk. When dad quit milking it took years for us to get use to regurlar milk. I have never heard the benifits to raw milk, but my sisters and I were never sick as kids. I took a year and half break from daycare with the pregnancy and birth of my last son. I had anticipated on having healthy kids after getting rid of all the DC germs. My kids were sick so many times that year and a half. I really don't know how they were exposed to anything due to my husband is self employed and hardly comes in contact with another human being and with a newborn and a 14 month old we hardly ever took them out.