How much milk should a young child have?

We bottle our milk on the farm at Glen Forbes and it goes out to families across the district, so it is worth setting out what the health guidance says about young children and milk. This is a summary of what Australian health services recommend rather than our own advice, with links to the source.

The guidance

Under 12 months: no cow’s milk as a main drink. Breast milk or infant formula does that job. Small amounts in cooking are fine.

Ages one to five: up to about 500ml a day, which is two cups.

After 12 months: use a cup rather than a bottle, and skip milk at bedtime and naps. That one matters more than it sounds, because bottles at bedtime are how a daily total quietly climbs.

Why there is a limit

Iron, and it works two ways.

Cow’s milk contains very little of it. Milk is a good source of protein and calcium, but a growing child needs a lot of iron for red blood cells, energy and brain development, and milk is not where that comes from.

The calcium and protein in milk also make iron harder to absorb from other foods eaten around the same time. So a large volume works against the meat, legumes, leafy greens and fortified cereal a child is relying on. Milk is filling as well, so a child who has had a lot of it eats less at meals.

This is a question of how much rather than an argument against milk. Two cups a day sits comfortably inside a good diet.

Children’s Health Queensland notes that this applies to milk as a drink and does not extend to yoghurt and cheese.

If you are unsure

A GP or child health nurse can check a child’s iron with a blood test. Picked up early, it is usually simple to correct.

Sources: Children’s Health Queensland and the NHMRC Infant Feeding Guidelines.