Goat milk

Goat milk can go into your baby's meals as an ingredient once your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. Like cow's milk, it is not given as a drink until the first birthday. It lacks the complete nutrition babies need and can crowd out breast milk or formula. Choose pasteurized.

Goats thrive in rugged mountain country. Some breeds are raised for meat and others for milk. In goat-herding areas of Africa, Asia and Europe, goat milk is a common food.

Before 12 months, use goat milk only inside cooked food. It can go into porridge, purée, rice or baked goods.

Once your child is past the first year, give it in an open cup with meals. Goat milk is not a replacement for infant formula. When it is a drink, keep serving a variety of foods with iron and B12 alongside. Folate and B12 are low in plain goat milk.

Goat milk is a liquid and carries a low choking risk. In theory any food can cause choking. Serve it in an age-appropriate way and stay beside your baby during the meal.

Goat milk and dairy from other ruminants such as sheep and buffalo cross-react with cow's milk. That is why goat milk counts as a common allergen. A child allergic to cow's milk may react to goat milk too.

The good news is that milk allergy tends to fade. Most children with it outgrow it by age 6. Many babies with mild signs, such as painless blood in the stool, can retry milk around the first birthday with a doctor's guidance. Even some children who cannot drink milk tolerate it once thoroughly baked in cakes or muffins.

Milk is also a frequent cause of FPIES, a delayed allergy. The acute form brings repeated vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after eating. Left untreated it can lead to serious dehydration. If milk is eaten regularly, the chronic form can cause reflux, weight loss and poor growth. Symptoms ease once milk is stopped. FPIES that starts early usually fades by ages 3 to 5.

Babies and young children rarely have lactose intolerance, but it grows more common with age. It can be mistaken for allergy. Goat milk has less lactose than cow's milk, so some people tolerate it more easily.

If you suspect a dairy allergy, see an allergist before offering goat milk. The allergist may order tests or supervise the first taste at the clinic. With low risk, you can start at home. Begin with a small amount and raise it over later meals if nothing happens. Once a common allergen has gone well, keep it in the diet, ideally twice a week.