Does cow’s milk interfere with baby’s development? The debate is launched after the publication of a study on the subject in the scientific journal Journal International of Medicine. It is recognized that cow’s milk should not be incorporated into theinfant feeding before the age of one. Until now, the reasons given concerned the risk of overweight and digestive disorders linked to the high protein content of this food. Not to mention the risk of iron deficiency which can lead to anemia and disrupt the child’s good psychomotor development.
A new publication warns of a lesser-known danger from cow’s milk in babies under one year old. Researchers from Indianapolis in the United States believe that it could affect the child’s speech and social skills later on.
To arrive at this observation, the authors of the study distributed questionnaires to the parents of 7,110 babies present in medical consultation centers. They were asked to provide socio-economic data but also details on the health and diet of the young. At the same time, the baby’s development was taken into account on the basis of certain parameters: social and adaptive behavior, language, sociability, motor skills.
From their observations, the authors conclude: “in early drinkers of cow’s milk, the rate of acquisition defect was significantly increased with regard to socialization and, in the case of an iron-deficient diet, this increase was notable for socialization and for language. “
If these results remain to be confirmed by other work, they reinforce the conviction that nothing can replace formula milk before the age of one year.
