Cow's milk unsuitable for babies: Study

"Cow's milk deprives babies of proper nutrition as it contains high levels of protein unsuitable for immature kidneys of infants," Head of Biochemistry and Nutrition, All-India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Debnath Chaudhuri, said.

"For mothers unable to nurse because of health reasons, its best to consult the family physician about a safe alternative, rather than feeding cow's milk which is nutritionally inadequate for fast-developing babies," he said in a study, National Family Health Survey III, quoting nutritional experts.

Echoing his views, Director of National Institute of Nutrition B Sesikaran said cow's milk lacked nutrients and was also low in iron content.

Although feeding infants cow's milk was more than a thousand-year-old tradition in India, he said, "It is an unsafe practice in the modern context where antibiotics and pesticides are detected in high levels in bovine milk."

He said declining rates in breastfeeding were mainly due to supplementation with plain water in the early months, followed by cow's milk in subsequent months. MORE