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Is organic milk safe for infants?

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Safe		69%	132 votes	Total: 192 votes
Unsafe		31%	60 votes	Total: 192 votes

Safe

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Safe? yes, best? probably not. Cow's milk was designed for baby cows, but for centuries they have successfully fed millions ofSafe? yes, best? Probably not. Cow's milk was designed for baby cows, but for centuries they have successfully fed millions of people, so I'm not against that. Doctors will tell you that the best thing for an infant is breast milk, preferably from its own mother, but human breast milk is the best substitute. If that's not available, then goat's milk is the preferred substitute. The smaller fat globules make it naturally homogenized and easier to absorb by fragile stomachs. It's unique combination of fats and nutrients make it a superior "milk replacer," for nearly any species, even humans.

However, the question asked here is about specifically organic milk. The term "organic" has been copyrighted by the USDA so that only those farms that comply with a very rigid set of regulations, and are willing to subject themselves to independent inspections can call themselves "organic." This sounds great, but in reality, in today's agriculture those tend to be larger farms that use a "safety net," called UHT or ultra high pasteurization. UHT, or flash pasteurization, does indeed kill any bacteria that may be in the milk, but that includes the beneficial bacteria and enzymes as well. UHT milk, even organic UHT milk, cannot be used to culture yogurt or cheese, as there is so little nourishment left in the milk, the cultures cannot grow. Often these commercial organic dairy farms have lobbied to loosen the constraints on the use of anti-biotics and medicines for their cattle, to allow more milk to be sold as "organic." While there are tests done for anti-biotic residue in milk, there are still on-going efforts to raise those allowable limits, allowing for higher counts in each milk sample.

There are a few truly organic farms, certified and non-certified, that have the "spirit of organic," built into their management practices. This means using practices that promote health, rather than treat illness. Their animals are usually pasture based with plenty of exercise and fresh air. Many of these farms sell raw milk, which is another story entirely, although an important one. But still others understand that they need to pasteurize to meet the demand, and those farms are the ones that I would endorse for anyone, of all ages.

How do you know which milk is best? If it really matters to you, contact your state's organic certifier, or organic farmer's organization and ask what farms are local to you. Local milk is the safest, as it travels from cow to table much more quickly, with less commingling with other farm's milk. You may be able to find a farm near you, or an outlet, that sells their milk directly from their farm, and is certified organic as well. If they aren't certified, ask them why? They may practice the right techniques, but just decide that annual inspections for a "watered down label," aren't in their best interest. It never hurts to ask.

In closing I would say that the milk that is the closest to "natural," is the best choice for anyone, of any age. But doing a little research into where the milk is raised is more important than how it is processed. That should be your guiding principle, because "organic" doesn't mean what it used to.

Learn more about this author, Patricia Stewart.
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Unsafe

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by Melanie Denyer

With the growth in the organic food markets of the majority of developed world countries, as well as a boom in organic baby meals, snacks and drinks, it would be easy to assume that organic milk was safe to give to an infant. After all, a food from an environment where no pesticides or antibiotics or other extraneous substances have been used has got to be safe, right? Wrong. The fact is, it depends on a number of factors.

The World Health Organisation, in its guidelines, states the following:

"Adequate nutrition during infancy is essential for lifelong health and wellbeing. Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods, while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or more."

This is not because cow's milk is inherently dangerous for infants in all circumstances, although it should not be fed to any child under the age of 6 months because their kidneys simply cannot cope with the mineral content of cow's milk, potentially leading to hypernatraemic dehydration. The vast majority of infants are not allergic to cow's milk, or they would not be able to tolerate most of the baby formulas on the market. Indeed, except where a dairy allergy or intolerance has been specifically diagnosed by a doctor, soy-based formulas are not recommended for babies, as they lack specific amino acids present in the cow's milk which forms the base of normal infant formulas.

There are various reasons why infants should not be given cow's milk only. One is that cow's milk is designed for the nutrition of calves, not human babies, and its make-up reflects those different needs. Our babies need more iron and other vitamins and minerals to thrive than the average calf, so they wouldn't get enough nutrition from simple cow's milk, organic or not, if they were fed that alone. Breast-fed babies automatically receive the right nutrients from their mothers, and baby and 'follow-on' formulas are designed to mirror the properties as far as science will permit, making them intrinsically 'better' for baby than plain milk from the carton, even if they share a common root.

The issue of mineral composition remains, to a lesser degree, in children up to the age of two, though for different reasons. Cow's milk contains a significant amount of protein, sodium, potassium, chloride and phosphorus, all of which can place undue stress on the kidneys and lead to hypernatraemic dehydration if the child is ill with either diaorrhea, vomiting or both and fluid levels are not topped up through another fluid such as cooled and boiled water.

Another reason given for avoiding the use of cow's milk has been that, in some children, it causes gastro-intestinal blood loss and interferes with the absorption of iron from other sources, which can lead to anaemia if not checked. This effect disappears by the child's first birthday. There have been studies which show that boiling (and then cooling) the milk before feeding it to the infant eliminates the phenomenon of gastro-intestinal blood loss, so this is a possibility if no other source of milk is available.

Ultimately , we all want what is best for our babies. Organic does not always mean safe, when the underlying product is not recommended for the use of our precious children, or only recommended under certain circumstances and with certain prior treatments and other precautionary advice. If in doubt, always check with a healthcare professional for guidance on what products are safe - or not - to feed an infant.

For more information, you can find the WHO web site relating to this issue at the following address:

http://www.w ho.int/topics/infant _nutrition/en/

Learn more about this author, Melanie Denyer.
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