Study shows goat milk formula safe for babies
5 September 2003
Parents who choose goat milk infant formula for babies unable to be breastfed may be reassured by the first clinical study to show that growth is comparable to that of babies fed cow milk infant formula, paediatricians say.
A study of 70 newborn term infants randomised to be fed either goat or cow milk formula found no differences in head circumference or mean weight or length increase over 6 months, the Paediatric Society of New Zealand 56th annual scientific meeting heard last week.
'We also looked at measures of tolerability such as frequency of infection, sleeping, and crying, and found no differences,' said Associate Professor Cameron Grant, lead investigator of the dairy goat industry-funded study.
Professor Grant, a paediatrician at the Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland, said that goat milk infant formula had been available in NZ and Australia for more than 10 years, but its use was increasing, particularly as concern grew about soy.
Soy milk infant formula could still be recommended for specific indications, such as lactose intolerance, but goat milk infant formula was a safe and effective source of nutrition for babies unable to be breastfed and experiencing difficulties on cow milk infant formula, Professor Grant said.
Commenting, Associate Professor Louise Bauer from The Children's Hospital at Westmead, NSW, said the study would reassure parents seeking alternatives.
'We just have to make sure that parents use the formula, and don't put their babies straight on to goat milk, which has not been modified to improve the macronutrient and electrolyte composition,' Professor Bauer said.
Last Reviewed: 08 September 2003
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 5/9/03
