The effect of goat-milk-based formulas on infant health

Abstract

Breast milk is the “gold standard” for feeding infants for the first years of life and affects the children health both at an early age and in subsequent periods of their life. However, there are times when women are unable to breastfeed for the following reasons: a woman cannot make milk or has health problems, or lose interest in breastfeeding, or should be back at work, etc. This brings up a legitimate question: how to choose among a large number of infant formulas for healthy infants the one that will fit and be safe for a child to use, taking into account their gestational age, as well as a large number of individual “risk facts” such as high or low body mass and height parameters, features of a childbirth (“vaginal”, operative delivery), etc. Most often, the choice falls on cow-milk-based infant formula. After all, one should not forget about alternative options such as goat-milk-based formulas. Historical evidence shows that patients with rickets were fed with goat milk and it was believed to affect brain functions. Interest in the beneficial effects of goat’s milk has been steadily increasing to this day, given that the biological active substances present in goat’s milk are also present in women’s milk in larger quantities. The β-casein fraction is its main component, which makes it as similar to breast milk in structure as possible. In addition to proteins, fats are components that contribute to the excellent digestibility of goat milk. Their distinctive feature is smaller size as compared to milk fats from other animals. This article explores all the benefits of goat milk and its effect on all aspects of infant health.