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Iron or Leather?

So in keeping with our current theme: the Breastfeeding Nazi and the Liquid Poison, I thought I should make a few comments about something you may have seen in the grocery or on TV: toddler “Follow On Formula.” What is it? Who’s it for? Will my kids be getting it? Answers: A nutritious drink. Little kids over the age of 1. Highly doubtful. Should I clarify?

In the US, the current recommendation is to keep a baby on breast milk or formula until at least one year of age. Before about age 1, regular cow’s milk is not only lacking in essential nutrients not normally found in an infant’s diet elsewhere, but can also be too hard on their little tummies, kidneys and the like. After age 1, most little bodies are able to handle regular cow’s milk without trouble unless you’re unlucky and have a little allergic tot. The recommendations continue that young children between age 1 and 2 to 3 years drink only full-fat dairy products because fat is an important tool in building a developing brain. After age 2, your kid can probably drink whatever the family prefers.
I’ll pause just a bit to remind you that a toddler (age 1-3) should have around 2-3 dairy servings a day. That’s 16-24 ounces of milk, or yogurt, cheese and ice cream. (I slipped that one in myself. The AAP doesn’t really list ice cream. But it’s a valid source of fat and calcium! I also consider the slice of cheesecake the girls ate Sunday as a serving.) By the way, there is such a thing as “too much” milk, so be careful not to let fat and calcium edge out all the other essential components of a healthy tot.
Okay, so back to toddler milk, follow-on formula or whatever it’s called.  What is it? Well, it’s basically milk that is fortified with iron and vitamins. Okay, that sounds good. Cow’s milk is not a good source of iron and parents worry about that. Vitamins sound okay. Sure. Why not?
I’ll explain why we’ll probably be skipping it. See, Mommy has a shoe habit. It’s not out of control but it’s still a dominant factor in my closet. And shoes aren’t cheap. Toddler milk is fine if you are really worried about your child getting enough nutrition. However, Dr. Zibners is quite confident that a standard toddler diet (yes, even with “green only” week) will meet most kid’s needs. And cow’s milk is a lot cheaper than toddler formula. Do you see where I’m going with this? In other words, if it makes you sleep at night because your kid had a cup of “follow-on” milk, then fine. But it’s not necessary. So long as Mommies have feet.

Dr. Lara Zibners, Aug 17, 2010

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