Cow's milk versus Breast milk

Why cow’s milk is not the right source of protein:

In India, it is quite common for families to introduce other milk feeds into a baby’s daily diet. The most common being cow’s milk.

The nutritional value of cow’s milk differs completely from that of human milk. Also in terms of protein content it is radically different.

Protein in cow’s milk varies both in quality and quantity as compared to breast milk.

The differentiation can be clearly seen under the following parameters: -

1. Digestion –Cow’s milk is casein predominant which makes it difficult for a baby to digest.


2. Adequate amount –Breast milk has ideal amount of protein present in it. It is sufficient enough to meet the increased requirements of your baby. Whereas the cow’s milk has approximately 3 times more protein in it i.e. 4.7gm/100kcal. The increased amount of total protein can put an excessive load on the baby’s immature organs, thus affecting the growth trajectory.


3. Quality – Protein in cow’s milk lacks certain essential amino acids that are highly essential for optimum growth and development of the baby. Breast milk on the other hand has all the amino acids in right quantity thus supporting optimum health trajectory.


4. Allergies – One of the most common drawback of cow’s milk is the ‘‘cow’s milk protein allergy’’. The prevalence of this disorder is up to 7.5% in babies. It happens because of the reaction with one or two immunological proteins (proteins that provide immunity). It can further lead to lactose intolerance, thus omitting milk from your baby’s feed. Breast milk is apt for the babies as it can be easily digested thus, making it unquestionably the best food for your baby.

Therefore, mommies,  before feeding your babies make sure you know the amount and quality of protein the milk feed is having as protein not only aids growth and development of the baby but also helps in shaping the future of your baby by providing long term health and building her potential.