A Consultant Paediatrician has warned mothers against using adult milk for babies, a cautionary statement that also advises against the substitution of infant formula with adult milk.
Dr. Amala Okore, in an interview in Lagos on Tuesday, said that there are potential risks associated with this practice, including the risk of malnutrition and other health complications.
The concerning trend of parents opting for adult milk, particularly cow milk, as a cost-saving alternative to infant formula has been observed in Nigeria. Dr. Okore said that economic challenges have prompted some families to resort to this measure, unaware of the significant differences between adult milk and specially formulated infant formula.
“The nature of the protein in infant formula is made to be easily digestible for infants. They also have micronutrients, high in iron, and DHA which helps brain support; adult milk doesn’t have all of these.
“In the long-term, we will have malnourished children because they are not getting adequate nutrients from milk.
“Even with the adult milk that some mothers give, they aren’t giving enough because some mothers can only afford one or two sachets of the Dano or Peak milk sold at N120 for a child for a day.
“We are having more malnourished children brought to the health facilities than before,” she said.
Okore maintained that the long-term effect of feeding infants with cow milk was that it would affect brain health and development which on a national scale would affect productivity and GDP.
“It’s a vicious cycle because sometimes when I counsel the mothers, I know that what I tell them is not practicable because they don’t have the money.
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“We all know how the prices of things have been skyrocketing and changing daily.
“Some of these people don’t even earn the minimum wage; you can’t expect them to buy formulas that the small tin cost about N6,000 and if the child eats it the way he should, that tin shouldn’t last more than four days,” she said.
Adult milk and infant formula serve distinct purposes and are formulated with different nutritional compositions tailored to meet the specific needs of infants and adults, respectively. Dr. Okore stressed the importance of adhering to recommended infant feeding practices, cautioning against the misconception that adult milk could adequately substitute for infant formula.
She advised mothers against over-diluting infant milk to extend quantity.
“Where they are supposed to dilute one scoop of infant formula to 30ml they dilute to 60ml, they are doing it so that the milk will stretch a bit more.
“Ultimately they are giving the child less calories and the child will get malnourished in the long run,” she said.
To address this challenge, Okore advised mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding for babies below six months.
She emphasised that exclusive breastfeeding would sort calorie issues, boost antibodies, save cost and eliminate hygiene issues for infants.
“From six months, the mother can add complementary feeds for the baby such as pap fortified with crayfish, dates, and soymilk for infants who aren’t allergic to it.
“They can also give family food such as mashed beans, mashed yam, mashed potatoes, mashed rice, vegetables so that the quantity of infant formula they buy won’t be as much as when the infant was primarily being fed with milk-based food,” she said.
Infant formula is fortified with essential nutrients crucial for the optimal growth and development of babies, whereas adult milk lacks these vital components in adequate proportions for infants.
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Dr. Okore added that the potential risks associated with depriving infants of the essential nutrients provided by infant formula include compromised growth, weakened immune system, and developmental delays.
Similarly, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, Dr Moruf Abdulsalam, noted that adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood was critical to ensuring the growth, health, and development of children to their full potential.
Abdulsalam said that adult milk might put infants at risk for intestinal bleeding, adding that it also contained too many proteins and minerals for a baby’s kidneys to handle.
Abdulsalam, who is the Chairman, Medical Guild, also advised parents to make healthy choices that would protect their infants.
The Paediatrician also appealed to the government to prioritise citizens-friendly policies.
