It is a fact backed up by nature and science and time that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for newborns, so before we decide to give them anything other than breast milk, it is key that we do our share of research.
Take for example the newborn in Spain who, for the first few months of his life, was fed almond milk and in the process developed scurvy.
What is Scurvy?
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, and its symptoms include, but is not limited to: malaise, lethargy, shortness of breath, and bone pain.
Although the child was born with a normal body weight, and had been fed standard formula milk for the first two and a half months. But later rashes developed on the baby’s skin. A doctor suggested that the parents to switch to the almond-milk mixture.
The baby took to the milk substitute, and for the next few months everything seemed to be all right. But on the baby’s eighteenth month, the hospital’s report said that he showed less interest in interacting and was unstable sitting.
By the time the eleventh month rolled in, they realized something was wrong.
The child refused to support his legs. He cried whenever they moved his limbs Doctors discovered that his femurs and spine had suffered fractures. Later he was diagnosed with scurvy and a lack of bone mass.
Nothing beats breastmilk
Pediatrician Isidro Vitoria, in his report published in the US journal Pediatrics, said that, “When plant-based beverages are the exclusive diet in the first year of life and not consumed as a supplement to formula or breastfeeding, it can result in severe nutritional problems.
“Manufacturers should indicate that these beverages are inappropriate for infants who consume a vitamin-C deficient diet,” he also added.
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Also read: Cow's milk alternatives and their pros and cons
