Jane posted:  >I would like information about the use of goat's milk and
>colostrum for human infants.

The use of goat's milk is popular in some sub-populations in my area also.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric Nutrition
Handbook (Elk Grove, IL:AAP): "Goat's milk is used in many parts of the
world....[it] does not contain enough iron, vitamin D, or vitamin C to meet
the needs of infants, and it has the distinct disadvantage of a low folacin
content (about one-tenth the level in human or cow milk...so supplements of
iron and all three vitamins are needed."

Another concern about goat's milk is that it is often sold from the farm in
raw form, unpastuerized.  This opens up all types of infection
possibilities.  There is a canned powdered goat's milk (Meyenberg, I think)
available from many health food stores.

Personally, I do not recommend use of goat's milk.  I would not put myself
in the position of circulating a home-made formula for goat milk.  We are
still just finding out what is missing from cow's milk!!

The banked human milk alternative might be a good one for parents who would
select goat milk.  They are often, in my experience, dietary purists.  I
agree with you Jane,  we could encourage these parents to see mother's milk
as the original pure human food!!  Heat treating does not destroy all its
immune properties.

One comical observation I once heard from a Mom about goat's milk:  "I
would much rather give my baby the spunky characteristics of goat he'll get
through goat milk, than the stupid, grazing cow characteristics he'd get
from cow milk."





Cindy Turner-Maffei, MA, IBCLC