There certainly can be children who show an allergic response to milk and I would find an adequate substitutein the diet to provide them with their nutritional requirements of calcium, phosphorus, vitamins/minerals, and protein.  This is often difficult to do because milk is an easy food product to work with when trying to meet these needs in pediatrics.  A previous comment about the fat and lactose in milk is confusing to me.  All children under the age of 2 years should consume whole milk, not lowfat milk for adequate calories, and brain development.  If a child is underweight, whole milk should continue until sufficient catch-up weight is documented.  And why the concern for lactose?  Lactose is what we hope all babies are getting throughout the first year of life in breast milk, so I don't see the concern here with lactose in the milk we drink.  In addition, all carbohydrates, including those in soy and rice milks break down into sugars.  A balanced diet includes plenty of carbohydrates.  It is the simple sugars, like sucrose, to be concerned about as far as their possible relationship to insulin resistance.  I have seen milk alternatives that contain sucrose to make the taste more acceptable, so it could be these milks that we need to be concerned about.  Homogenization and CV disease??   The CV docs I work with have never mentioned this.  I can only speak in relation to pediatrics, but we are so concerned about getting children to grow, especially those with congenital heart disease, we never worry about restricting milk because the homogenization process---??  As far as other "residues" in the milk, at this time, I do not feel that substantial evidence is available proving risks of possible traces of different substances in milk.  When I weigh the options, I opt to utilize milk in a child's diet, if he/she is not allergic or intolerant.  I will continue to use my best judgement and my professional knowledge when promoting and recommending milk to my pediatric patients, that is when they have stopped receiving enough from mother's milk.

I also make an effort to get my own calcium intake with lowfat dairy products and worry when I think my kids aren't taking in what I think they need.  I agree that you can't always believe what you hear....

Ginger Carney, RD, LDN, IBCLC
Clinical Nutriiton Mgr./Lactation Consultant
Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center
Memphis, TN  
[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html