Milk - FYI

I know a lot of people were asking about low-fat milk vs. whole milk on the other thread and when to switch. We took our boys for their 18 month check-up today, and our pedi said we could switch them to 1% or 2% milk, just not skim. This was based on the fact that our are growing well (one is 50-75th percentile and the other is 90th percentile). She also said that the APA used to always say to keep kids on whole milk until age 2, but they are now saying for kids that are growing well, they now suggest switching to 1% or 2% at 18 months because of heart disease concerns, etc. But kids who are smaller and need to put on weight can stay on whole milk longer.

 

Thanks for this! My ped said something similar; he told us that some peds even recommend skim for older toddlers who are on the heavy side. This is not the case with my guys (who at almost 3 are still wearing their 9 month shorts ) so we're sticking with 2% for a while. :good:

 

I am glad you posted this bc my Noah eats like a horse and although he isn't overweight he is pretty solid!! I have thought about changing him to 2% for a while. We have our 18 wbv mid- July!! Happy 18 mos to your boys Eagleswings!!

 

While I'm not expressing a medical opinion on whether to switch, the reason for whole isn't weight. It's that their brains need fat to develop.

 

Agree with this. Fat is key for kids and actually starting to be looked at differently for adults. The problem with low fat or skim options (yogurt, etc ) is they are often higher in sugar to compensate for the fat. We are full fat for the kids on everything, cheese, yogurt, etc. They are on goat milk, so skim isn't a question.

There is increasing chatter in the health community that carbs are root of our problems as a country with obesity, high blood pressure, etc, not fat.

 

Totally agree. The first 2 yrs, the brain develops at the fastest. It does need lot lot of fat and cholesterol. I think before you decide to switch, u should do some research. We don't have this issue. My kids is always at 10%, I even mix some half and half in their whole milk. I always worry they don't have enough fat and cholesterol for their brain. I don't worry about their weight at all.

 

You all can do whatever you feel is best - I'm just reporting what my pedi said. Also, FWIW, my boys are developmentally at the 24 month level and even a bit above on every milestone. Personally, I'm going to follow my pedi's advice because she has been a good doctor all along and I trust her.

 

I'm not saying not to follow your pedi's advice. There is growing literature that suggests switching to skim at 1 is fine as kids gets lots of fat in their diet and obesity is a rising issue. I just wanted to point out that the justification for whole through 2 is not weight. It's brain development.

 

For anyone whose interested, here's an article that talks about the AAP recommendations and also gives links to other articles about this topic.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/July-August-08/AAP-Changes-Milk-Recommendations-for-Children-Under-2.html

I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, just sharing what I have found.

 

Thanks for sharing eagleswings! I think I may have worded my post differently than I intended. My kids are like yours meeting all the milestones and surpassing them. They also eat a well varied and healthy (including fats) diet, as such I felt that the whole milk switch to 2% would not be compromising. If my ped agrees, I will also go that route.

Each child is different and that is an individual decision to be made by the parents and their pedi.

 

interesting... for us it wasn't ever an issue b/c they didn't drink cow's milk... b/c of digestion issues. though they still were breastfed. anyway, I think it's great to get informed and make a good decision with your pedi based on a dr knowing your actual kids.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Eagleswings216: thanks for sharing. That's very interesting