Is goat's milk (goat milk) suitable for newborns?

Goat's Milk is Not Suitable for Newborns

Goat's milk should not be used as a feeding option for newborns as it poses significant health risks including iron deficiency, excessive protein load, and inadequate nutritional composition. 1

Why Goat's Milk is Inappropriate for Newborns

Nutritional Inadequacies

• Iron deficiency risk: Goat's milk, like cow's milk, has little iron content and may cause occult gastrointestinal bleeding, increasing the risk of iron deficiency anemia 1
• Excessive protein and mineral content: Unmodified goat's milk contains high levels of protein and minerals that can overload a newborn's immature kidneys 2
• Folate deficiency: Goat's milk has inadequate folate content for infant nutrition 2
• Solute load: The high solute load can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances in newborns 3

Documented Risks

• Cases of severe hypertyrosinaemia with high methionine and phenylalanine levels (suggesting liver impairment) have been reported in newborns fed undiluted goat's milk 4
• The CDC explicitly discourages the use of goat's milk for infants under 12 months, stating it should not be used as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula 1

Recommended Feeding Options for Newborns

First Choice: Breastfeeding

• Breast milk has the highest percentage of bioavailable iron among all milks and formulas 1
• Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 4-6 months of life 1, 5
• Breast milk provides optimal nutrition and is associated with reduced risk of overfeeding and obesity 5

Second Choice: Iron-Fortified Infant Formula

• If breastfeeding is not possible, only iron-fortified infant formula should be used as a substitute for breast milk in infants under 12 months 1
• Iron-fortified formulas are readily available and have few proven side effects 1
• Commercial infant formulas are specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of infants 5

Special Considerations

• If a family is considering goat's milk-based products, only commercially prepared goat's milk-based infant formulas that comply with compositional criteria for infant formula should be used, not whole goat's milk 2
• The European Food Safety Authority has stated that proteins from goat's milk can be suitable for infant formula only when the final product complies with regulatory compositional criteria 2

Modifications Required (If Goat's Milk Must Be Used)

If for some reason goat's milk must be used (which is strongly discouraged), it would need to be:

• Pasteurized or boiled to eliminate pathogen risk 3
• Diluted to reduce the excessive solute load 3
• Fortified with vitamins, particularly folate 3, 2
• Supplemented with iron 1

However, even with these modifications, it would still not be an ideal milk for infants and would carry significant risks 3.

When to Introduce Animal Milk

• No animal milk (cow's, goat's, or other) should be introduced before 12 months of age 1
• After 12 months, whole cow's or goat's milk consumption should be limited to no more than 24 oz per day 1

In conclusion, goat's milk is not a safe or appropriate feeding option for newborns. Parents should be strongly advised to use either breast milk or commercially prepared iron-fortified infant formula for the first 12 months of life.