Is goat milk formula recommended for babies?

Goat Milk Formula for Infants: Not Recommended

Goat milk formula is not recommended for infants under 12 months of age as a first-choice feeding option. 1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explicitly discourages the use of goat's milk for infants under 12 months, as it should not be used as a substitute for breast milk or standard infant formula.

Recommended Infant Feeding Hierarchy

1. First choice: Exclusive breastfeeding

   • Recommended for the first 4-6 months of life 2
   • Provides optimal nutrition with highest percentage of bioavailable iron
   • Reduces risk of overfeeding and obesity 1

2. Second choice: Standard iron-fortified infant formula

   • If breastfeeding is not possible, standard iron-fortified infant formula should be used 1
   • Commercial infant formulas are specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of infants

3. Specialized formulas only when medically indicated

   • Hypoallergenic formulas (extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid-based) should be used only when indicated for conditions like food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) 2

Issues with Goat Milk Formula

• Nutritional inadequacy: Unmodified goat's milk is not suitable for infants due to:

  • High protein and mineral content
  • Low folate content 3
  • Risk of iron deficiency 1

• Allergenic potential: Goat's milk is not less allergenic than cow's milk 3

  • Based on high homology of protein sequences, goat milk is not recommended in patients with cow's milk-induced FPIES 2

• No clear advantage: Goat's milk has no clear nutritional advantage over cow's milk 3

Commercial Goat Milk Formula Considerations

While unmodified goat milk is unsuitable for infants, some studies have examined properly formulated commercial goat milk infant formulas:

• Research shows that fortified goat milk formula can provide adequate growth and nutritional outcomes similar to standard cow milk formula 4, 5
• The European Food Safety Authority has stated that proteins from goat's milk can be suitable as a protein source for infant formula, provided the final product complies with compositional criteria laid down in Directive 2006/141/EC 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

Special Circumstances

For infants with confirmed cow's milk protein allergy:

• First-line approach: Hypoallergenic formula (extensively hydrolyzed casein-based formula) 2
• If needed: Amino acid-based formula (10-20% of infants with cow's milk-induced FPIES may require this) 2
• Goat milk is NOT recommended as an alternative due to cross-reactivity with cow's milk proteins 2

Bottom Line

For optimal infant nutrition and development, follow the established feeding hierarchy of breastfeeding first, followed by standard iron-fortified infant formula if needed. Goat milk formula should not be used as a first-choice feeding option for infants under 12 months of age.