Q&A with consultant dietitian Helen Bond about milk - ANSWERS BACK

[RachelMumsnet]

Does cows' milk not suit you and your family? Are you looking for an alternative?

This week we are inviting you to send in your questions to consultant dietitian Helen Bond. Helen is a state registered dietitian and operates her own practice in Derbyshire. Send your question about milk to Helen before the end of Friday 29 June and we'll link to her answers on Thursday 12 July.

This Q&A is sponsored by St Helen's Farm
St Helen's Farm is the leading goats' milk dairy in the UK and has been farming since 1986 and is based in 500 acres in East Yorkshire, where it cares for its herd of goats and operates a modern dairy, using 100% fresh British goats' Milk.

Thank you for the information on the production of goats' milk. I'd be interested to see how St Helen's Farm respond as theirs is the brand we have been using. I note that they have 500 acres, which suggests there may be some grazing land to me.

I had a question regarding goats milk, my 10 month old has been having whole goats milk on his cereal and goats yoghurt as a dessert since we started weaning at 6months, alongside aptamil follow on formula.
I introduced regular yoghurt and he seemed to have a slight ezcema reaction which is why I switched. I drink goats milk myself for similar reasons and my LO loves it, especially the yoghurt! However I am slightly concerned as I read today in one of my baby recipe books that goats milk is unsuitable for babies under a year old. I am unsure why they would have said this so I'd be grateful if you would clarify that it safe and put my mind at rest... many thanks

I have often heard that we, as humans, don't tolerate cows' milk well. I know some people have particular issues with it, but for me, the only time I have suffered indigestion and acid burning was during late pregnancy and the only thing that helped was a drink of cows' milk. Cured it immediately every time and I loved going to Denmark where ordering a pint of milk in trendy bars seemed completely normal. My brother has eczema and has always drunk and preferred goats' milk - I hate it although I love goat cheese. His skin is definitely better with goat rather than cow. I just wondered about the humans not digesting cows' milk well idea, since for me cow's milk is like a miracle cure for indigestion. What do you think?

Living in China we've just had another fresh milk scare. Nutritionally am I better off buying imported Australian UHT milk or fresh milk that could run the risk of quality issues?

After 2 years of visiting A&E very regularly 3 stays in hospital it was suggested that my 16 year old daughter might be lactose intolerant. (She would get very severe stomach pains, always in the same place, and would be in agony for about a week).

From that day every label was read and we had no more trips to hospital until she had goats cream on New Years Eve when she ended up with severe stomach pains. Goats milk, cream etc has almost as much lactose as cows milk so be aware. The Lactofree range has been a life saver for her, it is normal cows milk with the lactose removed and tastes the same.

My OH has high cholesterol. He loves dairy products (particularly the full fat versions!) and has been trying to cut these out of his diet but doesn't have very good willpower! We've tried a few milk substitutes (soya, rice, oat) but they taste awful! Am I right in thinking goats milk is as high in cholesterol as cows milk? What alternatives would you suggest for a dairy lover??

kitkat70, goats milk is unsuitable as the main drink for a child under the age of 1 but you can use it in foods, in cereals, etc from the age of 6 months. The advice is the same for cows milk btw.

I have bad sinus problems and produce lots of mucus. I've been told in the past that switching to goat's milk would help alleviate the problem. Is this true or is animal milk in general the problem as I have also been told?
Also I hear a lot about lactose intolerance but we have a history of milk protein allergy in the family, how common is this and how high in MP is goats milk compared with cows milk?
Thanks in advance for your advice.

I have not been eating dairy / drinking milk on a daily basis (I try not to be too difficult when eating out or visiting) for about 2 years now. I have soy milk in tea / coffee but other than that I try to avoid even dairy alternatives as I am beginning to question just how healthy the growing dairy alternative market actually is. I am not sure that exchanging one type of processed food with another is going to make a lot of difference. The soy milk that is available comercially is just so far from the soy bean! I try to eat "cleaner" foods, ie. cooked from scratch with good ingredients and as simple and "un-cooked" as possible.

Please could you talk about food and cooking that avoids processed foods and dairy / dairy alternatives.

Is any milk actually necessary for humans though? Except for breastmilk or a breastmilk substitute for the infant/toddler stage?

My understanding is that lots of people, worldwide, don't drink any animal milks. What we need is a good source of calcium and fat soluble vitamins, plus fluids. Cows/goats milk may be a good way to kill two birds with one stone, but I am not convinced that milk in itself is needed.

Hi I have an 8month old baby who has been suffering from 'reflux' so am told! Have been referred to our local hospital since she was 4months.. Nothing was really done without my persistence where they finally found out that she is milk intolerant. Dietian has tried many milk on the market such as Infasoy Nutramagen Lipil to name but a few. Still throwing up even though I am very careful that she stays away from all milk products. She is also on Domperidone, Gaviscon powder Lactulose etc. Currently she is taking Nutramagen LIpil. I am at the end of my tenther and now very tired. She is slightly above the 25th centinile and looks about 6 months.
My question is, is there a milk product out there that is high energy to help her catch up, even though my GP is now proofing difficult!
Oh and I am weaning but baby still throws up even 4hours after feeding.

I have recently turned vegan also.

Like another poster, I am also interested in other non-dairy sources of calcium, and the efficacy of supplements.

My one year old has suffered reflux since she was born. For a long time we were just fobbed off and told her symptoms were colic. When i cut out wheat milk and soya from my diet her symptoms improved. She struggled to sleep until she was given neocate formula, omeprazol and domperidone. She had one allergic reaction to something when her eyes swelled up, but i think she is more intolerant than allergic to wheat, milk and soya. I asked if she could be given a pin prick test for these allergens, but have been advised to just keep her away from these foods as the pin prick test may be too much for her. Any advice would be appreciated.

Neocate is much better than the other formulad you mention. But doctors don't like prescribing it as it's expensive. Mine only gave in when i presented a letter from the health visitor advising that our baby should have neocate

Are there any genuine benefits to drinking "raw" milk over pasteurised and homogenised milk.

Is there really pus and blood in milk? If so what other "extras" are allowed?

Sorry, regarding previous question here is a link:

www.vegetarian.org.uk/mediareleases/060524a.html

Which references hormones, pus etc.

Aagh, sorry..

www.vegetarian.org.uk/mediareleases/060524a.html

(no more posts from me MNHQ, I promise!)

To Mummie03
Both my children had severe reflux. The thing that mostly helped was them being upright, so walking and sitting. Hang in there, they will catch up with growing, my daughter was very underweight and now she is at the 95th percentile.

Bookworm 15, know what you are experiencing at the moment. They recommend around 400-500 ml for neocate lcp, once your little one is 12 months there is an advance neocate which they advise around 300ml so that would still be ok. The nutritionalist we saw wanted my dd to carry on with specialised formula as their are limited alternatives suitable for under 2's

Mummie03 my little girl didn't improve until she was moved onto neocate which is more purified than neutramigen. My girls eczema cleared up overnight when we switched for her nursery feed and I cut out dairy (as I was still feeding her for the rest of her feeds), my little one didn't get to birth weight until she was 9 weeks old and only got to 50% at 1 year.

Thanks Hackster it seems to be a constant battle with the milk ! But she eats everything else going so is doing ok

The answers are now back and you can read the full Q&A here:

Q&A with Helen Bond

I dont see any answers on the link

sorry to dig a thread up but just wanted to make sure everybody knew that St Helens gas their male kids to get rid of them. When asked to at least sell them to rear for meat production they reply that they apparently 'don't want them falling into the wrong hands'

@Seona1973

I dont see any answers on the link

Apologies - the link is now working.