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Original poster

Semi-skimmed milk for children

14 replies

HowlingCow · 04/01/2009 10:05

My Russian SIL who is obsessed with her weight gives my 2 and a half year old niece semi-skimmed milk instead of full-fat. My niece is small for her age and doesn't eat well anyway. SIL says that full-fat makes niece constipated but there's no evidence of this. Any opinions on this please? I feel she's wrong and my brother has no say in her upbringing as he works away a lot.

OP posts:

mumonthenet · 04/01/2009 10:19

My doctor told me that there was no nutritional advantage whatsoever in giving full fat instead of semi skimmed.

The calcium etc content is almost the same and the only thing that full fat does is clog your arteries more! Hope that helps.

WalkinginWaynettaWonderland · 04/01/2009 10:20

my 2 DSs are have been on Semiskimmed since they were about 18 months old. They both eat lots of dairy anyway (cheese, yogurts etc) and are strapping lads.

And as for there being "no evidence" she gets constipated, well unless you are there 24/7 you can't really state that.
and some people are just small.

mumonthenet · 04/01/2009 10:21

by the way, the subject came up because my dd, like your niece, was small and didn't seem to eat too well. I thought full-fat milk might be a way of building her up. Doc said no!

Hulababy · 04/01/2009 10:38

I thought semi skimmed was fine after 2y anyway, following all the baby books. And skimmed at 5yo.

My DD doesn't like milk anyway so will only ever have a little bit of skimmed at the most on cereals.

TheBlonde · 04/01/2009 10:40

agree with hula - UK gov advice is semiskim is fine after 2y and skim after 5y

Original poster

HowlingCow · 04/01/2009 10:46

Thanks for your comments! They've surprised me actually, I suppose I've listened to my mother too much! Saying that though my aunt is a GP and said she ought to be on full-fat. My SIL showed my mum my nieces pooey nappy and said "look she's constipated!" because the poo wasn't runny enough for her liking-thats the evidence I spoke of!!

OP posts:

pointydog · 04/01/2009 10:51

There are a lot of nonsensical ideas in teh uk (and possibly elsewhere) about milk.

Milk as a foodstuff does not have a lot of fat in it. Full fat milk does not have a lot more fat than semi-skimmed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with full fat milk.

If you are on a diet, changing to semi skimmed or skimmed might make a tiny difference but we have been deluded somewhere along the line.

Full fat milk hardly clogs up the arteries more.

pointydog · 04/01/2009 10:52

why on earth is everyone so keen to get their children onto semi skimmed and skimmed milk?

Hulababy · 04/01/2009 10:54

For us tit wasn't that I wanted DD off full cream - just that she wouldn't drink full cream milk. I can see why - I don't like milk either. I have skimmed because it doesn't really taste of milk so it is better, for me, in tea and on cereals. I think DD is the same - she will tolerate some skimmed on cereals, but won;t touch full cream and not keen on semi either.

pointydog · 04/01/2009 10:57

oh yes, I understood that you were coming from a different angle, hula

pointydog · 04/01/2009 15:10

oh.

I thought this would become a Big Milk Debate

Uriel · 04/01/2009 15:14

He he - I make mine drink full fat ( only 3%) organic milk as I think it's better for them.

pointydog · 04/01/2009 15:16

organis milk much better for the coos too.

Yes, full fat only 3-4%

WalkinginWaynettaWonderland · 04/01/2009 16:57

mine drink semiskimmed because I can't be bothered having a million different types of milk in the fridge.....

Oh, and I am a baaaaad mother ......

(I presume the f emoticons are going after today?)

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