So many people of all ages love drinking milk, but when is the intake considered too much? Especially in younger children and toddlers, too much of the calcium-infused drink can be dangerous if not monitored. So if you want to do your part as a responsible parent and not let anything bad happen to your child – there is a simple way. You can monitor the amount of food and drink your toddler consumes and be careful of the allowed quantities of everything they put into their mouth. Sometimes even a good thing can turn dangerous at one point.
What is Milk Anemia?
You may have also heard it as iron-deficiency anemia or IDA, and either way, it’s not a fun medical condition for your toddler. That’s why you must be careful of it. It has been explained by Michigan Medicine that even the natural liquid, which comes from cows, can interfere with the absorption of iron in toddlers. Also, without the right supplementation, it could cause intestinal bleeding in infants and older children.
How Common Is This Deficiency?
This kind of anemia can cause poor appetite, fatigue, swollen eyelids, rapid breathing, and other unpleasant symptoms in a toddler. And how common is it, exactly? Only 2-3% of toddlers have this kind of IDA, but 7-9% can suffer from it because of cow’s milk. If you want to do the right thing and save your toddler a lot of painful and irritating symptoms, maybe save the drink for after they turn one when they can handle it better.
What Amount Is Safe?
Just to be safe, maybe keep the milk away from toddlers under the age of one. When they get to 12-24 months, no more than 12 ounces a day should be plenty to satisfy and keep them safe. After two years of age, no more than 32 ounces is considered a safe amount. You can try substitutions of the soy and nut variety if you want to be extra cautious. It’s recommended by the AAP that between the ages of 9-12 months, every toddler should have a check-up on the iron level.
The most important thing to take away from all the AAP recommendations and cautious tale – the less milk a toddle intakes in the early span of their life, the better and safer it will be. Just monitor them closely, look out for any IDA symptoms, and talk to a doctor if you need help or a quick checkup to ensure everything is alright with your toddler!