Can I give cow's milk to cow's children?

It would seem that milk is in any case nutritious and useful, especially for toddlers (otherwise, why was the substance extracted from the breast of a young mother called "milk"?). Sometimes there is an opinion that women's milk can be replaced by another - for example, a cow.

However, is it possible to give cow's milk to cow's children?

Milk produced by each individual biological species is very specific. Its composition corresponds to the unique needs of pups of this type strictly - and nothing else. That is, in cow's milk there are those elements and substances that are necessary for the calf and which meet its nutritional and physiological needs. But the needs of the child and calf are not identical!

Let us consider this situation in more detail. The calf develops quickly enough. It takes very little time after his birth - and he already stands on his legs and makes the first timid and unshakable steps. And after a month and a half, its weight doubles. In two years the calf does not even look like a calf. In terms of size and weight, it corresponds to adults, in addition, at such a young age, the calf can already reproduce.

A child is gaining weight is not so fast. Usually, by only five months, it doubles its rates. Become on the legs and go baby is already able to close to the year. At the same time, the brain of a little man is increased three-fold.

What should be supported by the rapid growth of the calf? More protein. Therefore, it is protein and teeming with cow's milk - the calf needs to gain weight and muscle mass very quickly.

The child does not develop physically as intensely as the calf, so the protein in his mother's milk is secondary. The level of protein in human milk is three times lower than in cow's milk. However, the protein is compensated by other substances - namely, polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are needed for the effective and accelerated development of the child's brain. In addition, the composition of mother's and cow's milk differs in the number of mineral salts. In women's milk, they are an order of magnitude smaller, because if there are many of them - this means only one: a strong load on the kidneys. And if the calf carries these loads tolerantly, the child will be very hard - after all, his kidneys develop rapidly after birth, they are very weak for such loads.

But that's not enough in abundance in cow's milk - so it's vitamins, because they do not really need a calf. But in the mother's milk there is a whole storehouse! It's no wonder, because a growing children's body needs them so much.

Another distinguishing feature between human and cow's milk is the presence in the mother's milk of special components that can protect the baby from infections and all kinds of inflammatory processes. In addition, these components increase the immunity of the child, develop his immune system. That's why you can not feed your baby with cow's milk - it will never replace your mother's milk.

It is curious that before the 18th century people did not know that cow milk can not be used as a substitute for maternal milk. However, when this became known fact, people began to look for a way out: they turned to the wet nurse. Previously, in cases where the mother could not feed the child with her milk, cow, goat or even horse milk acquired active use. And it was only in 1762 that it was found that giving cow milk instead of maternal milk was wrong and unacceptable for a child's body. After all, it was then, thanks to research, it was found that the level of protein in cow's milk is too high relative to human milk. Therefore, cow's milk is no longer used as a substitute for breast.

Michael Underwood, a well-known scientist of the 18th century, recommended that young mothers still use cow's milk for feeding a child in their scientific work on the care of a newborn baby. According to Underwood, the milk should be diluted with oatmeal or running water - this would help reduce the critical level of protein in cow's milk. Such a recipe made it possible to maximize the milk of cow's milk to the mother's milk (naturally, only in terms of protein content). Feeding in this way, the child could fully develop, as if he ate mother's milk.

Modern science allows you to develop the latest technology in the baby food industry. The companies are developing special milk formulas that could replace breast milk. Many attempts were made. However, to this day, no such mixture has been made that would be identical to breast milk in its composition. Although, for the last hundred years, scientists have achieved a lot. There are mixtures, the composition of which is as close as possible to mother's milk.

However, every mother should remember: no cow, goat, horse milk, no mixture will not replace her baby breast milk. Therefore, every woman, while still pregnant, should take care of her health, and especially - for the diet and the state of the nervous system. And then your child will be able to enjoy the taste of mother's milk, her mother will be able to enjoy the closeness of her baby, which arises during each breast-feeding and which connects the mother and the baby with strong, inseparable bonds of warmth, love and mutual understanding.