Pediatric Physicians, PC

How Much Milk Should My Child Drink Each Day?

By Jennie Gropper Biggs, MD
As printed in Around Town Publishing, January 2008

In general, infants under 1 year of age should be drinking either breast milk or a milk-based formula as their main source of nutrition. They usually require about 28 to 32 ounces per day of these milk products to maintain weight gain and good nutrition. Once a child turns 1 year old, however, their nutritional needs change. These children should be getting a majority of their calories from solid foods. We generally suggest switching them from formula or breast milk to whole milk, and we advise them to cut back to about 10 to 15 ounces of milk a day. This will provide them with the calcium and vitamin D that their bodies need for bone growth, and they will get adequate fat for brain and nerve development. Taking in significantly more milk can lead to stomach irritation and excessive weight gain. Drinking large volumes of milk can also suppress a child's appetite for other foods.

Once a child turns 2 years old, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests switching them to a low fat or fat free milk and continuing with about 10 to 15 ounces a day. Young children need about 500 mg a day of calcium. Skim milk contains the exact same amount of calcium (about 300 mg per 8 oz) as whole milk, though without any fat. Whole milk contains about 8 grams of fat and 150 calories per 8 ounce serving. 2% milk contains about 5 grams of fat and 120 calories, and 1% milk contains about 2.5 grams of fat and 120 calories per 8 ounce serving. If your child does not like drinking milk, his or her calcium needs can be met with yogurt (300 mg calcium per serving), cheese (about 300 mg of calcium per slice of cheddar or American cheese), calcium fortified juices, soy milk ( 300 mg per cup), beans, green leafy vegetables, or even oatmeal.

As children move into the preteen and teen years, their calcium requirements increase to about 1300 mg per day. It is essential that low-fat products be used to make up a majority of this calcium need in order to prevent excessive fat and calorie intake. If you have any specific questions about your child's nutritional needs, be sure to talk to your pediatrician.

Dr. Jennie Gropper Biggs practices general pediatrics with Pediatric Physicians, PC of Roswell and Windward.

If you have a pediatric question of general interest, please submit it to advice@PediatricPhysiciansPC.com. One of the board certified pediatricians from Pediatric Physicians, PC will answer a selected question in this column each month.

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