Non-Dairy Drinks Can Be Dangerous for Infants

A brief report published in Acta Paediatrica points to the dangers of replacing breast milk or infant formula with a non-dairy drink before one year of age. An electronic questionnaire sent to 310 French paediatricians identified 34 children who suffered medical complications between 2005 and 2015 when they consumed non-dairy drinks as infants.

The alternative beverages were mainly based on almonds, chestnuts, rice and soya. A third of the children had malnutrition. Other clinical issues included height and weight impairment, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, hyponatremia, hypocalcaemia, seizures, and low vitamin D levels, noted lead author Dr. Julie Lemale, of Hôpital Trousseau, in Paris, France.

Additional Information

Link to Study:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/apa.14437

About Journal

Acta Paediatrica is a peer-reviewed monthly journal at the forefront of international pediatric research.  It covers both clinical and experimental research in all areas of pediatrics including neonatal medicine, developmental medicine, adolescent medicine, child health and environment, psychosomatic pediatrics and child health in developing countries.