JUNE 20, 2018 - 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.
Full citation: J Lemale, Nutrition et Gastroentérologie Pédiatriques, Hôpital Trousseau, 26 avenue du Dr Arnold Netter, 75012 Paris, France. E-mail address:julie.lemale@aphp.fr
https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.14437
Copyright © 2018 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., reproduced with permission.