What Are the Benefits of Goat's Milk forInfants?

What Are the Benefits of Goat's Milk forInfants?
Goat's milk and cow's milk contain someof the same nutrients. However, the two dairy products also have many differences. In many countries, goat's milk is preferred to cow's milk, reports AskDrSears.com, but in the United States, goat's milk can be difficult to find, especially in infant formulas.
Fewer Allergens
For infants who are lactose intolerant, goat's milk has less lactose than cow's milk. According to Parenting.com, goat's milk has 4.1 percent lactose, while cow's milk has 4.7 percent. The slightly smaller amount in goat's milk could be enough for some infants who have trouble digesting cow's milk. Another protein in cow's milk that some infants may be allergic to is alpha-S1 casein. Alpha-S1 casein is also found in goat's milk, but only in trace amounts.

Easily Digestible
Cow's milk is more difficult to digest because of the agglutinin that combines the fatty acids into a long chain, which makes the intestines workharder. Goat's milk does not have agglutinin, so the chains of fatty acids are shorter and the intestines are able to digest them more easily, reports AskDrSears.com. Eight ounces of goat'smilk contains about 10 g of fat , compared to 8 to 9 g of fat in whole cow's milk.
Vitamins
Compared to cow's milk, goat's milk contains more calcium, vitamin B6, vitamin A, potassium , niacin, copper and the antioxidant selenium. However,cow's milk contains more folic acid and vitamin B12, which is essential for proper developmental growth, reports Parenting.com. A parent should always consult a pediatrician about proper nutrition for an infant. Parenting.com reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not support using goat'smilk as a replacement for formula for infants under 1 year of age, since it canirritate the intestines and cause anemia.
References
Parenting: Advantages of Goat's Milk
Ask Dr. Sears: Got Goat's Milk?

Janelle Vaesa