GOAT MILK FOR BABIES, CHILDREN AND ADULTS

INTRODUCTION

* * The Goat millk is the best milk for feeding babies after mother’s milk **

Goat milk can be suitable for feeding to babies and children (and adults) when they have an intolerance or an
allergic reaction to cow’s milk and cow’s milk products.

THE ALLERGY PROBLEM of human 
The allergic response to cow’s milk and other dairy products is a reaction to the specific proteins, and may be seen
as the following:
* skin rashes and eczema;
* runny noses, chest infections and asthma;
* digestive upsets, colic and diarrhea.

However, these symptoms might be shown for many different reasons, some of which may have nothing to do with allergies. It is also possible that the reactions may be to allergens other than cow’s milk. For example, some children show allergic reactions to peanuts, soybeans, wheat gluten, etc.

It is often difficult to identify the precise allergy problem. This is usually done by eliminating the suspected allergen, and monitoring the symptoms. If it is suspected that dairy products are the problem, then an attempt is made to eliminate all milk products from the diet. But if this is done, it is very difficult to ensure a balanced diet that will still be sufficient in all nutrients. Milk is particularly valuable as a source of high quality protein and calcium, as well as the other important nutrients it contains. A natural solution may be to use goat milk instead of cow’s milk. In many cases there are no allergic reactions to the goat milk, and it can safely replace cow’s milk in the diet.

ALLERGIC REACTIONS ARE DIFFERENT FROM LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

The allergic reaction to cow’s milk is quite different from that seen when there is lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is seldom seen in children, but may develop in adults when the ability to digest lactose is lost. In such a situation, the lactose passes undigested to the large intestine, where it is subject to bacterial action, leading to cramps, excessive gas production, and even diarrhea. A simple solution to the problem of lactose intolerance is to use fermented milk products (such as yogurt or amasi), where “friendly” bacteria have been used to break down the lactose to lactic acid.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HYGIENE
Obviously, you must ensure that any milk you use, from cows or from goats, is of the best quality. It must not only be hygienically produced, but it should also be pasteurized, to eliminate the possibility of disease transmission.
Pasteurization is carried out by heating the milk to 73°C for 15 seconds, or to 63°C for 30 minutes. This will kill any pathogens that may be present, without altering the milk. If the milk is not pasteurized, you should bring it to the boil before use. The loss of nutritive value by doing this is negligible, and is far outweighed by the importance of being sure that the milk is wholesome.

THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF GOAT MILK
In comparison to human milk, goat milk (as with cow’s milk) is relatively higher in protein and minerals, but lower
in lactose and iron. The vitamin content is similar or higher. Goats vary in the type of milk they produce. There is quite a high variability between breeds of goats, and from one goat to another within the same breed. There is also some variation within the same goat’s lactation depending on the stage of lactation, and any feeding changes. Analyses of the goat milk from the herd at Medunsa have shown that the milk of Saanen goats has about 3.5% milk fat, 2.9% protein and 4.5% lactose. This is much the same as the composition of cow milk. (The crossbred goats have richer milk). However, goat milk differs considerably from cow’s milk in many other respects. These include a different amino acid content and protein composition, which reduce the potential for allergic reactions, where this is a problem with cow’s milk. Other characteristics of goat milk include:

* more C6 to C10 fatty acids, especially caproic acid
* more casein micelles and fat globules in the smaller range
* lack of an agglutinizing agent to cause a “cream line”
* lack of carotenoid pigments ( the milk is white)
* less of some vitamins and minerals: for example, frolic acid and Vitamin B12.

These factors determine the characteristics of goat milk that are of particular interest:

1. Freezing: It freezes and thaws with relatively little change.
2. Flavor: It has its own characteristic flavor. This should be less obvious in good quality milk; but is more
apparent when the milk is heated or is made into cheese. (If there is a problem with the flavor, try adding one or
two drops of vanilla essence).
3. Digestibility: It has a different form of curd, and is said to be more easily digested.
4. Cheese: It makes cheese of many distinctive flavors and textures.
5. Cream: It is difficult to make cream.
6. Vitamin supplement: Frolic acid is needed.

SUPPLEMENTATION OF FROLIC ACID

Goat milk, on a limited number of analyses, has been shown to be deficient in frolic acid when compared to the analysis of human milk. Frolic acid is important in iron metabolism and the formation of red blood cells. Therefore,it is possible that an infant who is fed goat milk without the correct vitamin supplementation may develop anemia. As a general recommendation, a vitamin supplement of frolic acid should be given. Frolic acid can be bought at any pharmacy in the form 5mg tablets which are water-soluble. Ask your pharmacist for help in providing the correct dilution for your child. Because of inefficiencies of absorption, it is necessary to give higher doses than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Therefore the amount of frolic acid that should be given for children is 0.25 – 1mg/day. RDA’s listed by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA are as follows:

RDA (1989)
Newborn to 5 mth 25 μg/d
5mth to 1 yr 35 μg/d
1 to 3 yr 50 μg/d
4 to 6 yr 75 μg/d
7 to 10 yr 100 μg/d
11 to 14 yr 150 μg/d
15 to 24 yr: boys 180 μg/d
15 to 24 yr: girls 200 μg/d
When a child is solely dependent upon goat milk, as with a newborn infant that is not breast-fed, then frolic acid
supplementation is necessary and recommended. As the child grows older and eats other types of food, then it is
likely that sufficient quantities of frolic acid will be available from the rest of the diet.

MODIFICATION OF MILK FOR BABIES
Some authorities believe that goat milk or cow’s milk should be modified to make it resemble more closely the
analysis of human milk. This is because of the high nitrogen (protein) and mineral content compared to that of
human milk, and the concern that there may be an adverse effect on the kidneys (“renal solute load”).
For example, Marina Petropulos in her book: “Baby and Child Care”

[Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 1984; ISBN 0-86977-185X] recommended the following procedure for babies
under six months that are fed pasteurized cow’s milk:

“How to Make Up: Dilute by mixing 3 parts milk to 1 part (boiled) water. Add 1 level (5g)
teaspoon of sugar to every 100ml mixture of water and milk; bring to boil for a few seconds to make
protein more digestible. Cool rapidly so that it does not form a skin (place in a bowl of ice water).
Strain through a fine sieve into sterilised bottles.

Additions: Deficient in iron and vitamins. From birth daily add 400 I.U. vitamin D for full-term babies; 800 I.U. per day for pre-term babies; 25-40 mg vitamin C. From 2 months add iron:

• 1.5mg per kilo body mass; that is between 6-12mg per day. Fluoride in liquid or tablet form as advised by dentist.
• General Remarks: Better if only introduced after the first six months because of danger of allergic response and indigestibility. Throw away any left over in bottle.” 
• Other authorities may prefer not to add sugar, and would recommend multivitamin supplementation. However, in the case of goat milk, it is important to be sure that a supplement of frolic acid is also given. 
• Goat milk infant formula has already been modified and has the necessary vitamins and minerals added. (This is different from powdered goat milk)

STORAGE OF GOAT MILK

Goat milk should be pasteurized, to ensure that any pathogens that might be in the milk are eliminated. After pasteurization it should be kept in the fridge at 4°C. At this temperature, it should keep fresh in the fridge for about a week. Do not allow it to warm up, as it will not keep fresh for as long. It is a common practice to freeze goat milk for longer-term storage. Frozen milk should be held at -18 °C, which is the usual setting for a chest freezer. Defrosting should be carried out gradually by leaving the milk out at room temperature. If you heat it in the microwave oven, be careful not to cook it! Occasionally there are problems with frozen milk, because when it is defrosted, the milk separates and looks like curds and whey. When we have tested such milk in the laboratory, the problem has not been bacterial, but to do with the structure of the milk. 

Possible reasons include:
* uneven freezing or a prolonged freezing process;
* partial defrosting, followed by re-freezing.
If this separation of milk occurs, try re-heating the milk, as if you were pasteurizing it again. This is usually all that
is required.

THE USE OF GOAT MILK
Goat milk has been used by many parents successfully for the feeding of their babies. Some children are allergic to
cow’s milk for only a limited period, but in others the problem may persist. Many adults have also reported the benefits of using goat milk. Goat milk is also available as powdered milk and goat milk infant formula.

REPORTED BENEFITS
Over the years since the Milch Goat Project was started in 1987, many children have benefited from the use of goat milk. Here are some of their comments:

* Mrs Potgieter. (Mayville): Benefits of goat milk for an infant. “We adopted a baby who is allergic to baby foods. Goat’s milk has helped us tremendously since she was 1½ months old. She is now 10 months old and I would not think of changing to anything else.”

* Mr I.Veldsman: (Sinoville): Goat milk used where milk formulas were unsuitable.” We tried almost all the different powder milk products available on the market but to no avail. Since we changed our little girl’s diet to goat’s milk, our problems immediately came to an end.”

* Mrs M.Munday. (Muldersdrift): Response of a severely affected child with so-called “lactose intolerance”. "My child suffered from slimy diarrhea, bleeding eczema, wheezing, and had a constant runny nose. I was told he
was lactose-intolerant, and we put him onto goat milk. Within a week, all this cleared up. As goat milk also contains lactose, we now know it was an allergy, not lactose intolerance. Now the whole family is on goat milk, and we have our own goats.”

* Mrs C. Nordengen. (Faerie Glen): The use of goat milk when breastfeeding."My daughter developed problems in hospital even though I was successfully breastfeeding her. She had a bloated stomach, suffered from colic, had blood in her stools, eczema on her skin, and a blocked nose. The pediatrician suggested I cut out allergens from my diet, as these might affect her through my milk. I was living mainly on potatoes, cornflakes and mealie meal. When my daughter was about ten weeks old I decided to try goat milk in my diet. There was no adverse reaction, and we both benefited. I am still breastfeeding her successfully and she is eleven months old.”

* Mrs D.Stratford. (Garsfontein): Goat milk reduces asthma problem.
“My son has had an asthma allergy since he was a baby. He is unable to drink cow’s milk, as his chest closes. Since I have had him on goat’s milk , he is able to drink a glassful of goat’s milk without having an asthma atttack. I personally can recommend goat’s milk for children that are allergic to cow’s milk. It has made my life a lot easier
knowing my child is getting the calcium that he requires from goat’s milk. He is also a lover of cheese, and I have
found goat’s cheese to be just as tasty if not tastier than ordinary cheese.”

* Mrs R.Kennedy. (Waterkloof Glen): Goat milk helps growth and academic performance of an older child. “I have a daughter with minimal brain dysfunction. She is hypo-active, and has a short and long term memory problem. Due to the result of an EEG she was not able to use drugs to help her with her concentration. She was put on a special bland diet for three months, and then we had to introduce certain foodstuffs slowly. Things were going quite well until we introduced cow’s milk, and then we found her concentration was very poor. That meant all dairy products had to be excluded.We introduced goat milk in October 1989, and there were no side effects, nor was there loss of concentration. She started to grow taller when the goat milk was given, and is a much healthier child. She has now completed her Matric.”

* Mr M.Finaughty. (Elardus Park): Persistent allergy in adulthood.
” I have for years suffered from chronic sinusitis and a post-nasal drip. Instead of drinking cow’s milk I used to use coffee creamer, even though I knew that it was not as good nutritionally as milk. Since I have been drinking goat milk I find that there are far less problems.”

by - PROFESSOR E.F.DONKIN - Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
University of Pretoria

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