Can 9 Month Old Baby Drink Milo?

by Ram
(Singapore)

My son is 9 month old, and he refusing to eat solid foods, but if you give Milo in between the feed he shows interest eating.

Is it advisable to give Milo for him?

Please help me?

Baby Help Line Answer:

Milo To Baby - Yes Or No

When an old enough baby refuses to eat solid foods, it is easy to feel pressure and stress, and to desperately try to find ways to get the picky baby to eat.

Milo has a sweet taste and I am sure many picky babies would love it. But there are many reasons not to give Milo to a baby:

First of all, it contains a lot of sugar, which is very unhealthy and can lead to both obesity and cavities. In addition, giving a picky baby something with sugar in it, may make the introduction of solid foods even more difficult. All humans love sweets!

Secondly, even if it does contain several essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium and Vitamins A, B1, B2 & C, Milo is not composed to be an optimal food source for a baby, like formula or breast milk.

Finally, Milo is based on cow's milk, and should be used with caution for any child younger than 1 year old.

You can read more about what foods to avoid for babies here.

Remember that during the whole first year, solid foods - or actually anything but breast milk or formula - are mainly aimed at getting the baby used to other foods. You can safely continue to view breast milk or formula as the baby's primary food source.

You don't mention if your baby has started to refuse formula/breast milk too. Some do, when they get a taste for other food sources. In such case, some creativity is called for.

Rather then giving your baby Milo, try offering breast milk or formula shakes. This may sound like a crazy idea, but seasoning formula or breast milk with a little bit of unsweetened fruit juice, for example, is a lot better than offering Milo or pure fruit juice. Read the comment to this question about formula shakes for ideas on what to mix into them.

You'll find tips on how to encourage a picky eater baby here.

I hope this helps,

Paula

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