Feeding Unpasteurized Goat Milk?

SiennaGreen · Aug 10, 2007

I understand the desire to feed your infant something other than forumla. What I don't get is you said she was pumping, so why on earth would she not just breastfeed? Is the baby/mother unable for some reason? I'm so curious. I would be unable to control my urge to ask why???

BabyRN2Be · Aug 10, 2007

Wow. I'd think that would be a problem with all the warnings about unpasteurized products and the risk of listeria.

Sounds like some education is needed here, informing her of potential risks if she wants to continue to feed her baby this.

SmilingBluEyes · Aug 10, 2007

Agree with the above post. Education is needed. Repeated by nurses, peds, LC's whomever can possibly convince someone NOT to feed unpasteurized animal products to newborns, who have little to zero immunity in the first place!!!!

nightmare, RN · Aug 10, 2007

Until I was 5 and went to school I drank goats milk,never tasted cow's milk till then.Now,I'm assuming,that it must have been unpasturised and I'm still here 50 odd years later!

morte, LPN, LVN · Aug 10, 2007

Until I was 5 and went to school I drank goats milk,never tasted cow's milk till then.Now,I'm assuming,that it must have been unpasturised and I'm still here 50 odd years later!

yup, do you pasteurize breast milk?

rn/writer, RN · Aug 10, 2007

Until I was 5 and went to school I drank goats milk,never tasted cow's milk till then.Now,I'm assuming,that it must have been unpasturised and I'm still here 50 odd years later!

Things worked well for you, and that's good. I doubt we'll be hearing from anyone for whom it was a problem.

yup, do you pasteurize breast milk?

No, but then relatively few moms feed their babies (or pump) in a barn. Feces, hay, other animals, and those who are doing the milking are all possible agents of contamination. Just because people with stronger immune systems haven't had any problems, that doesn't make unpasteurized milk safe for wee ones. Older kids and adults can probably fight off low amounts of bacteria. Newborns and infants are much more vulnerable. A good example of this is botulism in honey harming children under a year of age while it had no effect on those who were older.

morte, LPN, LVN · Aug 10, 2007

Things worked well for you, and that's good. I doubt we'll be hearing from anyone for whom it was a problem.
No, but then relatively few moms feed their babies (or pump) in a barn. Feces, hay, other animals, and those who are doing the milking are all possible agents of contamination. Just because people with stronger immune systems haven't had any problems, that doesn't make unpasteurized milk safe for wee ones. Older kids and adults can probably fight off low amounts of bacteria. Newborns and infants are much more vulnerable. A good example of this is botulism in honey harming children under a year of age while it had no effect on those who were older.

wasnt trying to be a total smart a$$, grew up on a dairy farm, a healthy well maintained dairy animal is quite safe....and we dont know ea moms bath room habits, now do we?

rn/writer, RN · Aug 10, 2007

wasnt trying to be a total smart a$$, grew up on a dairy farm, a healthy well maintained dairy animal is quite safe....and we dont know ea moms bath room habits, now do we?

Understood.

Millions of kids did the same. But to feed unpasteurized cow or goat milk to a very young baby is riskier than doing so with an older child.

Jo Dirt · Aug 10, 2007

I wouldn't feed a baby under a year old anything but breast milk, and if I couldn't breastfeed I would probably feed formula. But you do denature a lot of the nutrients when you pasteurize milk.

I had a milk cow a few years ago and when I got her we had her tested for brucellosis and then started drinking the milk raw. I would handmilk her and then strain the milk through a cheescloth and it was excellent. The kids loved it, too. So, I'm not against raw milk, but I would be too nervous to feed it to a very young baby.

BTW, goat milk is disgusting, I don't care who tries to say you can't tell the difference between goat and cow milk, I've tried goat milk every way possible, cold blasted, pasteurized, raw , tast tested and I can ALWAYS tell the difference.

allnurses Guide · Aug 10, 2007

I wouldn't feed a baby under a year old anything but breast milk, and if I couldn't breastfeed I would probably feed formula. But you do denature a lot of the nutrients when you pasteurize milk.
I had a milk cow a few years ago and when I got her we had her tested for brucellosis and then started drinking the milk raw. I would handmilk her and then strain the milk through a cheescloth and it was excellent. The kids loved it, too. So, I'm not against raw milk, but I would be too nervous to feed it to a very young baby.
BTW, goat milk is disgusting, I don't care who tries to say you can't tell the difference between goat and cow milk, I've tried goat milk every way possible, cold blasted, pasteurized, raw , tast tested and I can ALWAYS tell the difference.

We had our own cow too and my kids drank the milk w/o pasteurization.

However, I would NOT feed it to a baby.

I do miss the days of that large jar of milk, 1/3 of which was cream.

steph

Freedom42 · Aug 10, 2007

The New York Times has an article this week on the growing demand for raw milk and the desire to avoid pasteurization. Here's a quote:

"Food scientists can hardly believe that so many consumers have turned their back on one of the most successful public health endeavors of the 20th century. In 1938, for example, milk caused 25 percent of all outbreaks of food- and water-related sickness."

The article also quotes a doc who says he would not subject his child to the risk of raw milk when pasteurized products are available.