Shruti,you raised an important point,mothers milk is best in all terms as much as baby can have in his life , because at all different stages of babys development it is naturally customised to meet the requirement ..so as is human milk..as baby grows it's general practice to offer milk due to several reasons .,children's between age 1-3 years need around 700 miligrams of calcium per day, around 2.5 cup can give required calcium ,vit d . it has dietary fats for normal growth and brain development ,80 percent of child brain develops befor age 2 , milk also has protein which helps built strong muscles..n other nutrition as well ..&nbsp; so this is all positive factors why mostly there is need tto feed baby with milk.yes but there are several other things which can substitute it.&nbsp; children at early age cannot have every other food that contain all this.nutition people prefer milk as it is one power pack bag of nutrition..this is what I have idea from my learnings of parental classes in nicu, but as your child grows it's completely the choice of parents .. now the biggest challenge here which makes me worry is purity of milk, I am scared of giving my baby milk outside when he grows, as getting original,oraganic is task here.. I would like to listen answer from nutrition specialist on this debate... please any one tag ms. <u>dawodaani</u>

Hi Shruti! You've got such wonderful suggestions already! I am not a believer of the fact that milk is necessary for kids.. breast milk, sure, but I always laugh that a cow or a bufalloes milk is for their babies, not mine!! my kids have it if they feel like it but not as a habit. we depend a lot on natural sources. Both my kids have benefited from this because they have learnt to eat a lot of variety of foods and can't escape meals on the virtue of a glass of milk.

<font color ="#3b5998"><b> @6372999217d2c800158d8bec </b></font><font color ="#3b5998"><b></b></font><font color ="#3b5998"><b></b></font> yes yes...even two of our pediatricians from the same locality, doesn't agree with one another's practice... our family doctor told me to give everything to anay whereas the other one just scolded me for giving him everything.... what to follow what not to follow..<br> poor mothers!!! &#128513;&#128513;

<font color ="#3b5998"><b> @5f6df810c0de030045721a33 </b></font><font color ="#3b5998"><b></b></font> ok..I will give it a try...

<font color ="#3b5998"><b> @6372dce4d28b060015d965bd </b></font><font color ="#3b5998"><b></b></font><font color ="#3b5998"><b></b></font> how different opinions from different doctors are! my paediatrician said no need of other milk if baby is breastfed... and baby is low weight, still doctor said so...