A brief report published in Acta Paediatrica points to the dangers of replacing breast milk or infant formula with a non-dairy drink before one year of age. An electronic questionnaire sent to 310 French paediatricians identified 34 children who suffered medical complications between 2005 and 2015 when they consumed non-dairy drinks as infants.
The alternative beverages were mainly based on almonds, chestnuts, rice and soya. A third of the children had malnutrition. Other clinical issues included height and weight impairment, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, hyponatremia, hypocalcaemia, seizures, and low vitamin D levels, noted lead author Dr. Julie Lemale, of Hôpital Trousseau, in Paris, France.
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Journal
Acta Paediatrica