Only breast milk or formula milk should be given as a main drink to children under one. Cow’s milk does not contain the right balance of nutrients to meet a baby’s need at this age.
![Breast feeding - Biology Notes for IGCSE 2014](https://biology-igcse.weebly.com/uploads/1/5/0/7/15070316/8202991.jpg?290)
Cow’s milk can be used for cooking, for ex. to make a cheese sauce, and can be introduced as a main drink when your baby is a year old if you wish.
If your child is between the age of one and two, you should give him/her whole milk.
From two years onwards, you can begin to introduce semi-skimmed milk, provided your child is eating and growing well.
Skimmed milk and 1% fat milk are not suitable as main drinks for children under five.
Young children need the extra energy, fat and vitamin A in whole milk compared to lower fat varieties, which are important for growth and development.
![Children who drink whole milk 'less likely to be obese' – study](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/food-beverage-nutrition/foodnavigator.com/news/science/children-who-drink-whole-milk-less-likely-to-be-obese-study/10510678-1-eng-GB/Children-who-drink-whole-milk-less-likely-to-be-obese-Study_wrbm_large.jpg)