Pediatricians' group warns parents to steer clear of 'toddler milk'

What to know about powdered milk formulas

Powdered milk formula is designed for kids up to the age of 3. But, the American Academy of Pediatrics says toddlers don't need these formulas and they may not be all that healthy.

ATLANTA -
The nation's largest pediatricians group, the American Academy of Pediatrics, is telling parents to stay away from toddler milk, which is typically marketed for kids ages 1 to 3.

In a new report, the AAP warns that young children do not need the milk-based formulas, and toddler milk may not be as healthy as the companies who make it claim.

Marissa Hall, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior at the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Global Public Health, has researched how toddler milk is being marketed to parents.

"We have really seen this category take off," Hall says.

She says toddler milk is very different from infant formula, which is scientifically formulated, and carefully regulated, to give babies and infants the nutrition they need for their first year of life.

"Toddler milks are essentially a type of powdered milk product. And so it's powdered milk, but there's also often added sugars or other kinds of sweeteners in there," Hall says.  "And, added sugars are generally not recommended for children ages 2 and under. So, it's tricky because the sweetener really does make the taste more palatable. But there's concern that for children, they get used to sweet taste in their drinks and sort of that helps develop a preference for sweet taste."

And, Hall says, they are increasingly seeing toddler milk formulas, which are not as closely regulated as infant formulas, marketed as healthy for kids.

"The packages for these products say things like, you know, ‘promotes better immunity’ or ‘good for brain health and development,'" Hall says.

Their research, she says, shows that parents may be drawn to these claims.

"If they see a product advertised as helping brain development, what parent wouldn't necessarily want that product," Hall asks.  "I mean, it's so natural to be drawn toward that, which I think is really problematic, if this product does not actually have that benefit and also is essentially unnecessary for a good, healthy dietary pattern."

After 12 months, the AAP recommends babies drink breast milk or infant formula for their first 12 months and then either continue to breastfeed or switch to cow's milk, as they begin to eat a balanced diet of solid foods.