Goat Milk Formula. To whom, why, how

Abstract

From an evolutionary standpoint, breast milk is the optimal food for nutrition of infants, which contains, in addition to macro- and micronutrients, functional components required for the morphofunctional maturation and development of regulatory interactions between organs and systems mostly of the digestive system. The choice of formula for artificial feeding of infants is determined, first of all, on the basis of its functionality. Interest in goat milk as a source of nutrition has been known for a long time, and recommendations highlighting its dietary and healing properties are found in both ancient treatises and modern guidelines. In this regard, goat milk formulas deserve special attention. Based on the results of the research, were identified the features of goat milk composition, which determine the unique metabolic and physiological properties for young children. The article presents comparative data on the features of the chemical composition of goat, cow and breast milk, as well as the functional characteristics of the adapted goat milk based formula. The advantages of goat’s milk allow us to consider goat milk based formula as physiological (providing normal physical development and metabolic processes), as functional (due to growth, regulatory and protective factors) and prophylactic — to prevent the occurrence of functional disorders (regurgitation, constipation) due to compliance with the functional capabilities of the gastrointestinal tract of the child. Such formulas are indicated for healthy infants and can be used in infants with risk factors for the development of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Such risk factors include caesarean-section delivery, exposure to antibiotics in the first days of life, perinatal pathology of the central nervous system.