Cow, goat or soy-based formula milk. What’s best for your Child?

Making up 80% of formula milk sold today², cow’s milk has the right balance of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Cow's milk naturally has nine essential nutrients — calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamins A, D and B12 — that are present in every glass⁶. Its calcium is also easily absorbed by the human body⁶, making sure your baby grows up with strong bones.

To make formula even more nutritious, it is usually reinforced with vitamins and minerals such as A and D, iron and fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) that are very important for your little one’s growth and development¹.

For those who are intolerant to lactose, an alternative would be to drink formula made from soy². It’s also the choice of vegetarian parents who want to provide a plant-based diet for their child.

For mums looking to switch to a plant-based diet for their child, there are three main issues to be aware of. Firstly, soy formula contains glucose or sucrose, which may affect growing teeth so do consult with your healthcare practitioner². Secondly, soy contains phytoestrogens that act the same way as estrogen hormones, which aid in the development of the female body. Research by NIEHS scientists have found that girls on a diet of soy formula showed side effects including larger wombs, vaginal cell changes and menstrual pain⁵. Last but not least, soy isn't the answer to all allergies. Little ones with Immunoglobulin E allergies to cow milk formula are also allergic to soy-based formula¹.

With a similar protein make-up as cow’s milk, this kind of formula more or less has the same nutritional value⁷. Although it's known that it is naturally homogenised, which makes it easier to digest, the same is true for homogenised cow's milk. Goat milk also has the same amount of lactose as cow milk, so mums with little ones who are lactose-intolerant should also avoid buying goat milk-based formula⁷.