Literature review for - Flourish Paediatrics

milk during infancy can result in severe megaloblastic anaemia (Ziegler, Russell et al. 2005).
Infantile vitamin B12 deficiency is a medical emergency due to the potential for severe,
irreversible neurological damage. Unpasteurized goat milk has additional infectious risks and
has been associated with the development of infections such as Q fever, toxoplasmosis,
brucellosis and Escherichia coli O157:H7–associated haemolytic uremic syndrome (Basnet,
Schneider et al. 2010).
Systematic evaluation of feeding unmodified goat’s milk to infants less than one year of age
is lacking, but the current literature is consistent in advocating against this practice. Health
professionals need to be aware of the prevalence of unhealthy alternative diets that promote
feeding goat’s milk to infants and inform parents of the potential dangers associated with this
practice.
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