What kind of milk can my 12-month-old drink?

Whole milk.: If you are breastfeeding, you may choose to continue breastfeeding or wean your baby now. When a child is 1 year old, you can start using whole milk. Almost all toddlers need the calories of whole milk (not low-fat or skim) until they are 2 years old. Some children have harder bowel movements at first with whole milk. Limit whole milk to a maximum of 24 ounces per day.

Milk: Regular cow's milk (full-fat) is fine after a year. Recall that full fat is 3%; low fat is 1-2% and skim, fat free.

Some basics: A 1 yo still has some important growth going on that needs the fat in whole milk. Their brain uses the cholesterol in milk to form the insulation around the nerve branches as they form advanced connections. Use of skim or no-fat too soon can retard their development. Head/brain growth slows after 2 so lesser fat products can be used. Too much cow milk (>30oz/d) can cause anemia.