The crisis involving tainted Chinese baby formula is not the only reason for us to stop feeding cow?s milk to babies. (?2 Chinese drinks positive for melamine,? Philippine Daily Inquirer, 10/3/08) Cow?s milk is the No. 1 cause of allergies in children, and research links dairy consumption to colic, chronic ear infections, type 1 or ?juvenile-onset? diabetes, acne, obesity, flatulence, constipation and more.

In his book ?Don?t Drink Your Milk: New Frightening Medical Facts about the World?s Most Overrated Nutrient,? Frank A. Oski, the former physician in chief at the Johns Hopkins Children?s Medical Center, noted that 90 percent of Filipinos are lactose-intolerant. Some of the signs that a person is lactose-intolerant are bloating, cramps, diarrhea and nausea.

The best food for babies is their mother?s milk, which provides them with the optimal balance of nutrients needed for physical growth and brain development. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that breastfed babies grow up to be smarter adults.

The next best thing to breast milk is soy-based baby formula. In his world-famous book ?Baby and Child Care,? the late pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock recommends breast-feeding or soy-based formula?rather than cow?s milk-based?saying, ?I no longer recommend dairy products.?

For more information on the dangers of dairy products, visit GoVeg.com.

ROCHELLE REGODON, campaigns manager, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia-Pacific (PETA)