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36 years
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My baby is three years old. He still wakes up at night two or three times to drink a bottle of milk. He doesn't drink milk during the day. Is it ok? How much milk does he need to drink at his age?
Sep 27, 2014
Opinion requested

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
This behavior is definitely not normal. It's time you trained your child to sleep all night and stop waking up to drink milk. You can start by decreasing the amount of milk, then replace it with water, then discontinue. I assure you that he's not asking for milk out of true hunger, but only because it's a habit and maybe he feels safe because you're tending to him. This is particularly true if you are a working mother and don't spend enough time with your child.

At this age, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should be giving your child 2%, low fat, or skim milk. So you if you haven't already switched to low-fat milk, you should consider it.
Your child's diet should now be similar to that of the rest of the family members, with 3 meals and 2 snacks each day. You should limit milk and dairy products to about 480 - 720 mL each day, and juices to 120-180 mL each day, and offer a variety of foods to encourage good eating habits later.

Using the milk bottle or sippy cup are no longer appropriate; especially with the milk bottle, which will cause dental carries in the upper front incisors due to lactose (the sugar in milk).
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