Toddler formula and growing-up milks: does my child need them?

What these products are

Walk down the baby aisle and you’ll see drinks for older babies and toddlers sold under lots of names. The AAP groups them like this:

• “Transition”, “follow-on”, “follow-up” or “weaning” formulas, usually aimed at babies and toddlers from 6 to 24 months
• “Toddler milks”, “toddler formulas”, “growing-up milks” or “young child milks”, usually aimed at children from 12 to 36 months

They often come in numbered “stages” and look a lot like infant formula. The AAP’s 2023 clinical report says there’s no standard recipe for them and that the marketing is questionable. The report also notes that, unlike infant formula, these drinks have no separate FDA category, so they don’t have to meet one set of nutrition rules.

What the experts say

AAP. Toddler milks are unnecessary. For most children they give no nutritional advantage over a balanced diet that includes breast milk or cow’s milk. They cost more and contain added sugars, which can fill a child up so they aren’t hungry for healthier food. The AAP says these drinks can safely be part of a varied diet, but they have no specific role in the routine care of healthy children.

NHS. Children aged 1 to 5 don’t need formula milks of any kind: not infant formula, follow-on formula, growing-up milk or other toddler milks. Follow-on formula should never be given to babies under 6 months, and research shows switching to it at 6 months has no benefit.

WHO. The World Health Organization counts follow-up formula and growing-up milks marketed for children up to age 3 as breast-milk substitutes, because drinking them tends to replace breast milk rather than add to it. It says these products should not be promoted.

Why skip them

The AAP report gives several reasons:

• No extra benefit for most children. A varied diet, with fortified foods and breast milk or cow’s milk, covers what most toddlers need.
• Added sugar. Many contain added sweeteners, and children who drink them tend to have more sweetened drinks and desserts. The US Dietary Guidelines (2025–2030) and the NHS say to avoid added sugar for children up to age 4.
• Other extras you don’t need. Some have more sodium than cow’s milk, and protein levels vary a lot between products.
• Cost. They’re more expensive than cow’s milk, which adds up for a drink given every day.

You may see claims about brains, immunity or growth on the tin. The AAP report notes that these claims don’t have to be backed by science or approved by the FDA.

What to offer instead

Under 12 months. Breast milk or a standard infant formula is the only milk drink your baby needs (AAP, NHS). The NHS calls this first infant formula, and says it’s the only formula most babies need for the whole first year. Toddler and transition formulas are not a replacement for infant formula before 12 months: the AAP says they’re inferior to it at this age. If you’re choosing a formula, see choosing and preparing formula.

From 12 months. Food becomes the main source of nutrition, and milk is a drink alongside meals.

• Breast milk can carry on for as long as you both want. The AAP calls it the preferred milk.
• Plain, pasteurized whole cow’s milk is fine as a main drink for most children from their first birthday. The AAP suggests about 16 oz (480 ml) a day at 12 to 24 months. See cow’s milk at 12 months for how much, which kind and how to switch.
• Water is the other everyday drink.
• A wide range of foods, including iron-rich ones. See iron-rich first foods and toddler portion sizes.

The AAP report says that breastfed toddlers usually do best to keep taking a vitamin D supplement, because there’s little vitamin D in other foods. Ask your pediatrician. In the UK, the NHS recommends daily drops with vitamins A, C and D for children from 6 months to 5 years, except babies having more than 500 ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day, because formula already contains them. It advises a daily vitamin D supplement from birth for breastfed babies. See vitamins for babies and toddlers.

Reading the label

• “Formula” doesn’t mean infant formula. A tin that says “stage 3” or “toddler” isn’t made to be a baby’s only milk. Check the age on the front before you buy.
• Check for added sugar on the label of any drink made for young children.
• Plain milk has no added sugar. Flavored milks do, so skip them too (AAP).

When a doctor may suggest a specific formula

Some children do need a special formula, but these are different products from toddler milks, and a doctor or dietitian chooses them. The AAP report lists children who may need medical nutrition, such as those who:

• aren’t growing as expected or are underweight
• have trouble swallowing, or a strong aversion to eating
• have conditions such as cerebral palsy, long-term gut problems or rare metabolic disorders
• have a food allergy, such as cow’s milk allergy

The AAP says toddler milks are not a substitute for this kind of care. If your child has a milk allergy, ask your doctor what to use from 12 months, before choosing any milk or formula yourself.

If you want to avoid cow’s milk for another reason, the AAP says some families use a soy or hydrolyzed toddler product after talking to their pediatrician. Even then, the AAP report says that in most cases a standard non-dairy drink fortified with calcium and vitamin D, plus a balanced diet, meets a toddler’s needs. Of the plant drinks, the AAP says only soy milk is a nutritional match for cow’s milk, and the NHS says not to give rice drinks to children under 5. Ask your pediatrician or a dietitian first. See plant milks for toddlers.

If you’re worried your child is a picky eater, a toddler milk isn’t the fix. The AAP asks pediatricians to look at what your child eats and suggest changes to food, or a vitamin supplement, if needed. See picky eating in toddlers.

If your child already drinks one

There’s no harm done: the AAP says these drinks can be part of a varied diet. If you’d like to stop, you can move to whole cow’s milk (or keep breastfeeding) at 12 months or later, in a cup, alongside meals. See weaning from the bottle for moving drinks into a cup.

Where US and UK advice differs

• Added sugar. The AAP drinks guide says to avoid added sugars under age 2. The US Dietary Guidelines (2025–2030) and the NHS say to avoid added sugar up to age 4, and this site follows the age-4 advice.
• Main milk drink from 12 months. The AAP suggests whole milk from 12 to 24 months. The NHS says whole or semi-skimmed cow’s milk, or pasteurized goats’ or sheep’s milk, can be a main drink from age 1.
• Growing-up milk. The NHS says it’s suitable from 1 year but to ask a health visitor first, and that children don’t need it. The AAP says it’s unnecessary for most children and should not be sold next to infant formula.
• Vitamins. The NHS recommends vitamins A, C and D every day for children from 6 months to 5 years, unless they have more than 500 ml of infant formula a day. In the US, ask your pediatrician whether your child needs vitamin D or other supplements.