“Could you tell me what if any long term effects there may be if you stop feeding your baby formula too soon? I know of someone who stopped feeding baby formula at only 7 months. Is that safe?”
It's certainly too young to stop formula. A pediatrician we called says switching from formula to cow's milk at such a young age puts the baby at risk for anemia. Infant formula is fortified with vitamin D and other nutrients. The problem is if you switch to whole milk too soon, babies can get depleted of iron and can become severely anemic. They should be breast-fed and given a multivitamin supplement, or fed formula, until a year old. Of course, formula is second to breast milk but certainly a lot better than cow's milk at that age.
