He also noted that milk protein may trigger insulin-dependent diabetes in susceptible children. The article went on to say, several experts questioned the need to be so extreme. Nutrition experts strongly disagreed with Spock's advice to avoid dairy foods. But the experts noted that calcium-rich vegetables contain substances like oxalates, phytates and other fibers that interfere with calcium absorption in the gut. It would be very difficult for a child to get adequate calcium from vegetables in the quantities needed to support optimal bone growth.
Milk is the most concentrated source of bioavailable calcium.
This recommendation puts pressure on parents who in turn will put pressure on their kids. Older children, too, would face added pressure, he and others said, when forced to eat differently from their friends in social situations. Having to be treated separately is hard on kids. It can also be hard on parents, who might have to spend more time preparing meals, including box lunches for their school-age children. It's not the way most people live today.