It's perhaps the greatest travesty we heard this year — a young child was whisked to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin on a doctor’s referral because the toddler was in the lowest one percentile for growth. At the end of the medical marathon, the entire health and nutritional crisis was remedied by adding lactose-free whole dairy milk to the 15-month-old’s diet. Regrettably, this concerning story could have been averted had local medical advisers known the true nutritional content of dairy milk and its masquerading counterfeit cousins.

If there was ever a case supporting national legislation and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action for labeling dairy milk as milk and all the nut sources as juice, this is the case. Ironically, it was the referring medical team in this situation who caused the very problem and placed the young child’s life in jeopardy.

“Just give the child almond milk, it has the same nutritional content as dairy milk,” medical professionals advised the first-time parents after their child was diagnosed with issues related to digesting lactose. Trusting doctors, the parents did just that. And the little girl’s growth flat out stalled.

Concerned, the parents sought more advice. Eventually that led to a trip to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. After meeting with dieticians and doctors, the simple solution was delivered, “Feed your baby lactose-free whole milk from cows.”

We are happy to report the toddler is doing well. In fact, she craves milk because her body was so devoid of energy.

Sadly, this story unfolded in the heart of America’s Dairyland. If medical advisers get the nutritional message wrong in Wisconsin, just imagine what happens in America’s metropolitan areas.

There has been an assault on milk. While flavored milk is under siege in some schools, ill-advised doctors in this case grossly confused the nutritional attributes found in dairy milk with plant beverages. There is a reason milk is nature’s most perfect food. Milk does a body good and sets up children for a lifetime of success. We must collectively counter with a strong message to secure a bright future for America’s children.