12 Month Old with Dairy allergies....rice Milk??

Updated on October 15, 2009
J.C. asks from Bolingbrook, IL
24 answers

Ok mommies,

I'm hoping there's someone who can help me out here. I nursed my first child to 16 months but he did cow's milk during his weaning time....and up until we found out about LOTS of major food allergies. Now my second child is 12 months old and still nursing but will take a sippy cup and I would just like to begin cutting out one feeding at a time....problem is can't do cow's milk. She has an obvious problem with dairy as she had excorcist like projectile vomiting until I stopped consuming dairy. Anyway, I have read a bit and don't want to do soy milk due to problems it causes with little girls in particular. Has anyone done anything else? We currently drink rice milk in the house but is this going to be ok....it's extremely low in fat and protein which concerns me for a toddler. Any productive thoughts out there?
Thanks.

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So What Happened?

Thank you for everyone's responses, please keep them coming!!!!!!!! A bit more info that I hadn't given is that we have been on a gluten free, dairy free (including casein and whey), egg free diet in our home for about a year. And my oldest is also off of garlic, citrus fruits, almonds, soy and all meats but chicken and turkey. He currently takes a multivitamin/mineral supplement along with DHA Omega3s and probiotics daily. When it's sick season we supplement with Elderberry syrup and Phytoguard Jr. as well.
ANyway, I am just about to move into this realm with my daughter who has been nursing. She is on solids but we were told to avoid any allergens that my first born has.
I appreciate the guidance of places to go to speak with professionals on this. As I love our pediatrician but this is not her expertise. We currently see a naturopath as well but due to distance and hours are unable to get in often to see her.
Please keep the great info coming.
THanks mommies, you never fail!!

Featured Answers

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D.B.

answers from Chicago on

J. MY DAUGHTER HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM theres a place in Orland called new vitality on a 151st Barb griffin does allergy test non invasive and has a health food store very knowledeable if you want to call or take a visit out there they would be the best

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G.W.

answers from Chicago on

We love almond milk. I try to have them drink water as much as possible, and rely on food for nutrition, but we throw the almond milk in there for cereal and some breakfast beverage.

Also, the chocolate almond milk is amazing!!!

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C.H.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J.

Been there! It's hard I know. I would highly recommend thinking about getting a professional opinion in re to making sure your little one gets the proper nutrition. We had to consult a nutritionist to help transition my now 6YO to foods because of obvious severe allergies (including dairy). She was put on a regimen of vitamins, minerals and a very structured diet to compensate for the foods we had to restrict from her diet. I would also recommend finding out exactly what she is allergic to so that you can avoid the offenders. Good luck to you!

BTW... yes adding fats etc is great and part of what the nutritionist advised BUT don't forget how important calcium is. Also Coconut is a great source of good fats but it is a 'nut' and many children are allergic to nuts (found this out the hard way). Same with the almond milks etc. Seriously if your little ones have allergies I would stay away from any kind of nuts.... I've had several doctors/nutritionists say the same. And one last comment.. soy. Soy can be OK however it does have a track record of aggravating any underlying neurological issues eg. add, ad, autism.... not saying that you have these issues however wanted to let the other mom's know!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Chicago on

My youngest child (who is 3) has a dairy allergy, and all three of my kids have been soy milk drinkers. I read some of the articles blasting soy and got very nervous (especially about all the soy my now 9-year-old daughter had consumed as a child). I started doing more research and found some articles by John Robbins (who I really respect and trust), and decided not to belive the anti-soy sensationalisim out there. Here's a link to John Robbins article about soy http://www.foodrevolution.org/what_about_soy.htm . If you don't know who John Robbins is, he's the author of many books about eating healthy and avoiding all the toxins in our diets. His family started "Baskin & Robbins" ice cream, but he chose to leave behind the family business and fortune because he disagreed with the idea of getting rich off food that kills americans. It's a different persepective...and there are always two sides to every story! Good luck finding something that works for your baby!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

We started giving my 19 month old son rice milk at 12 months due to his dairy allergy. About the same time we started giving him ground beef, turkey, chicken and pork. I add fats to his diet by cooking his ground meat in a frying pan with avocado oil. We also add Earth's Balance dairy free buttery spread to bread, vegetables, waffles, etc. And he eats soy yogurt (high protein content), Applegate farms organic lunchmeat, applegate farms breakfast sausage. After all that, he's gone from the 20% in height at a year to the 90% at 18 months. So, as you can see, rice milk is fine at 12 months, as long as she is getting plenty of protein and fats from other sources. Hope this helps.

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C.N.

answers from Chicago on

I'm curious. What have you heard about soy milk. Organic soy milk is good, especially for females, with ingredients that have been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer. If you want to stick with rice milk and are worried about the protein content, I would suggest adding a protein powder--either soy or whey based--to their diet. Shaklee has some great tasting ones that my kids love. Would you be interested in hearing more about them?

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B.W.

answers from Chicago on

HI J.!

Congrats on being a dairy free family and on your way to better health!

My son is 14 months old and I went through the same thing. I was worried nutritionally about the rice milk and he seemed always hungry. I also refused to bring anything soy into my home.
We are now on goats milk and he is so much happier! It is great for sensitive beings, you will receive lots of great CLA and no antibiotics or hormones! They also make goat cheese, which my son likes as well. You can purchase it at trader joes or whole foods. let me know if you have any other questions!
Good luck!
B.

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D.E.

answers from Chicago on

I don't have my own experience with it yet, but. . . have you heard of "raw milk"? . . . we have allergies in the house and don't consume cow's milk because it creates so much mucous . . . from what I understand "raw milk" doesn't have those side effects such as mucous or digestive issues because it is not pasteurized . . . you can get it at a Whole Foods or from a co-op you find in the area

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B.A.

answers from Chicago on

Our 2 year old son had 11 major food allergies. He began having asthmatic reactions frequently. We took him to a practitioner that used NAET - an allergy elimination technique. I can't tell you how glad I am to have found it. Since several of his treatments, So far, his allergies to corn, wheat, eggs, sugars, yeast, and food additives and preservatives are totally gone!

We go to Dr Tam in Lombard. You can find someone in your area by going to www.naet.com.

I love the freedome to have much more variety in what my son eats. What peace of mind!

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J.E.

answers from Chicago on

I would ask your Gi and allergst about neocate or duocal. RIce milk is best. most kids with dariy have 80% chance of being allergic or developing allergy to soy. I would also have your child tested for EE (eosnophilic Esophagitis) if they have multipule food allergies. The neocate will help this and so will PPIs if you are up for that. And swallowed flovent. Let me know if you need more hlep or info
good luck
J.

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J.W.

answers from Chicago on

Right after my son turned 1, we decided to cut dairy out of our diets. We drink soy milk instead. I know that there is new research coming out about the negative affects of soy, but I just don't believe them. There are plenty of other experts that say that soy is very good for you, especially for women. Soy milk is organic, and if you buy the Silk kid's soy milk, it is foritified with calcium and vitamin D (just like cow's milk), and it taste like a vanilla milk shake. This is what we buy for our 20 month old son, and he loves it. Friends of ours have a son the same age as ours, and he has a dairy allergy. His doctor recommended that they give him soy milk, because it is higher in protein and fat than rice milk. I would only give your daughter rice milk if she is allergic to soy also. Then you would need to make sure she gets fat and protein elsewhere in her diet. Good luck!

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E.S.

answers from Raleigh on

My son is allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts, along with fish. I came across Neocate which is a protein drink similar PediaSure to help supplement nutritional needs. We just switch my son to Rice Dream from soy because of soy containing estrogen. They have Neocate for formula, Neocate Junior, and Neocate +1 for one year olds to 10 years of age. WIC can supply this on vouchers if your pediatrician writes a prescription for it due to the allergies. Check these sites:

http://www.orderneocate.net/neocate.htm?utm_source=google...
http://www.neocate.com/aaa_neocate/1128-neocate-home-page...

Hope this is helpful! :)

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J.Z.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J.,
i have been reading the responses and you have received some good advice from all these wonderful moms. My daughter is severely allergic to dairy and egg so bad that we have to carry an epi-pen around with us at all times. We found out the hard way when I stopped nursing her at 7 mo old. We used Nutramigen hypoallergenic formula for a while then at 12 mo. switched her to Rice Milk. Even though it does not have the same protein as cow's milk it is the best alternative in my opinion. My daughter takes a wholefood veggie vitamin, chewable calcium vitamin and Omega-3 supplement every day. She is not a big meat eater but really likes the all natural hormone/nitrate free turkey dogs by Applegate Farms. I wouldn't worry about the Rice Milk, just try to incorporate more calcium and protein in her diet in different ways by introducing new foods.
My daughter is 2 years old now and very happy and healthy :) I think you are doing the right thing for her. I would also consult a nutritionist for more specific information. I wish you and your family all the best!

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L.D.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J., I put my daughter on goats milk. It is the closest thing to breast milk. There is a vitamin you need to give you daughter in addition too it but its all good. My milk naturally dried up at around 6 mo. I asked my peditrician and a nutritonist at the health food store, and got the okay from both. Worked great. My daughter is now 4 and she likes almond milk now too. Just a thought for ya. Good Luck

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C.T.

answers from Chicago on

What about Lactose Free Milk? I am assuming the allergy is to the lactose.

C. T.

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A.G.

answers from Chicago on

Both of my kids are lactose intolerant, although it has improved over time...particularily for my son...just has to watch actual milk and ice cream consumption..too much and tummy troubles. Now I realize a dairy allergy and lactose intolerance are two differnt things, but I put both of my kids on rice milk for very similair reasons as yours for not using soy, that and it made my son projectile vomit (YUCK. My doctor did reccomend that we use an unsweetened one, andd a daily multi vitamin. It neever slowed eith ones growth, obviously getting enough nutrition...my son was 35 lbs. by two and 34 inches, my daughter was 36 lbs. by two and 37 inches. I never pushe dthe milk thing with my kids once they reached two becaus I never drank much of it because of lactose intolerance as well. By the way, my son is now 48 Lb.s and 4 ft tall, he turns 6 this Nov., and my daughter is slimming out, she just turned two in Aug. Some thougts...things like hummus and white bean dip are great sources of protein, when she is bigger nuts/nut butters, the other thing is goat milk products if they are only allergic to cows milk...Trader Joes carries some great goats milk yogurt and cheeses. Also, I have heard that almond milk is nutrtionally closer to cows milk protein and fat wise, my kids just don't like it LOL. Look into making complete proteins from grains...black beans, rice and corn tossed with some bell pepper and cumin is delicious. Quinioa is an awesome tasting grain that is also a complete protein. Hope this helps and good luck.

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P.

answers from Chicago on

What about soy milk and almond milk? I used Silk soy milk. I really like the taste. Soy milk is high in protein and if you buy the regular and not the light, it also has some fat.

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J.O.

answers from Chicago on

J.
Goats milk which has the closest protein chain to our milk and almond milk are good alternatives. Also foods in high in good fats like avocado, other nuts which can ground up and put in anything like oatmeal, homemade muffins,cookies, and bread. Good Luck! PS You can both milks at Jewel, Trader Joes, Whole Foods and other health food stores.
J. O

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J.K.

answers from Chicago on

My little boy was diagnosed with multiple food allergies when he was 1 years old (wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, etc). Because he was allergic to soy, they told me to give him rice milk - and he was only 1. He is now 3 1/2 and drinking soy milk (outgrew soy allergy). But I was under the supervision of an allergist through Children's Memorial. Good Luck!!

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K.B.

answers from Chicago on

Our boys have been dairy free for three years and we drink a combo of rice, soy or almond milk. It's not the lactose in the milk but the casein protein which human bodies are not able to digest.

If you think about it, we're the ONLY species to drink another mammal's milk and the ONLY species to drink it past infancy.

Read "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and you get the scientific research...

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T.V.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J.-

Using rice or almond milk is perfectly fine. What you can do is add coconut oil to it. Unrefined, cold pressed, hexene free-preferably NOW or nutiva. I have given my children that since they were weeks old. It is wonderfully similar to the fat content in breast milk plus all of the great enzymes. It is also very beneficial for the immune system.

If you are concerned about the protein use rice protein. You can get those and many supplements from a discount website such as smartbomb, vitacost or naturalwebstore.

We are meant to digest soy--their is a informative article on www.westonprice.org. Soy should ONLY be consumed as edemame or miso. If you have nay other questions please let me know!!

T.
Detox Coach

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B.A.

answers from Chicago on

This may or may not solve your problem. My daughter could not tolerate milk. We also found out she had celiac disease(no wheat, rye, oats, barley) once she had been on the diet we tried milk again and she was fine. She also started to not have black circles under her eyes, slept better, and gained some much needed weight. Just a thought.

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D.C.

answers from Chicago on

We hardly give our 13 month old any milk, rice milk once in a while. We're not big fans of the hormones in milk and or the empty calories it provides. She gets her fats through avocadoes and Omega-3 supplement. She gets her calcium through the variety of food she eats, you'd be surprised what veggies are high in calcium. She loves sweet potatoes and squash, both high in calcium. I echo the other mother's thoughts, cow's milk should only be fed to calves, and they stop drinking it once they wean off it.

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K.K.

answers from Chicago on

Have you had her tested? Maybe she is not lactose intolerant anymore?

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