Dairy Intolerance

Hi J.

Yep, that soy milk should be fine. I am a Registered Dietitian and only give my 14 month old son Silk Soymilk. The only thing I don't love about soymilk is that usually it is sweetened. Silk brand does sell an unsweetened version and I usually mix the plain (sweetened and unsweetened) together 50/50. The only question I had was whether there was enough fat in the soymilk for healthy brain development (the reason that whole dairy products are recommended until 2 years old) and my pediatrician told me that yes, there is enough fat in the soymilk.

You are also the person who posted the question about the Mom's club right? Where are you from? :)

My daughter has a similar intolerence.
I am able to give her the Lactose free milk. Your son may or may not able to tolerate it.

If I give her any dairy I give her a Lactaid and she is fine.

Who diagnosed this? A doctor? That person should have at least made a recommendation about alternatives to cow's milk. You could go back and ask for that kind of info.

From everything I've heard, soy milk is fortified enough so that it is just as nutritious as cow milk, but without the fat. You should make sure your son is getting plenty of good oils and fats for brain development, which is why kids normally drink whole milk until they're 2. I think nuts and good oils will help.

If you are still worried, then give your son a multivitamin and/or buy other products that are fortified with extra calcium and other vitamins. Orange juice often has calcium, as do some breads. The rest of the viamins you can get through other foods, so just check on what foods will have plenty of vitamin A and D. Cereals are good sources, too.

Hi J.. I'm a lactation consultant, so I often get questions about nutrition, too. By one year, you can assess how much real food your baby is getting vs how much they are relying on formula or breastmilk as the case may be. Of course, you should ask your doctor, but typically if you find your baby is eating a variety of nutritional foods you might be fine switching to regular soymilk (or rice milk... there are some concerns about the amount of soy in soy-based foods and it impacting the hormones). You might want to consult with a nutritionist or your doctor regarding the nutrients missing from dairy (like calcium and B vitamins if you are vegetarian.) Good luck!

The soy milk at the store might be hard for him to digest. Is is an intolerance to the milk sugar lactose or is it a milk allergy? What did your doctor recommend? I know formula is expensive, but it might be a good alternative for now until his system matures. If it is an intolerance to lactose, he can take liquid drop supplements that will allow him to have some cow's milk.

I would call your local pharmacy, doctor, or even the local grocery store.