Formula - Halifax,MA

My daughter is almost 14 months. We were also told when she was about 3 weeks old that she has an allergy to milk and soy. In the beginning of January, we brought her to her GI specialist at Mass General who performed a "milk challenge". She passed with flying colors and we have been slowly introducing her to all milk products. The other choice is to give her Rice Dream milk but she is not too young to take her off of formula.

If she is allergic to other things then having her on formula certainly won't hurt...Just make sure she eats a balanced diet so she won't be just drinking formula to get her nutrients. Make sure you ask her perdiatrition too, sometimes they have other supplements available for allergies.

Rice milk, get the vanilla, that is the best, then you can mix it with chocolate or strawberry mixes, it is much better then getting the plain or the already mixed chocolate. This is what we had to have my son on for a while! Good Luck! Congrats on you first! :)

my sister went trhru this too. her son couldnt have milk so she gave him lactaid. he was fine with it until he finally outgrew the lactose intollerance

Our pediatrician usually takes the kids off the formula at age one and switches to whole milk. So I wouldn't worry about the fact that she wouldn't be on formula, as long as she is eating enough food to give her the necessary nutrients. And I am going out on a limb, but I have a feeling that she is definitely all about the food and alot less about the formula now. So transitioning should be no problem. Your real issue is what to give her to drink instead. If she's doing fine on the baby fruits (no allergic reactions) then she should do ok on the fruit juices, just stay with the same ones you know she can handle: apple comes to mind. You may want to do 1/2 juice 1/2 water just so it isn't to concentrated while you switch her over.

One more thought. The doc always puts the kids on whole milk rather than the lower fat milk for year 1-2. I would imagine there is a reason for this, so you may want to ask him so you are sure that whatever it is that is better in whole milk, I am assuming fat content or something, is found elsewhere in her diet.

Good luck and tell the little princess auntie loves her! :)

Hi C.
Has your daughter had an allergy test to say she's allergic to milk and soy? Just because she didn't do well with the formula, doesn't mean that she's allergic to actual milk..or soy. So your first step should be to have an allergy test. Some infants are allergic to milk, but they usually out grow it. I'd make an appt with your doctor, and ask him a few questions, and ask him to give the baby a referral to an allergist. The results will be broken down to exactly what she's allergic to, and then there will be no doubts. Sorry I couldn't be of more help :)

Hi C., if your child is allergic to milk and soy, then you can try Rice milk, make sure you get the one that is fortified with the vitamins, she have a chocolet variety as well. or you can try coconut milk. good luck

i suggest consult with your pediatrician. some children stay on infant formula with milk allergies. my son is special needs but when he is real sick we have to give nutramagin. hes almost 3. so dont be too concerned b/c your child is one now. its only recomendations that children over one year stop with infant formula. but defintly dicuss with the pedatrician. there opinon is what really matters. but also make sure you let him or her know any of your concerns as well. take care & good luck. luv always C.

I say ask the Doctor. :0)

I should add: My son could NOT handle regular formula at all, and we had him on soy formula for a year, but then at his 1 year, the Dr told us to try whole milk and he was fine with it. Make sure you get her allergy tested.

M.

hello C. i had the same problem with my daughter 4 and son 2 they were both on lactose formula and when they turned one year we gave them lactose free milk it worked for me hopefully it will for you to we also gave them water and juice mixed with water bout half and half hopefully this helps you good luck :)

C.,
Typically, this would be the time to take your child off formula and introduce whole milk (it would be whole milk until age 2, then you could go low-fat). Of course, for you that's not an option. WIC has been keeping milk-allergic babies on formula after a year for a couple of reasons, and you may want to consider them. Soy milk is the typical milk replacer, (I know- she's soy-allergic, too, but just for example) but it doesn't contain the fat content, calories, calcium, and other nutrients little bodies need. Neither does rice milk, etc. Your daughter still needs these for her growing body. If you are on WIC, talk to them about keeping her on formula. I know it's expensive, but it's still very important! Talk to your pediatrician as well, of course. Good luck!

Did you talk to her peditrician? The peditrician would be the best source for this information. For my daughter, I transistioned her to milk, but since your daughter is allergic, you will need to find out if a lactose-free milk or calcium enriched juice would work or not and the doctor would know. Good luck.

I took my oldest son off formula when he turned 1 and my younest was off formula about 3 weeks shy of his 1st birthday. my friends baby has milk allergies and the doctor told her to try goats milk and she was fine with that.

You might want to try rice milk. Good luck.