Milk Versus Soy Formula

Hey N.,

Have you explored goat's milk? I had a friend who's son was allergic to milk and soy, and her naturopath gave her a recipe for a goat's milk "formula." I think it's worth checking into, anyway, because you'd be using fresh milk as opposed to a powder, and you'd totally sidestep any worries about milk and soy.

Happy Researching,
Al

There are some very expensive elemental formulas (like Vivonex)on the market for EXTREMELY sensitive individuals (kids and adults) who can hardly eat anything. They are expensive, but it should be mentioned that they do exist.
Soy is risky...not enough said about it because few people really want to know. There is the estrogen like effects,but also the fact that hexane ( A harsh solvent)is used to extract soy protein from soybeans and hexane residues end up in all kinds of foods...including infant formula. No one is testing anything for hexane residue.
The book Baby Matters, by Dr Linda Palmer dives in depth into issues with the different types of formula. Hydrolyzed milk protein formulas may be better tolerated as they have been broken down more...though not completely.
Best to you and your family.

As far nutrients in the formula goes, you should be getting equivalent products. There should not be too much of a difference in composition between the two. Companies make sure that they provide the needed values of the nutrients for infant formulas.

Now, that being said, both cow dairy and soy are common allergens. Breast milk is of course the best and goat's milk is the closest to breast milk, but home made goat milk formulas tend to be labor intensive and you need to make sure you have all the supplements on hand all the time because you don't want you formula to be lacking.

If your child is doing well with the soy formula, I would continue to use it.

Soy has a lot of natural estrogens... the hormone that helps girls develop into girls. Boys who are overly exposed to estrogens as they develop have shown signs that it affects their development. If you know of an allergy that you are avoiding, obviously the allergy is worse than the side effects. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3741/is_1_52/ai_11...
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/infant.html
Obviously no formula is perfect or can completely replace what nature naturally makes.
Life however throws us all sorts of challenges as moms. Do your research, trust your instincts, and trust that it will all work out. good luck

To agree with most of the previous answers, soy may seem great, but too much of it is incredibly unhealthy in both males and females. I wouldn't suggest using it simply as a precaution.

Hi N.,
My 2 year old son had the same allergy and I remember the colicky nightmares so I understand why your husband would not want to try the milk based formula. Now I am not a doctor and have very little knowledge BUT I do have this friend who has his daughter on only soy formula and now she is allergic to soy. Just look at the ingredients of any package and soy is most likely in it- can you imagine the cost and pain of that?! So you may want to check it all out. If you do try the milk based formula and your little one begins to get cranky, refuses the bottle or has yucky BMs then you know to go back to the soy. GOOD LUCK!
J.

I have heard that you need to be careful with giving boys to much soy as there is a lot of estrogen in it.

Hi N.,
I have some definite negative opinions about soy! I used to assume all soy was healthy, considering the way it is marketed. But when I finally linked some GI issues I was having to eating foods high in soy, it piqued my interest and I was surprised to find so much information on the negative effects of soy. Personally, I believe all foods that are close to their "natural" form are much better than highly processed forms, and I think soy is no exception. I have also read from several sources that soy formula and subsequent diets high in soy can/does affect children hormonally as they develop and grow (as ingesting soy increases estrogen levels). Here is a link for a site that can give you this side of the story about soy (there are so many sources out there, but this is one that I'm familiar with): http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

I know you will find as many articles and people who claim the opposite - citing the many health benefits of soy. Of course it comes down to what you and your husband believe and are comfortable with. I applaud you for posing the question! So many people only bother to listen to the prolific advertising paid for by the big food companies!

If you are concerned about your son being allergic to milk, you can have him "scratch-tested" by an allergist. It's relatively quick and painless, and might set your minds at ease (or confirm that you need to stay away from milk proteins). You might also want to look into whether there are other formula alternatives out there that might be available at health food stores (or on the internet, if you don't live near a good health food store).

My son was very lactose intolerant so we did soy with him. We just decided since he was on soy and there is a history in our family. We just did it with our daughter. They are now 3-5 and still drink soy milk. Too much cow milk gives them the runs. They like it so why change.

I agree with the negative views on soy. In addition to the hexane, there is a high aluminum content in formulas and other toxins that are created from the high heating used in processing. While Almond milk and Rice milk are superior to soy milk, your little one is still very young so of course you must use formula, not just milks. Having said that, I used Earth's Best for my son when he was a baby and he did well on it because they take the casein (a milk protein) out which causes many sensitivities. If your son ends up being allergic to whey, however, the formula could still be a problem. We had tried almost everything when we found the good start. I dont like the fact that it is not organic though, so the babies are still getting growth hormones and other nasties that non-organic cows ingest. There are some organic formulas at the health food store which I have not tried. And finally, if you want to pursue this further, you can go and have N.E.A.T. natural elimination of allergy technique done on him. Its easy and painless and the best part is that once he is treated (it takes a day!) he will be able to tolerate milk, even if he had a previous allergy. A friend on this website referred me to Dr. Orona for this as only a few naturopaths do it. Dr. Orona's website is www.4wecare.com. Good luck.

J.

It's good that you listen to your gut instinct and are seeking information about this. Soy is not good, but dairy isn't really either. A better solution is good, pure, organic almond and/or rice milk.

I am a certified herbal consultant and I regularly get information from a website - www.naturalnews.com. Very recently there was posted an article about soy which would still be available if you were to look it up on the site. It states that almost all soy products used in baby formulas and vegetarian products are bathed in hexane. This is a toxic chemical by-product from making gasoline.

Plus through my other research I have learned that soy contains higher than average estrogen producing compounds - which for menopausal women is okay but for young/baby boys is not always a good thing. My youngest son (of 3 sons) is beginning puberty and recently began to form lumps under his nipples. When we consulted our naturopathic physician we learned that along with an iodine deficiency (which almost everyone has) that excess use of soy food products can be another factor of this issue. Some homeopathic remedies for lymphatic drainage along with extra iodine supplements seem to have corrected the problem in my son.

Lastly, soy beans are the number one crop that the Amazon rainforest is currently burned down for new farmland. Therefore, I only recommend the rare occasional use of verified, locally and organically grown soy over any other consumption of it in any form. Look into trying the almond or rice milk and supplement with other whole foods - raw as often as possible. You will raise a healthier child with fewer medical complications.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or visit my website: www.shootingstarherbs.amazonherb.net.

N.,
If I were you I would go to www.mercola.com and type soy or soy formula into the site search box. This should provide you with a wealth of information.
I don't think soy formula is a good idea personally, but you have to do what is best for your child and family. Soy affects your hormones, especially estrogen, in both males and females. My doctor told me that due to a breast cancer history in one side of my family that I should not use soy products at all. Hope this helps you in some way.

anther thing to consider is that soy allergies are just as prevelant as milk allergies. my son was sensitive to milk, so i gave him a lot of soy his second year. he ended up developing a soy allergy that was a lot worse than his milk sensitivity. and again, soy increases estrogen levels. not good for developing boys. if you are looking for a good healthy alternative milk for the older kids..i strongly suggest hemp milk. the most nutritious milk out there without the allergen prolems.