Mom Wondering About Soy Formula

I wouldn't recommend soy... go to Mercola.com and do some research on it. Of course it's your decision, but it is better to be informed.

1 mom found this helpful

R. - I feel VERY passionately about this, so bear with me :)
I would do anything, anything but give your child soy formula or soy milk. There is ample research that states that children given soy products when they are small go into early puberty and have a greater chance of infertility as they grow up. I am actually going though this right now with my nephew. He is 8 years old and already has the start of a mustach and body odor! He was given soy formula when he was a baby because there wasn't really other options yet back then.

I would seriously try to find another route to take with your son. My daughter spit up every bottle but she wasn't in distress or anything so we used Dr. Brown bottles and burped her often during her feedings. We NEVER put her on soy formula and she is just fine now (17 months). The spitting up is annoying, but it will go away at about 5-6 months.

Good luck and please don't give your little boy soy formula :)

J.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi,
My son was on soy formula as we heard that was more gentle on the stomach than milk-based formula. He did wonderful on it. We were never told of the estrogen thing. He is now almost 4 and is currently on soy milk after a bad time with ear infections around the time he turned 1. We were told that it could help to put him back on soy so that is what we did. He is doing great and have had no issues! Good luck!

I haven't but keep in mind that the lactose free formula that is not soy is milk based. So if your child is having issues keeping the formula down to a milk sensitivity it wont do you any good. Mine has the same issue. I use the Similac Isomil Soy Formula for fussiness and gas and also the Dr. Browns bottles.

My daughter was on prosobee but I never heard of that estrogen thing. I think that's a little weird. I would consult a dietician and see if they know anything like that. I would try nutramigen. When we switched to prosobee it was like night and day. She didn't have the vomiting, she just screamed and kicked every evening into the night. After switching, that was all gone. Maybe he doesn't just have a dairy intolerance. Just trying until you feel that it is the right diagnosis. Maybe he has acid reflux. They have special formula and medication for that too. Don't give up until you are satisfied.

Hi R.,

Before I get into dishing out advice on your son's formula, let me give you my take on the current "soy situation". A few years ago, soy was *the* health food. Everyone celebrated the benefits of soy. As with most food fads, the pendulum has swung the other way, and soy has received some bad press. The truth is, soy is a food, plain and simple. Like anything we consume, it has good points, and it has bad points. But it deserves neither the sainthood it achieved a few years ago, or the vilification it's going through right now.

One big reason why soy is taking such a hit is that, like corn, soy has seeped into every food imaginable here in the U.S. Soy-derived ingredients are found in everything from Pop Tarts to Hamburger Helper to Crackers to Chicken Patties. If one is eating a lot of processed foods, they are in turn eating A LOT of soy, perhaps unknowingly. Disturbing amounts, in fact, and disturbing amounts of any food is never good.

I, personally, would not want my child, boy or girl, to be on soy formula exclusively. I've read enough evidence that I don't think soy formula all day, every day, is a good idea. I would be OK with using soy to supplement breastfeeding, but from your post, I'm gathering that your son is exclusively formula-fed. If I were you, I would try the lactose-free formula and see what happens. It might work, and it might not, but the only way you'll know is to try it.

If lactose-free formula doesn't cut it, you could reduce the amount of soy formula your baby was receiving by supplementing it with plain goat's milk. Now WIC and most MDs would freak at the notion, but truth be told, goat's milk was used on infants before commercial formula was readily available.

Another option you have is just foregoing soy milk altogether, and going with a goat's milk-based formula. Here is a link to more info:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032401.asp

In addition, the book "Nourishing Traditions" has recipes for homemade formula, and they could be tailored to use goat's milk.

If homemade formula isn't your bag, then you know what, just stick with the soy formula. As with anything in parenting, sometimes there's no "perfect" choice, only a "good" one. Soy formula is inexpensive and easy and you can buy it anywhere. When your son's formula days are over, carefully watch what he eats. Make sure that his infancy isn't the start of an entire lifetime of copious soy consumption. ;-) Good luck.

Yes, I have heard of soy being harmful on boys--especially infant ones. Do some research on it and you can make your choice with good knowledge of the problem. Here is something to read: http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/05_soy_fo...
However, I'd consult with a Lactation Consultant for the most accurate information.

Of course, unless you are on medication which is harmful to your baby--or there is a physical problem which precludes you at all--you could always reintroduce breastfeeding (called 'relactation'). There's loads of information online about this wonderful gift from nature. We women have awesome bodies capable of awesome things!! http://www.lact-aid.com/rpt025.htm

I can't tell you what to do either way, I am just responding to tell you that my son, now 8 and a half yrs. was on soy for the same sort of problems. most of my nieces and nephews were also on soy (all elementary to high school now). My son was very spitty, colicky, etc. We switched to soy which helped some, but eventually we treated him for reflux with meds and he quit spitting up everything! We also took him to the chiropractor which helped immensely with the fussiness! We switched him back to milk based formula after he had gotten older, like 9 or 10 mo. to make sure there wasn't any "milk problems", which there was not, he didn't really need to be on soy any way, I was just a first time desparate mommy needing some stability and peace for my baby.

Lots of people had suggested to me, and several of my daycare babies used, the Good Start Formulas because they are mostly made with whey. But so is Infamil liquid concentrate, just check labels. Sometimes it could be a problem of powder vs. liquid concentrate. I would say try the lactose free and see if it helps. Do what you feel is best for your baby to get everything he needs to be healthy.

As far as my nieces and nephews and my own son....I see no adverse effects from drinking it their first years. My son is strong, healthy, rarely sick, and a B average student in the third grade. So if he has effects from it, I haven't figured out what they are!

Hi R.~
soy is not going to hurt your son at all. Myself, my two brothers and 4 out of my 5 children have all been on soy formula. My 1 and 2 sons were on just soy until one, my 3 and 4 son's were on neutramigen until 6mo then switched to soy and by 9 mo they were on regular formula. My little girl is the only one who didn't need soy. My brothers are 36 and 31 and they have no health problems and have healthy kids of thier own. My boys 12,9,8 are all fine also and very healthy and no problems. right now my 2 yr old is also doing very good and he is the only one who still can't regular milk. Good luck on your choice but I have all age groups (young to adults) who have growen up on soy and are fine.

I have a 7 month old boy who has been on soy formula and does wonderfulon it. He is growing like a weed and does not spit up afterwards. We started the soy as he was crying after he would eat. Since I am lactose intoralent I went with hte idea he might be also and it has worked wonders. Good luck!

Our first (now 4) was on a soy product, as was our 2nd boy (15 months). Our pediatrician has no issues with it and never said anything about estrogen. Our oldest is "all boy" being strong, tall and well built so I don't see any issues with his soy experience. I don't see any concerns with our second either.

If you have concerns, get a second opinion from your medical insurer's help line (ask-a-nurse) and maybe even contact the customer service departments at some of the formula makers and ask those questions. We use Similac and our third (a girl - 6 weeks) is on it too now (all three are/were also breatfed plus the Similac until about 6 months).

The most important thing in my opinion is that your baby is comfortable with eating. Our first had bad reflux un til 10 months of age so we did whatever we needed to make eating a better experience for him and us. Being that he did fine, we just stayed with the soy route with the 2nd two.

Good luck.
D.

Hey R.-when my son was the same age I had the same thing happen. I originally thought it was that I went from breast feeding to formula-I started with a milk based formula but my son kept up with the projectile vomiting. (which was extremely scary to me as a first time mom)So I then went to the soy-thinking it was the best option-and at the time it was for me. But shortly after this I did have him diagnosed with reflux and put on meds. Within a month or so of my Dr.'s diagnosis I heard some information from a Chiropractor that also helped my son, tremendously I might add. Probiotics. The active cultures that are found in yogurt. The name of the product I have been using is called Floragen3 and can be found in the frig of your pharmacy.(or some chiropractors sell it right in there offices.) It has to stay cold to be effective. So I started giving it to my son-1/2 a capsule in the am and 1/2 in the pm. What this will do is balance out the 2 types of stomach acid in you babys belly. Helping to reduce the spit up and discomfort.(it has also kept his immune system really strong this winter-he didnt get sick at all!)
As far as the soy formula-I also heard that it wasnt good, especially for boys, after we had him on it. So as a mother-I made the choice to keep him on it till we switch over to milk-which I will start next month as my babys b-day is in mid March. (and he is now off the reflux meds all together)
If we have another baby I am hoping to breast feed longer than with my first. But if we have to go to formula-I will more than likely go with a milk based.
Hope this helps-have a great day!

i had heard of it before, and googled to find this article:
http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/soy_...

maybe that will give you some more information?

good luck!

I have heard that too and my son is 3 and a half months and when I quit breastfeeding about a month ago I had the same problem , my sister who had the same problem told me I should put him on soy, asked my dr. about it and she said that most babies who are good on the soy are just as good on the lactose free and they don't get the estrogen. I use the similac sensitive formula that is milk based and lactose free and have no problem with it.