My Two Year Old Has a Cow's Milk and Soy Allergy

I would go with goat's milk, and try cod liver oil or get more sunshine for the Vitamin D. Personally, I tend to go more with whole foods in general, and am not a fan of formulated foods. I would focus on providing a wide array of grains, fresh fruits, meats, and veggies and stay as far away from processed foods as possible. A well-balanced diet will provide the nutrition your son needs. Good luck!

This may be a long response - sorry. My best friend and I each have daughters with milk/soy issues. My daughter is actually allergic to the milk proteins casin and whey. When she eats foods with them, she gets respiratory and ear infections. She used to break out in hives when she was younger but outgrew that part of the reaction. Her reaction now is typical to what you would see an adult have during allergy season thus it's a true allergy as it effects her respiratory system and not her digestive system. My best friends daughter was having the exact same issues that you describe above - continual dirreah and rash. They assumed the same as you with milk, allergy, so then tried soy just like you and had the same reaction. However, when fully allergy tested, she is not allergic to soy or milk, she is allergic to lactose (actually lactose intollerant which directly effects the digestive track). They give her a childrens lactaid pill every day and she has no issues. If they forget to give it to her and she has soy or dairy, she gets diarrea.

So, let me encourage you to get your son fully allergy tested and rule out lactose before you spend tons of money on foods that he may still react to. If it is a lactose issue, rice and goats milk still contain it so he will still have an issue with those as well. If he actaully is allergic to both, there are foods out there that are milk and soy-less so feel free to contact me and I will tell you some I use with my 3 year old.

Good Luck.

Here I am crying over your article. This is so overwhelming for you huh? I am a married mom of 3 and only one son had allergies for one year so we fed him soy. But to have both I really feel for you. I started to cry that you were at a whole foods store for 3 hrs. What a good mom you are!
There could be worse things like diabetes but I would recommend the goats milk and rice cereal my kids loved in a bottle. As for the carrots don't mix it because there is a good reason I am sure he doesn't like carrots. We gotta listen to our kids boddies and ours as well. Good luck. I don't have much advice for what else to do but will ask around. My mom is a doctor so I will ask her. Good luck and God bless, K.

I'm with ya!! My son who is 2 1/2 is also allergic to milk and soy. We found out about a year ago, and it does get easier. Like you, I was so confused and fustrated. I started with Rice Milk, but he didn't like it, and everything else was too expensive. I put him on water and juice - and that's what he drinks. He does get vitamins, though. Has your pediatrican talked to you about those? Also, if your son is allergic to the milk protein, it seems as though my son can tolerate things with milk in them as long as the milk is heated (mac and cheese, baked breads, etc). I have also found that my son can eat peanut butter, but not roasted peanuts in the shell. I'm in the middle of a reaction now - day 4 or 5 of the burning diaherea. I'm a fan of Boudreaux's Butt Paste to help with that! Feel free to contact me if you need more help!

I didn't have time to read the responses, but my advice is this...get yourself down to Trader Joes and you will find a MYRAID of things that you can give your kids to eat and drink -- rice milk, goats milk...whatever you want. They are a perfect store for someone who has special eating/nutritional needs. We don't have allergies at our house, but I've turned a lot of people on to the store because I am a regular shopper there and know that they have a great selection of all kinds of specialty things. Good luck and lots of blessings to you and your family.

Hi S., my daughter had the same problem. She just recently grew out of the allergy (thank god!!) I had her on Rice milk, it worked beautifully! It's great because they have it in regular and vanilla flavors. I actully tried the regular and it tastes fine, it is naturally a bit sweet, but your little one should take to it fine. Also, if you get the regular-you can substitute that for regular milk while cooking, it does not change the taste of the food at all. Good luck!!

My son was off dairy for allergy reasons for 6 years - fortunately he was one of the few the grew out of it. We used Rice Milk and that worked great because he was also allergic to goat's milk. Also get a juicer - you can make wonderful, tasty juices with all kinds of things "snuck" in there! I make apple juice with carrots and you can't taste the carrots at all. I recommend the Jack Lalaine one.

Hi S.. Unfortunately I don't have much advise on the rice milk vs goat milk, but it seems a lot of the responses you have received favor the rice milk. I will say, however, that as long as your child gets a good mix of veggies and fruits, including some dark greens (my daughter loves frozen, then thawed and squeezed, chopped spinach mixed with just a little bit of canola mayo as a dip for crackers)and a little sunshine each day with out sunscreen (just a few mins each day) he will get all the vitamins he needs. Your body makes D naturally when out in the sun, so, of course check with your doctor, but not getting it from milk will be ok. A colorful diet will provide everything he needs. :) Good luck!

If you don't want to mess around with different options that are expensive and not as good for your kid as milk, ask the doctor to do an actual blood test to check for allergy. It is expensive but cheaper in the long run. They tried telling me my daughter was allergic to milk and actually it was soy she was allergic to. Even the milk formulas have a form of soy in them so I wound up giving her Dr. Spock's evaporated milk formula like I was raised on. If he doesn't break out right after a bottle/sippee of regular milk he is not allergic. I told my doc I knew it wasn't milk because I drank milk like crazy when I was pregnant and it is phsyically impossible for your baby to have an allergy to something you ate while pregnant. As soon as I started giving her just real milk she stopped breaking out and spitting up all the time. Your kid is old enough now to just give whole milk. One thing though he may have milk intolerance for the first two weeks after starting him back on it. It can cause diarrea and upset tummy while the body figures out how to process it again. Whole milk is better than 2% or less. It causes less intolerance and is better for kids. Milk fat is good fat. Babies will generally not like to eat things that they are allergic to. They have a natural resistance toward those things, so if he likes them he probably is not allergic. Watch icecream and cereals for hidden soy, it got my girl a few times. Check all your labels. Even maltomeal type cereals can have soy products. Hope this helps, I know it is lenghty.

Go Laura! Awesome site.
S. close your eyes & imagine your son allergy free OVERNIGHT. No gimmicks..
Oh I HOPE you see my post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My 2.5 mo old daughter was hospitalized for a month at PCH w/ SEVERE SEVERE food allergies..Finally after numerous people told me to take her to Dr Orona who is a Naturopathic Dr who does the "NEAT" program,(slightly diff than NAET) I BEGGED the Drs to discharge her so we could get her to see her.
NEAT, Natural Elimination of Allergy Treatment.
She SAVED BOTH me & my daughter from years of pain & uneccessary inconvenience OVERNIGHT & FOR ABOUT $200, NONINVASIVE, NO NEEDLES.
I had been suffering for 20 yrs w/ severe IBS everyday. Evertime I ate I was in pain & bloated. I was allergic to dairy, soy, wheat, corn..56 items we found out. 54 for her..
Everything people have posted may work but why not get his little body desensitized?
I am pain/allergy free. My now 8.5 mo old is PERFECTLY HEALED.
Its not as crazy as it seems, promise, lol. My MIL is going for her sensitivities to perfumes.
Feel free to call me w/ questions. I am so relieved & excited that I have sent numerous people to her. I'd be happy to talk w/ you about our experience. I even spoke w/ the patients in the waiting room beforehand & they were genuinely happy I found her!
S. Stair ###-###-####

Dr Orona 32nd St & Thunderbird ###-###-####

My daughter couldn't drink milk and was on rice milk for two years. She loved it and they have regular, vanilla, strawberry and chocolate.

Give rice milk a try. My daughter loved it. She was allergic to dairy, soy, eggs nuts starting @ 1 month. She is now 8 and only allergic to nuts. Hang in there!!!

Rice milk is a great option, I use it myself and there is an ice cream called Rice Dream, I am just not sure on the vitamins he will need as I am an adult. My oldest was also allergic and we used Nutramigen, but since she never had milk, once she was done with formula, she had juices and water, as well as a multi vitamin and Tums for Calcium. There are so many more options now- She is 24 yrs old. Maybe consult a nutrionist? Good luck!

I read a very interesting book about enzymes recently that talked about kids who seem to have allergies to one thing, then develop allergies to the next thing that you use to replace it and so on. The book is called Enzymes for Children with Autism and other Neurological Issues. Even if your son doesn't have any neurological concerns, it's worth checking this book out from the library and finding out more (they found that many kids that do have neurological issues also have digestive issues, so that's the connection). Many families go through this and begin eliminating things from their diets, only to end up with a very very limited list of foods that their kids can tolerate. The problem may not be allergies, but a food processing problem that enzymes can help (enzymes are catalysts that aid digestion of food--we have them throughout our digestive system beginning with saliva and our liver produces them to aid in the stomach and colon). For some reason, some people don't produce enough enzymes and will have reactions to foods that look like allergies. The book talks about many different people who have been on elimination diets who then started taking enzymes and could eat normal food again. You can also check out this website for enzymes (the kind we use) http://www.houston-enzymes.com/
It has an infomation section that can tell you in a nutshell how enzymes work.
Blessings!

Have you had allergy testing done?

I thought my daughter was allergic to milk because she had diarreah for over 6 weeks. Our pediatrician told us that kids around 2 can get diarreah after an illness and it can last for a few months. It is known as toddler diarreah. Has he had a recent illness?
We mix milk with rice milk regularly or give it separately because our daughter likes the change in drink options. We stay away from juice, that gives her diarreah.

I feel your frustration! My 15mo is allergic to dairy and eggs and soy gives him diarrhea. He absolutely loves vanilla Rice Dream, he throws a fit when his cup is empty. I've tried it and it's okay, a little watery for my taste but it's not bad. I just make sure to give him a vitamin daily and fortified juice for the calcium. We haven't tried goat milk because he loves rice milk, good luck and feel free to email me with questions.

Latest research is saying soy is great for female, not good for males. Almond milk is good nutrients, good fats for the brain, and you can get it cheap at Trader Joes. The Pacific brand Organic Vanilla is $1.69/carton at TJs. Allergies are a pain, but once you figure out your list, it's not so bad. Our 5yr old daughter is allergic to the milk protein, so no cow, goat or sheep works for her. She does Almond and soy.
And she's an ovo-vegetarian (no meat or milk, does eat eggs) and is VERY healthy. Remember children are little humans, not little cows or goats, so not drinking their milk is just fine.

Sesame seeds are a wonderful source of calcium. Vit D, we mostly get from sunlight so that combined with a good multivit/multimineral supplement and he should be set.

Have a look at Dr. Ben Kim's website for more eating for health information. http://www.drbenkim.com

Sorry to hear you are having so many issues! Rice milk does not have much nutrition...rice itself does not. I'd skip that research track. Maybe skip the carrot juice in the goat milk..and try tasty cod liver oil capsules by carlson...strawberry or lemon flavor. The new higher recommendations for vit D for all kids should make everyone think about how to get more...the new 400 IU a day is still too low say some researchers. Or get sunlight on 60% of bare skin....early in AM or afternoon...less risk of burning.
Asian foods have a jello like desert fruit flavored - agar. Asian markets like Lee' Lee's have it cheaper than whole foods and health food stores. (Too avoid pudding-like deserts)
Other dessert ideas ...Rice Dream does make a nice dairy free ice cream substitute but it has a fair amount of polyunsaturated oils in it. I have a distrust of such oils as they have been increasingly linked to macular degeneration and inflammation.
Vegan home made ice cream is often made with coconut milk. I intend to get a small ice cream maker and experiment someday. Coconut milk may be a saturated fat, but it is no villain. (Hydrogenated it would be) It is used to make south east asian curry sauces creamy..yummy stuff. I use it like milk on cereal....and in tapioca pudding (with goat milk) and in pumpkin pie. I buy it in cans by the case at Lee Lee's.

We don't do milk at our house.... we do do rice milk. My girls like it & don't like cow's milk now. :) I also do Juice Plus+ which is whole food fruits & veggies that have been put into capsule form for adults & gummy or chewable form for kids.... it gives them the vitamins they need through the food & we don't use any other supplements. Plus then I know they aren't getting a harmful dose of any vitamin that is man made (which research shows man made vitamins can be harmful to us). If you think this sounds like something you want to check out go to jphealth.net/C.
Blessings!

S.,

Visit www.naet.com for a way to safely and naturally ELLIMINATE allergies! I too had a son with many allergies and had to read labels carefully. It is so hard to do! After just a few weeks my son was completely recovered and can eat anything! Feel free to contact me if you would like more information.

Good luck!
L.

Try coconut milk in recipes.

Also, is he lactose intolerant or allergic to the milk proteins? If intolerant, search for fresh milk, straight from the animal. Fresh milk still has lactase in it, which is what's missing from the systems of people with lactose intolerance. That's why their bodies can't process lactose. Goat milk is a GREAT option, as well, esp. if you can get it fresh.

Milk replacements are usually lacking in as much nutrition and are often laden with additives and sugars, so just read the labels. Try to stick with REAL food: food your grandmother would have recognized.

I know how overwhelming this is. I have cried over allergies in my kids. My 4 boys have all been allergic to cows milk. My oldest outgrew it at 6, my 2nd at age 4. My third (age 3) does well with some dairy IF he takes acidopholis daily. He is also allergic to eggs and citrus, so many vitamins are out. He drinks mostly juice and water, eats grains, fruits, veggies and meat well, and is a pretty healthy kid (my opinion and the Dr.s). My boys have used goat, soy and rice milk on occasion. Rice milk is void of most nutrients, but can be excellent for a child who wants "milk". If your son is doing well on goat milk -yeah!
You will find that lots of food contain some calcium, spinach, cannellini beans, broccoli, cereals, orange juice fortified have quite a bit. God made it so that if we hate carrots, we can get those vitamins from yams or cantelope or something else. The same is true for calcium foods. Cow's milk is NOT a must for healthy kids.
My mom sent me some sunbutter bars. They are allergen-free no soy or dairy. I haven't yet seen them here, but they are a nice treat with calcium to boot. Cooking can be done substituting with water in many cases. I haven't done research on soy, but I have lots of experience avoiding 5 of the other 7 main allergens that our kids suffer from. It is well worth the pain of keeping kids away from their allergens as most kids outgrow food allergies (other than those to fish and nuts) by the age of 6. There truly is hope. It feels hopeless, but you will soon feel it is just a way of life as you begin to find ways to make this work for your family. Check your library for lots of answers and recipes for these needs. Remember you are not alone!

Hi S.,
Our whole family loves to drink goats milk. Both my husband and I enjoy milking her and even our young daughter takes her turn at milking. We never water it down. It tastes great as long as the goat eats good sweet grass or hay.
Good Luck, Marlene

Check out a vitamin supplement called juice plus, and have you looked into almond milk? It's actually pretty tasty and my teenagers even like it.

I feel for you and your son! Shaklee has a wonderful nutrition plan for toddler's and my youngest two take them everyday. I've noticed a huge difference and my youngest did not receive an actual prescription until she was 4 (the older ones brought home strep from school). Check out my website and see the difference natural supplements can make.
www.shaklee.net/denisefriedl
Hope you find what you are looking for! Take care.