Qyestion About Soy Formula

Hi. I went through the same thing with my daughter. Well actually she has a milk allergy. A milk allergy is when they can't process/digest the protein in the milk. Lactose intolerance is a sensitvity to the sugar that is in cow's milk. I wound up having to put her on really expensive formula ( Nutramagin, i think I spelled it right lol) and she still had problems. Maybe try good start by Carnation. I've heard a lot of good things about it and it's cheaper than the stuff by Infamil and Similac.

My son and daughter were the same way but they are lactose intolarent when they kick and cry when you feed them it means thier belly hurts. I switched to good start soy formula and they both did much better.

Both of my kids had acid reflux and kicked and flailed during and after a feeding. Both were on medication for a while until they out grew it. You can also elevate the crib mattress and maybe letting him sleep on his side, keeping him as upright as possible after a feed. My daughter was never tested officially for reflux and she seemed to have difficulty on soy so she was on Alimentum for a long time (very expensive about $9 a bottle). I think if my doctor had really taken the time to diagnose her and try to figure things out, we probably wouldn't have gone that route. My son has a different doc and promptly tested him for reflux. Many people jump to soy quickly, but many babies that are allergic to cow's milk also have a problem with soy. It sounds from what you are describing as classic reflux. I'd ask your doc to rule it out. I think they did an upper GI with my son. Sounds scary, but really not, he just drank a bottle of barium and then laid under a machine and we watched the barium go down and then come back up. He took Zantac for a while, and if that doesn't work, then they try Prevacid and then Axid. Good luck!

A milk allergy and being lactose intolerant are different. Being lactose intolerant means that you are allergic to the sugar "lactose" in milk. A milk allergy means you are sensitive to milk and everything made with milk- ice cream, cheese, cream, etc.

Are you positive that he's lactose intolerant? I would try different formulas before beginning soy since soy has high levels of estrogen.

Instead of switching brands, try switching the type of formula. From powder to concentrate, or powder to ready made, etc.

If it's not lactose intolerance OR a milk allergy, try Good Start with the active cultures or Gentlease from Enfamil.

Good luck!

If I were you I would ask the pediatrician about acid reflux and consider taking your son to an allergist. My daughter is allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts, so I know that there are many different reactions to allergins. An allergist may be able to pinpoint something specific... maybe a milk allergy, maybe a soy allergy?? Good luck!

i was having problems to adjusting my child to the right formula..i tried enfamil lipil and it was a nightmare, he would always cry after eating, he had lots of gas and he was always uncomfortable..so i tried gentlease formula..it didnt help at all..finally we had to go to a soy formula which it wasn't a good idea... i had the same problem he did want to drink it he would push the bottle away and would rather suck of his fist..i really felt for him because he wasnt eating...i had the same problem with my daughter now 6 years old..tried all kinds of formula..and the one that ended up working for her was the lactose free... so i decided to try it with my son...i mean i didn't have anything to loose...but to try it...it worked our pretty good..i havent had any problems he is happy and the gas is gone.. and on top of that you dont have to put up with the smell of a soy formula...

The difference between lactose intolerance and food allergy is this: Lactose is the sugar that is in milk, it is different from the sugar we use on the table. Your body has a specific enzyme that breaks it down to allow the lactose to be absorbed into the blood. That enzyme has to be different than the one used to break down table suger. Some people don't have that enzyme and so they can't process lactose properly. For lactose intolerant people, usually they eat foods that don't have lactose. Food allergies are very different. In any allergy, the body thinks that something that is harmless is really bad stuff, and will mount an immune response to it. That protein that the body responds to is called an allergen. But, it's not just any response, it is specifically one that produces a "rogue" antibody (called IgE), which has no protective function. That rogue antibody attaches to special cells that release some chemicals when they see the allergen. Those chemicals, called mediators, cause those horrible allergy symptoms, ranging from a stuffy nose to life threatening asthma. You can have a milk based product that has no lactose because the manufacturer has removed it, but it still has the milk allergens that are unsafe to give to someone with milk allergies.

Clear as mud, lol?

We had the same kinds of issues with my son. Turns out the formula wasn't a problem... he had acid reflux. He would cry and kick and pull away from the bottle all the time before he was diagnosed. We did all the formula switches as well to make sure it wasn't an allergy. He's been on prevacid twice a day since he was 2.5 months old and it has been life changing for us. He is also now on Enfamil Gentlease and has done wonderful with the formula. I would recommend talking with your doctor. I know medication can be a scary thing, and you always want it to be a last resort... but if your baby is in pain and can't eat, it is totally worth trying meds.

I think the difference is that a milk allergy is actually an allergy and your child has sometime of physical reaction (hives, swelling, etc.). Babies that are lactose intolerant have difficulty digesting the lactose in the milk. Can cause bad dirhea. I thought my son had a milk allergy and used the soy formula with him. When I gave him the regular formula he screamed and his face broke out in what looked liked hives, whereever the formula touched his skin. I took him for allergy testing after his first birthday and it wasn't an allergy. Exzema which he had can make skin get irritated with milk products. Anyhow, he didn't particularly care for the taste of the soy formula when it was cold or room temperature. It tastes much better when it is warmed.

My infant now switched to soy b/c of dirhea and was having trouble digesting the lactose (per the doctor). She also would only drink the soy formula if it is the right temperature.

Good Luck!

In addition to what most have explained about the difference between lactose intolerance and milk allergy, I'd like to add that what you have described is not simple lactose intolerance. This in no way causes bloody stools so I would not recommend putting your son on any milk-based formula. You can always re-lactate which is easier to tolerate than any formula (and much less expensive), but you will have to remove dairy products from your diet in order to do this. While it is possible that your son has GERD, I'd wonder first if the soy is cross-reacting with the milk-protein allergy that led to bloody stools (this happens 25-50% of the time). I would recommend switching to Nutramigen or Alimentum (covered by WIC if you're eligible and get a prescription from his pediatrician) if you're unwilling to try to begin breastfeeding again.

Have you checked into acid reflux?My daughter had that and I didn't know for the longest time because her ped.kept telling me she was fine.I thought it was the formula after I was no longer able to pump breast milk that was making her tummy upset.We used Neutramigen which is crazy expencive but helped big time along with reflux medication.We kept the head of her bed elavated and did not lay her flat right after a feeding.It's all trial and error to see what works best for your baby.I hope you find something soon I know how hard it can be.
R. F.

Hi--Try Similac Alimentum. (Sorry, but very expensive). My infant was on regular Similac and had feeding difficulties due to extreme gas, pain, and Gerd. We switched to Alimentum which is milk based but is hypo allergenic for milk protein allergies/ or intolerences which my daughter has. She hated the first 5 or so bottles but adjusted fine. We also had to start solids early with her and we still put rice cereal in her bottles to keep her from vomiting(Gerd). Good luck.

I agree that you will want to talk to your doctor about acid reflux--most hungry babies do not turn away any bottle offered, especially at such a young age, unless they are in pain when eating. And unless your doctor is really pressing you, wait on teh Allimentum or Nutrimigen and try the Good STart because Good STart formula has the milk proteins broken down (like those other two formulas) and costs considerably less. Plus, if your son does still have a lactose intolerance, Good Start also has a soy formula where the soy proteins are also broken down for better/easier digestion.
Also, most babies will get a rash from formula that sits on their skin for any amoutn of time because they have very sensitive skin...unless you are seeing a rash immediately after it touches his skin--then that might be an actual allergic reaction versus sensitivity. As it is, my younger son will even get a rash on his neck with breastmilk if I don't get all his rolls and wrinkles wiped out well after he eats! :) So just make sure you use a bib when you feed him, if his clothes get wet, change them, and use a little baby powder on his neck and chest--it will help dry up the rash and help prevent more.
Good luck! it's always hard when they're so little!

Lactose intolerance is where the body can't break down lactose, a sugar in milk. A milk allergy is where the baby is allergic to the proteins in milk (commonly whey). If your child is still having problems you may want to try a non-soy based formula, such as Alimentum or Nutramigen which are made with pre-digested proteins to prevent allergies and digestive issues. I found that my son was allergic to milk, so we tried a soy formula and had the same response you got. Not know what to do, I tried to keep giving it to him, then one day he finally ate an entire bottle. Then about an hour later he started to throw up and a few hours later he was no responsive and in the hospital, losing over a pound in less than 12 hrs. These things can be very scary. It was well worth the extra expense for the Alimentum.