Is it ok to keep giving my 12month old soy instead of cow's milk?

Mandy - posted on 06/05/2010

I would keep on with the soya formula, my son is 16 months and is sensetive to cows milk. In the UK it's not recommended that under 2's use normal soya milk as their sole source of milk.
There is calcium in lots of other foods - dark leafy veg is actually a better source than cow's milk. Research which are the best, I'm lucky my son will eat spinach which is a great source of iron and calcium.

Jaime - posted on 06/05/2010

Humans don't need cows milk. It's for baby cows. You can get all the nutrients by eating other foods. :)

Soy milk is very much fortified w/ various vitamins to be comparable to milk.

My 14yr old son still uses soy or almond milk...he's been lactose intolerant since birth, like me and my father. He's almost 6 foot and weighs about 150lbs.

My 10 yr old and 5 yr old daughters outgrew their intolerance around age 2. I chose to use fortified soy milk until their intolerance ceased.

Dr opinions are great, but unless they are allergy specialists or gastrointestinal drs, I would do what appears best for your child and their health.

Candice - posted on 06/04/2010

Cow's milk is for baby cow's,it just happens that people like it. So no cow's milk is not necessary. Almond,soy,and coconut are all viable milk options.If you want to introduce her to cow milk it is ok,as long as she is not lactose intolerant,which is normal if she is.Since we humans that are not are actually not the norm.

Jennifer - posted on 06/04/2010

My daughter is lactose intolerant and si i also gave her soy.She is now 5 and still drinks soy milk. My daughter who is 2 has no problems but i chose to put her on soy.As soon as she turned one.They have one by silk that has omega 3 dha and ara for brain developement and other vitamins that milk doesnt even have.I know my doctor said that it fine.I actually feel better about giving them the soy rather than cows milk. Soy milk has the vitamins that they need. Just make sure that you get the one with all the added vitamins. if thats what you choose. I even cook with the soy milk now since its healthier.

Tisha - posted on 06/02/2010

Also, too much milk isn't good for them either. It can cause constipation and cause them to take in too many calories.

Tisha - posted on 06/02/2010

Talk to your pediatrician. My daughter had the same problem. The pediatrician okayed the soy milk. Most soy milk is calcium and vitamin D fortified. Also, even though my daughter couldn't drink milk she could still eat cheese and yogurt. Cow's milk isn't a requirement of their diet. It wasn't made for people it's made for cows!!! That's what my pediatrician said at least! As long as she has a balanced diet I wouldn't stress too much.

Milk/Dairy: Servings: 16-20 ounces of milk per day. Whole milk, soy or rice milk are recommended. Other equivalents: 1/2 -3/4 ounce of cheese = 4 ounces of milk. 1/4 cup of yogurt = 2 ounces of milk.

Tanya - posted on 06/02/2010

My son has the milk protein allergy and we are not able to use milk or soy in our house. He drinks Almond and Rice milks. Both have calcium added, the rice kind we buy has the most calcium in it.
Before you indroduce milk into her diet I would talk to your GP about it ... we were told 2 years
Best of luck

Jessi - posted on 06/02/2010

it should be fine. if she didn't respond well to the milk based formula then she may not respond well to real milk. i agree that you should make sure it has proper vits & mins your little one needs. ask your childs dr, they may be able to recommend brands.

Iridescent - posted on 06/02/2010

As long as it's labeled as "Enriched" it is perfectly fine, and even better than, cows milk nutritionally. We use rice milk as our children have a variety of allergies, and one is intolerant to soy as well as dairy. We also use goat's cheese for him.

Some interesting sites regarding cows milk if you're interested.
http://josquin.tripod.com/milk.htm
http://www.lifestylelaboratory.com/artic...

Cori - posted on 06/02/2010

My son had no problems with milk while he was under 1. When it was time to switch to whole cows milk, he would not drink it. My pediatrician recommended the fortified vanilla soy milk. He drank this till he was 4 and then decided he preferred cows milk. He's perfectly healthy with no problems whatsoever.

Dana - posted on 06/02/2010

If a child has a sensitivity to anything or an allergy you should never proceed with that food/milk until you speak with your child's doctor.

Rebecca - posted on 06/02/2010

no juices...sorry not too sure where that came from. A child never NEEDS juice. We keep it at a treat if we are at a restaurant we will get our oldest some apple juice. Stick with milks/milk products

Ashley - posted on 06/02/2010

Well, at 12 months old, your child is suppose to be drinking only whole milk until the age of 2. Along with 100% juices, and water. But yeah, most importantly whole milk because your babys body needs it, its a must, so my advice is to stop the soy and switch.

Rebecca - posted on 06/02/2010

My son had formula issues as an infant as well but as soon as he was on whole milk it stopped. You can go ahead with Soy but make sure to tell her Dr to know of anything extra she needs. Maybe give her one bottle a day half whole milk half soy...not too sure how great it would taste but at least she'll get some fats from the whole milk.

Sapphire - posted on 06/02/2010

Have you cleared this through the pediatrician? Soy milk should not be a problem, but make sure she also gets a balanced diet. Babies are still needed a certain amount of fats to, which is why the recommendation for whole milk until age 2. Of course, when there are sensitivities, you have to find alternatives. Soy milk should not be a problem, but always follow the advice of your doctor. Good luck.