Baby Milk Allergy

Our 11 month old son was recently diagnosed with a milk allergy. Does anyone else have a child with a milk allergy? We were not really given much direction as to what to give him to drink, other than oat milk. We have a list of prescription formulas that we can try, but were told that he would probably not take them because he has been breastfeed up til now and never taken a formula before. Anyone with a similar experience? Words of wisdom? Thanks!

Sadie, I did know someone whose little boy was allergic to milk but he was given soya milk instead. He was about 18mos at the time though so I am not sure if soya milk is suitable for an 11 mo old. Is your son allergic even to breast milk or is it that just that you are stopping breast feeding now?

Hi Shahbanou- He has recently completly weaned himself from the breastmilk. I intended to go at least one year as I did with my daughter, but he had other ideas! I cook his food with soya milk, but was told not to give it to him to drink until he is two. He has been drinking water from a sippy cup and now is drinking the oat milk from a sippy cup too. I was given a perscription for calcium drops but I  just need to find out how to give it to him, diluted, with food, with drink, etc.

Oh I see! Hopefully someone else will know.  Odd that your paediatrician or whoever prescribed it didn't tell you though.

What about rice milk?

Nooooo! rice milk is poisonous to babies and young children - contains arsenic.

Nooooo! rice milk is poisonous to babies and young children - contains arsenic.

WHOA! Good to know... I had no idea!

My sister's breastfed baby accepted the switch to soy baby formula, and then when he was old enough (I think he was 2) he went to soy milk.  I really think the prescribed baby formula is probably the best thing.  What about just trying a sample bit of one of the brands to see if he takes it?  You could try mixing it with his cereal first so that he gets used to the flavor.

We used Soya baby formula for the first couple of years.

Nooooo! rice milk is poisonous to babies and young children - contains arsenic.

Interestingly, this is not accepted info in the US. It's got me worried, too, as they want my son on rice milk.

Sadie, I think you ought to contact your pediatrician or health visitor for more info on the best way to do all this. That's what they are there for!

I have already seen the nutritionist, she got the GP to write the perscription for the calcium drops. She also gave me the list of the formulas we could try him on and she is the one that said he probably would not drink it.(perhaps if it had not taken nearly 8 months to diagnose, we could have started him on the formula earlier) She also said no soya milk until two, no rice milk because of the poison...she did not recommend oat milk, the health visitor did.  That was all the info I received from the two of them. The nutritionist also said not to give him organic soya products because the non organic products have more calcium. But the non organic stuff is also full of fructose, glucose and sugar. organic is not. I told her that and she said it was up to me to decide, but she thought all the sugar was okay. 

I have been thru all the official channels, and I was just wondering what other parents have done...Looking for more ideas and options to research.

Tin- I might try that, but I really just wanted to find out what is better, to start him on a formula or would drinking the oat milk, cooking with soya, soya yogurts and calcium drops be good enough. I would like to avoid the formula if possible.

I have not had the best experiences with GPs and health visitors, it is like pulling teeth to get more than a 10 minute visit and general diagnosis. It took four months of my son vomiting and losing weight before they would refer him to a pediatrician!!!

Depending on the specifics of the allergy, you might ask the doctor about trying goat or sheep's milk.  I couldn't drink cow's milk, either-- actually, it was alright if it was unpastuerized-- but did just fine with goat's milk.  It's easier for many people to digest.

Woadgrrl -It is the animal protein in the cows milk that he is allergic to, so goats milk would make him sick too. Thanks anyway

My son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy at fourteen months.  We went straight from breastmilk to soy(a) milk, without any issues.  The best thing you can do is research, to be honest.  Check different brands against each other and see which is going to have the most benefits.  Yes, sometimes you might have to go with something that has a bit more sugar than you like, but if he's going to get the appropriate amount of calcium or vitamin D from it, it's worth it.  The upside is that you'll never have to worry if he's getting enough protein.

I should point out that I am in the US, so the general medical wisdom about what's appropriate for kids is going to be a bit different.  But, he's been drinking it for five years and is a healthy, normal six year-old.  Take it however you like.