How suitable is oat milk for babies?

[Buttonnosedsausage]

Ds is 9 months old and has cmp and egg allergy.

He is still breastfed and I shall continue to do so. However, I would like to introduce more variety to his diet.
I have read about the unsuitability of rice and soya milk and was wondering whether oat milk would be a suitable alternative to dairy in cereal or to cook with.

TIA

Not at all - has little fat and has added salt in some varieties and some have very little calcium. Get your GP to prescribe you Pepti or Neutrimagen which both are suitable for CMP allergy.

I don't think oat milk has anything to offer a toddler. I certainly would steer clear of rice milk for a child too.

I'd go with breastfeeding and perhaps with the addition of soya milk, fortified with calcium and vitamins (Alpro, in the red carton, for example). It's safe. Some info, which you may find of interest: www.vegetarian.org.uk/factsheets/safetyofsoya.html

Breastmilk with soya for adding to food is a good plan! :)

By the way, you can also buy almond milk which I presume is naturally high in calcium and good fats. www.auravita.com/product/Ecomil-Organic-Almond-Drink.TWEN32720.html?RefId=220&adid=TWEN32720

I have used oat milk (calcium enriched) in cooking and with cereal occasionally, after another mum at Children's Centre recommended it. DD still bfeeds several times a day so am not using it as a milk as such, just a way of making certain dishes possible. HTH.

Bert2e, I'm waiting for an allergy appointment at the hospital. Until the allergies are comfirmed I cannot get hypoallergenic formula on perscription.

BoojaB, I've seen almond milk at the health food shop and I was wondering about that too. I'll look in to it.

FessaEst, That is exactly what I was wondering, whether anyone else uses oat milk as an alternative to dairy - not as a replacement. I intend to breastfeed for as long as possible.

Thank you all

Just a warning... There is a strong link between CMP and soya allergies. Most good allergists (or gastros etc) would recommend avoiding soya milk if you're also avoiding cow's milk. We've always been told to use Nutramigen in cooking, although I'd admit to using oat milk (and even - gasp - rice milk) in small quantities in cooking.

Can you not just get the gp to script it? How do you know it's CMP and not lactose out of interest. Totally agree with avoiding soy and especially in a boy due to the feminising effects of the phyto oestrogens.

Bert2e I believe ds isn't lactose intolerant as I was a lactose intolerant child and I could still eat yogurt and cheese.

Ds reacts badly to all yogurt and cheese introduced, even goats cheese and cheese powder.
I have on occasion given ds small quantities of soya yogurt. He doesn't have a reaction but I am weary of it because of the phyto oestrogens and the studies I read about the connection with Thyroid disorders (dh has a thyroid disorder)

I have however seen an hv who specialises in children with allergies. She seemed to promote soya as an alternative to dairy - when I mentioned the phyto oestrogens she just shrugged off the whole idea
I'm not going down the wysoy route. But that's a different thread.

The hospital appointment booked for this Thursday.

Sorry is booked for this Thursday.

We've used oat milk for cooking and on my DS's cereal since he was around 9 months on the advice of the dietician at GOSH. DS is mildly allergic to soya, but copes with small amounts OK, but she says to avoid it due to the oestrogen issues.
She suggested the calcium enriched version and DS has done very well on it for the last year. He still has 14oz of neocate formula a day though (morning and bedtime) as Oat milk is way too low in calories to have as a main drink.

Your GP can prescribe you hypo allergenic formula if you suspect CMP allergy, you don't have to wait for a

I thought it may be a buget issue.
I was told that gp would only percribe when the results of the allergy test were confirmed.

They even said that I was fortunate in getting a referral.
Apparently many gp are reluctant to refer a child to allergy clinics and there is a long waiting list for some.

There are long waiting lists at allergy clinics it seems. My DS was referred at just 3 weeks old but wasn't seen till he was 5 months - luckily we'd managed to stabilise him on nutramigen, and then neocate, at 10 weeks old (he weighed 1lb under birth weight at 10 weeks old) so already had a pretty good idea that there was a dairy issue going on. Was very handy to have a good range of food skin prick tests before weaning thought as he tested positive for egg, wheat and soya - though by 1 year wheat and soya was minimal and he can manage them.

hi

I have to but in here to say that yes nutrimigen and neocate etc are the best to have in terms of drinking for babies - because they have of course been developed with all the right balance of nutrients in mind.

However in my experience, having still got my son on neocate at 15 months, oatly is the best alternative for cooking (I am pretty sure you can't cook with either of the formulas and, significantly, even if you can, they taste so RANK, that you wouldn't want to share the food with your baby).

I use oatly - buy the non organic one, this is the one that is fortified with nutrients - for any cooking. it stands up to being used to make porridge, rice pudding, white sauce etc etc.

The oatly cream you can buy is excellent as a quick alternative for making a sauce like custard or to go in a vegetable or pasta bake type recipe,

Best of all, oatly is very palatable, so, if like me, you love cooking things you can all eat, we all enjoy it.

And, the dietician has also said she is happy my son having oatly as a drink at nursery when the other kids have their milk in a beaker at snacktime

Rice milk is very watery and I have been advised to steer clear of it anyway by my sons dietician - something to do with levels of something or other - mercury?? - that can be found.

You can use nutramigen in cooking - our first tin of it came with a really useful little cookery book. Littleweed is right though - you wouldn't catch me eating much made with it... bleurgh.

oh arsenic!! I knew it was something healthy and delicious...

I was on a dairy and soya free diet myself for 6 months whilst I breastfed my son. And, yes readingtealeaves, you'd have not caught me within 50 paces of a bowl of fruit and fibre with a nice serving of nutrimigen!!

Oatmilk and oatly cream I will actually drink or use in in cooking quite happily, it actually tastes quite pleasant.

For me, rice milk is just URGH so delighted (for me anyway) its not the thing to give my son anyway. Tried that the first day I gave up dairy and I nearly wept into my dishwater coloured morning cuppa.... tastes and looks just like rice cooking water.

Littleweed Rice cooking water is usually a baby's first food in many parts of asia, and rice is an added flavouring to many tea drinks

It's good to know that there are a few more alternatives. babybarrister Calcium enriched coconut milk sounds fantastic. Coconut plays a big part of our diet, I haven't heard of any others giving coconut to their babies.

I've been told that nutrimigen tastes like cabbage water, I'm hoping ds will take to it as he loves broccoli.
But we'll just have to wait and see.

that might well be buttonnosedsausage re rice milk but god I couldn't bear it.

My 8mo is on pepti junior for cmp allergy after bfing til 7months, lots of babies have milk and soya allergy so have been advised not to give lots of soya-based replacement as it can trigger the immune response against it. Have been using his formula in cooking but got some oat milk and rice milk today to try out. Made some mash with pure spread and oat milk, he ate tons of it! So pleased cos he's been living off blueberries and toast for the past few days.

If there is a specific CMP allergy, is goats milk not a viable alternative?

My ds had (what I thought) a dairy allergy. Milk and milk products made him vomit and made his exzema flare up.

I tried him on goats milk, and thankfully he's fine with that.

We got hives with goats milk too, shame cos its lovely!