rice milk vs soya anyone?

[Distracted]

I'm reproducing a thread I started earlier in the food section as I thought more people might read the allergies section?

I'm just switching my 14 month old ds from lactose free formula and wondering on the pros and cons of rice milk vs soya, or whether in fact I should actually be trying to get more prescription formula instead (he's been on SMA lactose free)? I notice that soya milk says it is unsuitable as a main milk source for children under 2 and found another thread here that suggested similar, as not enough calcium & other nutrients? Am also aware of issues with GM soya, allergies and maybe high levels of oestrogen, which is why I have gone for rice milk - although that is maybe not enough nutritionally either?

Bit of a long story but he developed lactose intolerance when I started weaning at about 6 months after a gut infection. Had lots of food intolerance problems too, but they all eventually sorted out and paediatrician advised to re-try dairy at 1 year old as the lactose intolerance should be temporary (he wasn't born with it, had been having ordinary formula prior to weaning). He's actually been fine with dairy in his food and when my latest batch of formula started to run out last week I started switching his milk over as well to cows milk. However, he did develop pretty bad diarrhoea, so am switching to rice milk instead at the moment.

He was unfortunately pretty ill last week too so the diarrhoea could have been part of the virus he has (rocketing high temperatures & chest infection) and also could be exacerbated by the antibiotics he's on, so it's hard to tell what's going on. For the moment though until he's fully better and finished antibiotics I need to keep his milk lactose free, then maybe I'll try again in a few weeks and see what happens.

Sorry - such a long post

Sorry if I misunderstood, why are you switching from the lactose free stuff?

You can get Wysoy (soya formula milk in a tin) which has all the nutrients they need.

in your position, I would probably continue with what you know he can handle until he's off antibs (which can cause diarrhoea) and he's fully better before you try any sort of new milk.

If he is fine with the current formula I wouldn't switch until later (DS was on formula until he was 19 months old).

Regarding Soya Milk and Rice milk, I have been told by a nutritionist that as long as they have 500ml of Rice milk enriched with calcium. They should be fine. Paediatrician said he was not keen on soya products for boys, but I didn't asked more about it because soon afterwards DS was diagnosed with soya allergy so he can't have any anyway.

Thanks for the advice. Reason for switching is that I've run out of the formula - it was deliberate as I was planning to switch to cows milk when the formula ran out, as he had been fine on dairy foods.

Perhaps you're right and I should stick to the formula for a bit longer if he won't tolerate cows milk. I will put in a repeat prescription for a few more tins to tide me over a bit longer, but it takes a few days to get. So in meantime will use rice milk rather than soya (perhaps the advice not to use soya for boys is due to the oestrogen levels?).

Can you buy lastose free milk??? We have it readily available here in oz at most supermarkets.

hi again distracted. Temporary lactose intolerance is common after taking antibiotics as they kill off good bacteria in the gut. I'd keep him on lactose free until the anntibiotics end then introduce live yoghurt as the bacteria in that restock the gut and enable him to handle lactose again. Doesn't sound like a permanent problem although you may want to keep him on probiotics for a while.

Thanks Tatt - I will give him yoghurt for a while before I re-try him on cows milk. Fingers crossed!

Mymama - Re. lactose free, you can buy lactose free formula milk without prescription but no-one routinely stocks it, you have to order it in specially and it costs a fortune (hence I prefer to get it on prescription!).

By the way, in terms of nutrients in rice milk vs lactose free formula I have now properly compared them. I bought calcium & vitamin enriched rice milk and it actually has more calcium in it than the formula, however, the only vitamins are A and D2 and that's it for vitamins and minerals. My tin of formula has about 20 vitamins and minerals as well as 3x the fat content, so I can see that rice milk is not so good nutritionally. On the other hand cows milk would be ok wouldn't it (if he tolerated it) and that doesn't have the vitamins and minerals just the fat and calcium. So perhaps I'm worrying too much, he can get fat in other ways from his diet?

It's not really very straight forward, if he can tolerate regular milk, I think that would be the first option. DS has lost of weight since we removed dairy from his diet and getting him to eat more fats is not especially easy (nutritionist suggested to add oil to his rice milk!yuk!) we have been giving him a FULL fat version of the food we eat and still he is getting thinner. :-(

The down side of milk and DS is that now that we have removed it we have seen the full extent of the allergy: the other day he had a tiny bit of cheese which was followed by a night of weezing, a bloated tummy, eczema flares on his face his face and a very stuffy nose the morning afterwards

my dietician told me boys aged 1-3 years need 350 mg of calcium a day. rice milk with calcium has 120 mg of calcium per 100 ml. Neocate, my ds's formula, contains 50 mg per 100 ml of made up product. I have switched to rice milk plus calcium recently, concerned he was not getting enough calcium as he doesn't take more than 250 ml of neocate a day, mixed in food. i occasionally give him a soya yoghurt enriched with calcium [also 120 mg per 100ml] but do worry about the oestrogen levels so have stopped. There is a calcium supplement you can get if your boy is not getting enough. I worry about my ds getting enough fat too, difficult as he can't have nuts or seeds or hummus. i also use a vitamin supplement called animal parade.

distracted - I meant lactose free milk not formula. We have it in the milk section of supermarket. Probably 3 or 4 varieties. I have a friend with dd who went straight from lactose free formula to lactose free milk without probs. Possibly an option when it eventually comes time to change from formula.

mymama - I don't think lactose free milk exists here, the only possibilities are soya or rice milk that I'm aware of.

Thanks Ruty & Chandra for your advice, I was worried about the fact that rice milk is so low fat, but the calcium content is actually higher than it was in his lactose free formula milk. You both sound like you've got it tough trying to find suitable substitutes in a dairy free diet. Fortunately my ds had been tolerating dairy in his food ok before I tried switching the milk, so I'm luck I can still give him yoghurts & hopefully that will make up some of the shortfall.

Lactose free milk also available in NZ, and I've seen it in the US. Maybe ask at health food shop. All it is is normal milk with lactase (the digestive enzyme) added to turn the lactose into glucose.

My dd and ds are both lactose intolerant and have been having rice milk (enriched) only from 12 months, like you say they get their fat from other things and are both doing well, and are healthy. We were told to avoid soya because of oestrogen levels can apparantly lead to early onset puberty in girls and can't remember what problems for boys, sorry.

Ds is allergic to milk protein and has been on rice milk - enriched - since switching from formula. He doesnt like the taste of soya milk on its own, but does eat it in cooking as well as soya cheese, yoghurt, and icecream.
I hadn't realised there was so much controversy! He is fit and healthy tho' on the slim side.

Have you asked for an appointment with the dietician at your local surgery ? - she helped us at that initial stage, going through ds's diet very carefully to make sure he was getting enough calcium, fat, vitamins etc. Just an idea

DS2 is also lactose intolerent, i'm confidnet he will grow out of it as his sister did but for the moment i'm sticking with formula (he is also 14 months). He is also soya intolerent and the dietician told me there were insufficient calories in rice milk to use it at this age. My pead has told me to continue to try dairy and he will be reviewed at 18 months.