Rice Milk - Okay as a drink for toddlers

[mairimac]

My DS is no 14 months old. At 6 mo he had a tummy bug leaving him with temporary milk intolerance for two months. We managed to get him back onto cow's milk formula but once we started with full cow's milk at 1 year we have had some really awful nappies. Now it seems he has a problem with milk. The doctor advised to just stop milk altogether as he doesn't need it as it's not his main nutrition anymore. To give other forms of calcium instead. I would prefer to give something and wondered if Rice Milk would be okay?
I have tried Soya when he was 6 mo old but and although he didn't vomit or anything while on the soya, he also ate like a horse and didn't gain any weight or grow at all in that time. Once back on cow's milk started growing and gaining weight again. SO not sure about the soya either! Any idea's most welcome. I'm also not sure if this is a full blown allergy or a temporary intolerance.

I think main shortcoming with rice milk is it's low on protein and fat. If you can get those supplied elsewhere in the diet, then it could be okay as long as it's not a main source of calories.

You could get calcium into him from green vegetables, too. And.. seseme nut butter, I think. I would try to see a qualified nutritionist, if I were you, to talk about the whole balance of the diet.

yes possibly to see someone is a good idea. However if the Doctor is suggested that milk is not necessary at this age, surely rice milk would be better than nothing, as long as calcium is being met elsewhere? I think the problem is with how much is consumed and not the milk as a whole. So maybe yoghurt and cheese will be okay but rice as a drink? Am so confused now and worried also - don't want to upset his nutrition.

Can't offer very much help other than that the Rice Dream I buy for my 13 month old ds (for cooking with rather than to drink at the moment as I am still bfing) has added calcium anyway. I think it's the low fat content that might be more of an issue. I would definitely ask your GP to refer you to a dietician - we are on the waiting list with ds; I am pinning my hopes on it as all the GPs and HVs give me differing advice and haven't really got much of a clue.

Are blood tests full proof? My DS had a blood test 3 months ago and they found nothing suggesting an allergy. However this has all come about since a tummy bug at 6.5 mo. Also what are the signs of a major allergy?
Yes my Doctor hasn't given me much hope or help he simply suggested stopping milk altogether and feeding him more. Try telling that to a toddler who wants a drink of milk first thing in the morning. I just want something that will be good for him to drink and give more foods at meal times!

If he's just getting 'awful nappies' on cow's milk since the bug it sounds more like a temporary intolerance / inability to digest than an actual allergy.
Agree that a nutritionist might be a good idea, but in the meantime goats' milk might be worth a try - might satisfy his morning milk craving without upsetting his tummy...

I know soya milk is not suitable for a main drink in under 2 year olds so I'm sure rice milk will be the same... was it a prescribed soya formular that your DS failed to thrive on? The cartons of soya have very little fat in them so I wouldn't be supprised if he put little weight on while on them..

If you do see a dietitian, ask to see one specialising in children...

It was the soy formula that he was on failed to thrive on so am reluctant to even try anything in that line again. I mean his tummy was fine during that time but failed to thrive! I also agree that it is an intolerance but what to do until such time. We are using goats milk at the moment which isn't making a huge difference per say. Am wondering what is normal in the way of nappies at this age, maybe I'm getting that side wrong? How do you know what is normal nappy for a 14 month old on solids? His Bm's are not solid, they are very very soft and a light brown colour (sorry being so descriptive).

If they're not so runny they're actually pourable and he's ok in himself then I think he's probably fine.
From a former life as an NHS poo tester I can say it's much harder to judge texture of poo from nappies - softness that an adult would never notice (because it'd just go plop) looks much more alarming once it's been sat in!
Do an archive search for 'toddler diarrhoea' as sloppy poos in otherwise healthy 1-4s are regularly posted about and generally there's nothing wrong at all.

Live yoghurt or probiotic supplements might help boost the 'friendly bacteria' in his gut and might make a difference.

my dd2 has been off dairy and soya since 12 months old. The consultant and dietician said that rice milk isn't suitable for a main drink as it's low fat - there are lots of prescribable formula milks for milk intolerant children - we've been using Pepti for nearly a year. It's the only way my dd2 maintains her body weight and doesn't lose anymore. Your dr will be able to prescribe it.

If he's dairy intolerant then goats milk will almost likely cause a reaction like the cows milk did.

Also, make sure that there's no milk in his other food (marg, bread etc) - it's hidden in lots of things

Hello, we used rice milk and got calories in from other foods especially lamb.

Calcium was from calcium syrup we got on prescription. Also used rice milk with added calcium where possible.

DS now is 4 and well built!

Gigwig - thanks, this is what I have been thinking. Getting calories and fat from other areas. Is far as Doc is concerned he doesn't really need the milk so surely giving some milk is better than NO milk and then concentrate on getting calories elsewhere. What about yoghurt, cheese and butter - did you still give regular products here or not? Also why Lamb specifically?

Ds was cows milk intolerant i put him on soy but he very quickly showed intolerance to that too. We tried goats milk and the same thing happened. So he had rice dream for 18 mths from when he was 17mths. He was breastfed till 16 mths so we didnt find out earlier. He loved his rice milk and just ate a varied diet with it, rice dream make one with extra calcium added. He was fine with it. Hope it helps

largeginandtonic - did you feed any other dairy products or did you take him off them altogher, like yoghurts and cheese. My ds loves them both and wonder what to do alteratively to this if going with Rice dream?

another thing - is your ds now on cow's milk or did he not grow out of his intolerance?

I had to take him off all dairy products. He could tolerate goats cheese and you can buy rice dream fake cheese slices, he also had soy and goats milk yoghurts but only in very small quatities. It was a nightmare, i took him to see a nutritionalist as i was worried but he grew fine and was very happy.

Luckily he grew out of the intolearce by the time he was about 3 and a half, i was still wary for a while but now at 4 and a half he is ok. It is nice to see him grab a normal yog out of the fridge without yelling "no, not that one". I had 3 other children too so it seemed so unfair he couldnt eat what they were. Still, all behind us now. Good luck and hope your little one grows out of it.

hi mm, DS doesnet eat any dairy containing foods, sometimes has soya yoghurts, uses dairy free spread etc.

Lamb, pears and rice are often recommended for people with food allergies as they dont often cause allergic reactions.