Should I stick to Oatmilk or request formula

[rainbowlight]

My 16mo DS is allergic to milk and soya (along with other foods) so he currently has oatmilk with food and as a drink. I am still BF him so I have never had neocate or nutramigen prescribed but I am just getting concerned if oatmilk is nutricious enough or would he be better of with formula and which one would be best? I have no plans to stop bf but just want to make sure that he is getting all the goodness he can as his diet is extremley restricted and he does drink quite alot of oatmilk on top of the BF. We are seeing the Paed this week so an ideal time to ask for a prescription.

By no means a medical opinion - but I think he's probably a bit old for formula. My DD was prescribed nutramigen formula for severe dairy allergy when she was 11 months, and even then the consultant and the nutritionist were umming and aahing about whether she should just have soya milk instead. So long as he's having a balanced diet, with lots of green leafy veg and calcium rich food eg ready brek, sardines etc, and protein from other sources, eg meat, beans, then he shouldn't be missing out. If you can find a rice or oat milk with added calcium then great, but he's getting some breastmilk anyway (although probably not a huge amount at this age?). I would just talk to the Paed, who will probably refer you to a nutritionist anyway (if you're not already under one)to double check his diet is varied enough.

Anyway, you don't want the faff of making up bottles of formula every night!

Good luck with the appointment

Thanks Claire - I am concerned that he isn't getting a balanced diet - he is also allergic to beans, eggs, lentils, peas, sunflower oil and fish and isn't keen on his green veg but I do hide spinach etc in soup and pasta sauces. He loves his meat so has alot of that which is one good thing. We see a dietician next week - this is a new one the previous one who has now left wasn't very helpful! I am not going to stop BF I was only thinking of getting it for the days when I am at work as he drinks alot of oatmilk during the day. I am just worrying about all aspects of his health at the moment as he has recently been diagnosed with asthma & hayfever ontop of his eczema and allergies so just want to make sure I am doing everything I possibly can! I will talk it over with the Paed and see what she says - we also see an Pead allergy specialist at the end of this month so they may have better advice for us.

At his age he could have Neocate Advanced. This is flavoured (I think there is Tropical flavour or Chocolate, but not 100% sure on that since we tried the infant stuff not the advanced stuff). Anyway, that is made for children over a year old with multiple allergies and also has more calories than standard Neocate if that is also an issue. Otherwise Cow and Gate Pepti tastes better than Nutramigen. I'd more or less given up trying to get ds2 to drink any of them, but he accepted Pepti straight away (even whilst still breastfeeding!).

sorry rainbowlight, didn't realise you were coping with so many allergies, in which case ignore me completely, formula might not be such a bad idea for a restricted diet. Nutram. is foul, I agree, but we got DD to drink it by gradually mixing it in with ebm over a few weeks, and she loves it now (I gag when making it up, but needs must!). I'm sure the paed can recommend the best one.

I was recently told that is is usual for children with dairy (etc) allergies to be on formula until they are 2. ds was on Pepti til he was 2 - felt so odd, but he can't have milk and there arent the same nutrients in rice / oat milk. Now he is older than 2, he has oat milk, but a very varied diet (as the only other allergies he has are nuts and eggs, and he can tolerate most dairy, just not milk)
I would definitely discuss it with the paed, or ask your doctor for Pepti, which is reasonably palatable
good luck

Ds1 was on formula (Pepti) until 2. We could have stopped at age 1 but he was a skinny little shrimp so they recommended we give it another year. After that he needed a vitamin D suppliment until he lost his cows milk allergy (he is still a skinny little shrimp, obviously as nature intended him, which may suggest we never needed the formula in the first place).

I think if your ds is a big, strapping chap then I wouldn't worry about formula but maybe just get a multivitamin supplement to add to the oatmilk ~(we had dalivit on prescription) but if calories are an issue then by all means ask for formula.

I think it wouldn't hurt to ask for some formula although he should be fine if you are stil bfing him and he eats well. Getting him to drink it is another matter!!

My DS has similar allergies to your DS (egg, dairy, beans, lentils, soya) and I ended up bfing him until he was 2 as he wouldn't take any formula and when I went back to work when he was 13 months I only bf him morning and night.

Now he's 2 he just has oat or rice milk.

His weight has always been fine so I haven't worried about him in that respect. I do try to make sure he eats enough veg etc (he will only eat carrots, broccoli etc in soups or sauces as well). I am thinking of asking for a multivitamin as well just to make sure.