To think that vegan/soy based formula is not the right thing to feed a growing baby

[Wingingthiswholething]

Obviously in an ideal world breast milk is the better option. Some people chose not to BF, some people can't, some people struggle with milk production so mix feed. All fine. I prefer a fed baby.

But I've recently become aware that vegan formula is a thing. It is dairy free and plant based.

Surely this isn't enough to feed growing babies?

I don't really know a lot about it so am going to have a read out of curiosity, but I'm not remotely convinced that it is...well...a good idea. Same as feeding a dog a vegan diet.
Fair enough have your own dietary preferences, but is it wise to push that on an infant?

Aware this might be a triggering post. And I understand why some people don't like the dairy industry. Just very surprised that this is fed to babies.

Formula isn’t a natural food for babies. Cow’s milk is a raw ingredient but it is far from the only one. This is an ingredients list from a leading brand

Ingredients
Water, Skimmed Milk, Lactose (from Milk), Vegetable Oils (Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, High Oleic Sunflower Oil), Whey Products (Demineralised Whey, Whey Protein) (from Milk), Galacto-Oligosaccharides (GOS) (from Milk), Emulsifiers (Mono and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Soy Lecithin), Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS), Fish Oil, Vitamin C, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide), Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate, Oil from Mortierella Alpina, Calcium Hydroxide, Vitamin E, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Taurine, Inositol, L-Phenylalanine, L-Tyrosine, Magnesium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Potassium Hydrogen Phosphate, Ferrous Lactate, Zinc Sulphate, Cytidine 5'-Monophosphate, Uridine 5'-Monophosphate Sodium Salt, Vitamin A, Inosine 5'-Monophosphate Sodium Salt, Adenosine 5'-Monophosphate, L-Carnitine, Ferrous Sulphate, Nicotinamide, Pantothenic Acid, Guanosine 5-Monophosphate Sodium Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Copper Gluconate, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin D3, Copper Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin K1, Biotin, Vitamin B12

Why would the presence of dairy in formula make it in any way better for ‘growing babies’?

Soya would not be as first choice alternative for babies with allergy or intolerance as there are others that would be more suitable. It is not actually recommended for babies under 6 months old

From NHS site:

Soyaformula

Suitable from:six months, but only under medical supervision.

Soya formula is made from soya beans, not cows' milk.It's occasionally used as an alternative to cows' milk formulafor babies who have cows' milk allergy.

There are some concerns about the fact that soya contains phytoestrogens. These are found naturally in some plants.

The chemical structure of phytoestrogens is similar to the female hormone oestrogen. Because of this there are concerns that they could affect babies’ reproductive development, especially in babies who drink only soya-based infant formula.

Babies' lower body weight means that they take in much higher amounts of phytoestrogens than adults and older children who eat soya products as part of a mixed diet.

Also, because soya formula contains glucose instead of the milk sugar lactose, it's more likely to harm babies' teeth.

Onlyuse soya formula if it has been recommended or prescribedby your health visitor or GP.

great article @derxa. Humans had to evolve to tolerate drinking milk (at least, as adults) so you might almost argue that soya was a more natural substitute for breast milk! A lot fewer people are intolerant of soya than lactose!

Mine had breast milk with me and then soy formula at nursery. Cow milk formula brought him out in a rash.

Cows milk is made for baby cows, not baby humans. I agree fed is best but as long as the baby is hitting milestones and growing properly there isn’t an issue

I think people often use the term ‘dairy free’ to describe milks used for CMPA eg nutramigen. They usually contain hydrolysed proteins to prevent reaction but the proteins have a source and that source isn’t vegan. Soya is different but some babies are also allergic. Interesting to learn about the vitamin D source - there aren’t really many/ any completely vegan alternatives to breast milk for babies pre weaning.

Cows milk is made for baby cows They're called calves.

Well OP I am going to tell you what I think is BU

A family that was kicked out of a vegan restaurant in my town for giving the baby formula.

They can argue their position all they want, but I draw the line at that.

Mines has CMPA and reacts negatively to soya.

Dietician input to get everything little one needs/for calories etc

People have different views and ways of doing things.

Some of the messages on this thread are astonishing. My elder daughter was prescribed soya milk from the age of four months as she had awful colic. She is now 23 years old, very healthy, no significant illnesses and she also has perfect teeth, no fillings. She is very fit and slim. Also studying to be a vet so pretty clever. She is vegan although brought up vegetarian, but as a baby that was not a consideration in the choice of formula.

YABVU.
Soya formula marketed in the UK has to conform to numerous stringent health and safety standards. That's the law.

With regards to comparing it to "normal" formula, you do know that "normal" formula contains cow's milk, don't you?

Are you aware that cow's milk is for baby cows?

It still isn't advised under 6 months. I'd rather give cows milk than soya tbh

Soya formula is no less natural than cow milk formula, both are artificial and highly processed foods.
As for the oestrogen in soya - the Japanese eat massive amounts of soya compared to Europeans, and yet they are the people with the longest life expectancy. Traditional Japanese cuisine doesn't use milk products at all. So the lack of milk products and the huge amounts of soya don't seem to be doing the Japanese any harm.
I think the milk industry does invest a lot of money to maintain the public opinion that milk is good for you, and this includes creating bad publicity for alternatives.

The vegans I know are militant breastfeeders. Soy is used for those who cannot tolerate milk and are already bottle feeding. It has to comply with strict rules. They recommend formula until 2 if using soy

baby cows? Why use this term. Cows are female and they feed male and female calves.

99mTc, to add to your excellent comments on the soya consuming, cow's milk avoiding Japanese, they suffer far lower rates of oestrogen induced breast cancer than women in the UK.

The argument that soya isn't good for people due to plant oestrogens is somewhat diminished by Japan's statistics.

“I don't really know a lot about it so am going to have a read out of curiosity, but I'm not remotely convinced that it is...well...a good idea.”

You should have just deleted your message after saying you don’t know anything about the subject. Why not do your research BEFORE posting on MN?

Formula designed for use by babies with cows milk protein allergy (dairy allergy) is not vegan. It is made safe for CMPA kids by breaking down the protein in the milk so that it doesn’t trigger an allergic reaction or made with other non-vegan ingredients.

Even the soya based infant formulas are not advertised as vegan. They are simply advertised as suitable for vegetarians.

There are only a handful of actually vegan formulas and they seem to be rice based.

I would never feed this stuff to a baby of mine. Although, having read through the ingredients list of several non-vegan formulas they are equally full of questionable ingredients like corn syrup.

I think it makes perfect sense to have started giving cows milk to babies.

Obviously now the proteins can be analysed and replicated (well, not fully, but nutritional values etc can be determined) so it's a bit different.

But, had I been born in the past I think I'd have felt much happier feeding my baby something that was fed to another baby mammal rather than nuts/pulses ground with water.

My baby boy was in and out of hospital for the first year of his life - after bf we put him onto dairy formula, after weeks of various symptoms we found out he was allergic to dairy. From then in he had soya formula and went onto other dairy free products. He is now 17 yrs old and a strapping young man, healthy and happy (although now intolerent to dairy but not allergic) .

I think it’s fair enough for the OP to start a conversation on something that they want to understand more about before researching - although the subject matter does unfortunately lend itself to being torn apart

I’m another one who doesn’t think humans - especially babies - should consume milk from other animals. I don’t tell other people want to do, but my personal opinion is that it’s not a requirement and it’s damaging for the animals involved so I avoid it.

I do think it makes little sense for the milk of another animal (why cows specifically??) to be so beneficial for children when so many are allergic!

why cows specifically

I guess because so many people seem to think cows are magic milk making machines and that we are somehow doing them a favour by milking them...

I think it’s fair enough for the OP to start a conversation on something that they want to understand more about before researching - although the subject matter does unfortunately lend itself to being torn apart

My threads don't often get a lot of replies so it makes a nice change 😂

I have 3 children all dairy & soya free.

There are other sources of calcium than dairy. As a poster said above in Japan they live off soya & consume no dairy products or very little.

My children would be on that formula if I wasn’t breastfeeding because none of them can tolerate dairy or soya.

I am also healthier & happier dairy free.
If you google natural sources of calcium there’s more calcium in other sources than actually in milk.

I'm not vegan but I'm uncomfortable with the dairy industry. Although I eat cheese (as difficult not to love) , we will buy soya/almond/oat milk instead of dairy milk.

I've just thought reading this thread that my 3 children haven't drunk dairy milk. All were breastfed for ages, then just ate what we had in the house.

They are in juniors/high school ages now and fit healthy. I don't think the omission of cows milk has been to their detriment.