The American Academy of Paediatrics Committee on Nutrition stated publicly that soy protein based formulas are safe and effective alternatives to provide appropriate nutrition for normal growth and development1
Has your baby had diarrhoea before? It is quite likely that your answer is yes because in Singapore, acute diarrhoea, or gastroenteritis, is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in children. Or perhaps you have noticed that your baby's skin is often marred by unsightly rashes or eczema, which is usually a result of an allergic reaction to cow's milk.
In both cases, a common practice is to switch from cow's milk based formula to a soy-based formula. It is temporary in the case of diarrhoea. However, for those allergic to cow's milk protein, the switch is for the long-term.
You should not be concerned in any case. Dr Terence Tan, a Consultant Paediatrician in private practice, says reports have seen no differences in the growth and development between babies fed on cow-milk formula and those fed on soy-based formula.2
Experiences of mothers such as Madam Pang Yee Ling, 34, also bear this out. Madam Pang has fed her two children soy-based milk formula after weaning them from the breast.
After breast-feeding her elder child, Claire, for 18 months, Yee Ling weaned her onto dairy formula but she became concerned about her baby's bad skin rashes. She was dismayed when the doctor told her that Claire was probably allergic to the cow's milk formula. He advised her to switch to soy based formula.
"I had my concerns. I doubted if such a product could help my child grow healthy and strong," Yee Ling recalls. "But the doctor told me that it had all the nutrition that a baby would need."
Soy formula provides a complete protein, explains Dr Tan. "This means that it has the essential amino acids needed for growth and development."
"So far, soy formula has been found to be safe," says Dr Tan. "It is a well-established alternative protein source when a child cannot tolerate cow's milk for one reason or the other."
Today, Yee Ling no longer worries. Claire is a bundle of energy at six years and performing above average in school. Indeed, due to Claire's problems, when Yee Ling had her second child, Caleb, she had him tested for allergy to cow's milk. It was positive. So after breast-feeding him for 18 months, she straightaway weaned him onto soy-based formula. And likewise, Caleb, now three, is growing up healthy and strong.
Yee Ling's experience mirrors that of many other mothers with babies who are intolerant or allergic to lactose or protein in cow's milk. For such babies, switching to a soy-based formula breaks the vicious circle of feeding and allergic outbreaks.
The other common reason for switching to soy formula is when a child has acute diarrhoea. "In acute viral diarrhoea, the main problem is that the kids cannot digest or process lactose. So being lactose-free, soy-based milk formula is a very good option," explains Dr Tan.
In fact, a study published by Dr Upton Allen and a team of doctors in 1994 showed that babies with acuted diarrhoea recovered faster when fed with soy-based formula than babies on milk-based formulas.3
Given that an attack of acute diarrhoea is one of the most common ailments in childhood, it might be expedient to have a can of soy milk formula at hand in your kitchen cupboard.
But which soy formula should you choose? Be sure that you give a follow-up formula that contains higher protein and calcium levels for babies above 6 months. Older babies need more calcium and protein to fuel their growth.
"Soy formula is an ideal temporary substitute that can help shorten the duration of diarrhoea and treat the problem, says Dr Tan."
A. When babies have acute diarrhoea, they cannot tolerate lactose. Soy formula is lactose-free, so we switch to soy temporarily. The other situation is when the child has cow's milk protein allergy and that of course, is longer-term, for up to a year or more. Having said that, breastmilk remains the best option for the first year. It is protective against allergies, has no lactose, and is effective in children who have acute diarrhoea.
A. So far, soy formula has been found to be a safe alternative to breastmilk and cow's milk. Soy is a well-established alternative protein source when the child is not breastfeeding or cannot tolerate cow's milk for one reason or the other. Soy is a very good alternative because it is a complete protein, that is, it has essential amino acids. We do not see any difference between cow's milk-fed babies and soy-milk fed babies.
A. Babies are often creatures of habit so when there is a change in what is usual, sometimes parents have trouble getting the baby to accept that change. Sometimes, you can mix the formulas for a while, then go completely to soy. That way, baby gets the change in taste gradually. Many children do prefer the taste of soy milk formula over alternatives like lactose-free formulas.
A. Lactose-free formula is based on cow's milk with lactose removed. So there is no role in lactose-free formula in preventing or avoiding cow's milk allergy. In such cases, the main issue will be choosing between a hypoallergenic formula and soy milk formula. Some hypoallergenic formulas are not fully-hydrolysed and still contains some milk proteins. So they can still cause some allergic reactions in children who are allergic to cow's milk. Thus, the very allergic child will have to switch to fully-hydrolysed milk formula or soy formula. Fully-hydrolysed formulas are very expensive and not very palatable. For acute diarrhoea cases, either lactose-free or soy milk formula can be prescribed. I often recommend soy formula because it is accessible and often parents have a fairly good idea what soy formula is.
Multivitamin syrup supplement for children 1 year & above