Soy vs. Cow's Milk-Based Formula

Cute_CNA, CNA · Feb 7, 2006

I won't claim that I know much about soy milk, but I will say that it makes my throat scratchy and inflamed.

LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 7, 2006

I think some of the concern is the quick assumption of fussiness=lactose intolerance/milk allergy and people switch to soy.

Soy has phytoestrogens which are good for people to supplement in their diet, but not much research has gone on as to what it does when it is the sole source of nutrition for 6+ months.

Also, the body needs lactose. True lactose intolerance is incredibly rare in infants and it does them a disservice by not giving them lactose in their diet.

Additionally, soy is fairly allergenic in and of itself, so if a child is truly allergic to milk proteins, switching them to soy is risky as they are clearly already prone to allergies.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2006

Are soy-based formulas as dangerous as our LC's article says? I'm having a hard time understanding this concept. If it were true, why would the AAP policy statement say that soy is ok? I really want to understand the whole soy vs cow's milk based formula debate. Can anyone point me to where I can research this more diligently?

Lactation consultants tend to be very biased when it comes to ANY type of formula feeding. This is a very upsetting post to me because I don't understand what they want people to do? Say a baby cannot get breastmilk for whatever reason and intolerant to cow's milk formulas. What in the world are we supposed to do?!?! Soy formula wouldn't be on the market if it was unsafe.

True, there are some specialized hypoallergenic formulas that are neither milk nor soy based that we use in the NICU for babies with special instestinal problems. However, they are not fit for every baby, and there is no need to give them if the baby tolerates soy formula. They are more expensive and sometimes very hard to find at the store. Plus, the top companies only add DHA to their regular cow's milk and soy formulas, but not to the rest of the special recipes they manufacture.

What does the article reccommend as an alternative to soy formula?

Gompers, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2006

I think some of the concern is the quick assumption of fussiness=lactose intolerance/milk allergy and people switch to soy.
Soy has phytoestrogens which are good for people to supplement in their diet, but not much research has gone on as to what it does when it is the sole source of nutrition for 6+ months.
Also, the body needs lactose. True lactose intolerance is incredibly rare in infants and it does them a disservice by not giving them lactose in their diet.
Additionally, soy is fairly allergenic in and of itself, so if a child is truly allergic to milk proteins, switching them to soy is risky as they are clearly already prone to allergies.

Well, I agree that people should not just be changing formulas for things like fussiness, and the pediatrician should definitely be involved in these cases. We even have the pediatric GI doc come and assess the baby and he'll prescribe certain formulas depending on what problems he recognizes. I'm talking about babies with true lactose intolerance, who are stooling blood and very sick after eating milk-based formulas. I'm wondering if the article addresses this population and what the recommendation is.

MissJoRN, RN · Feb 7, 2006

My neighbor (who has a family history of dairy allergies and did not wish to BF due to a job that brings her in contact with toxic chemicals) was told by someone at her hospital (LC, nurse, tech??) that she should not consider soy since it can cause homosexuality! They were a little taken aback by her abrupness, startling info, and the judgemental tone, as if that was the worst outcome possible for their daughter, (dad said... then I'll have two daughters, LOL)

This got me researching a little, and yes, there is a possible link to early puberty, generally concerns that the amt of phytoestrogens is variable but can be more than a perimenopausal woman would supplement with.

Gotta wonder though, how much of the hormones given to cows pass through to formula, too? Not sure that couldn't be linked to same problems?

JaneyW · Feb 7, 2006

Our LC at my last hospital posted a similarly inflammatory article stating that babies fed soy formula are more apt to be criminals and sociopaths. No lie! It was from a man who has 'done extensive studying on my own' trying to place blame for why his own son has spent so much time in juvenile detention. Of course, it has to be the soy formula!

Deirdre · Feb 7, 2006

I would love more info on this topic. I am allergic to milk products and what I found out first by suffering, then by research, is that if you are allergic to milk products it is highly likely that you will be allergic to soy as well. Sad isn't it!! I was so excited to have all these new soy products and they actually hurt my gut more than milk. I just want to address the post that stated "if it weren't safe it wouldn't be on the market", if only that were true, aside from cigarettes, there have been many drugs pulled from the market-celebrex for one. Many things make it into the hands of us trusting consumers that are unsafe. I just want to know why after all these years, can't they make a formula that tastes good for these poor little guys??? :rolleyes:

Gompers, BSN, RN · Feb 7, 2006

I just want to know why after all these years, can't they make a formula that tastes good for these poor little guys???

I've tasted bits of formula here and there at work - since we use so many and they all smell bad, I was curious! :barf02:

My nephew ate Carnation Good Starts for his first year. The kid never spat up, rarely had gas, and was generally a very happy baby that slept like a log at night from the time he was a few months old. They ain't kidding about those "comfort proteins" that are more broken down! It didn't smell bad at all, and while it wasn't delicious, I could easily drink it without gagging.

It will be my formula of choice when I have babies. They even use it in our NICU and Peds home care - they use after the kids are well enough to not need the very expensive elemental formulas (Neocate, Pregestamil, Elecare) anymore.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 7, 2006

Wow. I raised four kids on soy formula, and every one of 'em grew up strong and healthy. I don't know if it was actually the formula that made them that way, but I do know they were sick less often and missed fewer days of school than their classmates. In fact my younger daughter never missed a single day in three years of middle school, and both sons won attendance awards in elementary school as well. They got maybe 2 colds per year (as compared with the average of 5 or 6 in 'normal' children), and would pick up a stomach virus every now and again, but that was it.......they just didn't get sick the way most kids do, and they still don't.

Oh yeah........none of 'em are criminals either, unless you count that my youngest, who was barely 10 years old when he wandered onto our neighbor's property with another kid. I'll be the first to admit he shouldn't have been there, but instead of running them off his property, like most people would've done, this neighbor called the sheriff, and Ben was charged with trespassing:rolleyes: Talk about an unlikely criminal........I'm STILL p*ssed at his having been dragged into the juvenile court system, a skinny little wide-eyed kid scared half out of his mind. Thankfully, I'll be able to get his record expunged later this year, after he turns 15.........it just doesn't seem fair, that's all.:angryfire

OK, end of rant........sorry. I just wanted to say I think soy formula was the right decision for my own kids, whose families on both sides are lousy with allergies of all kinds. I also don't believe it's the cause of homosexuality, criminality, or any of the other issues some people associate with bottle-feeding, period. JMHO. :mad:

JaneyW · Feb 7, 2006

Maria-

The healthiest of my three was also the one that had the most Soy. He is also the best student and very much a rule-follower. But I think genetics probably had more to do with that. I am a firm believer of breastfeeding and I wish I had tried harder to do it and had better teaching, BUT my three mostly bottle-fed kids are doing great and I just can't bring myself to call formula poison or start blaming it for the ills of society. I was fed homemade formula--evaporated milk and karo syrup anyone?? and am healthy and no slouch in the intellectual department.

Having said all of that, PLEASE don't flame me!! I spend many hours at work promoting breasting and early bonding with my patients in a positive and encouraging way (the way I wish I had been treated!) and have had great success and happy moms and babies. I try to focus on the positives and benefits and normality of breasting instead of the negatives of bottling. I had my kids during the early 90s amid a harsh and militant breasting culture and it did me no good at all. I still get up and walk out of breasting classes when they get too militant and punitive. By being the kind of perinatal nurse I wish I had, I feel I am making positive change for my patients.

LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 8, 2006

The problem with "getting the ped involved", is that most of them have very little training on nutrition and lactation. Many are 'schooled' by the beliefs they grew up with, that it's not uncommon for a baby to be lactose intolerant, that allergies to mother's milk are probable and that schedules will do a baby good.

Formula is an alternative to breastmilk, but it is not comparable. They don't even know yet whether DHA is actually beneficial the way it is added to formula. There were major health problems before from different formulations that the companies tried and we later found out were harmful. And, I believe that in a truly lactose intolerant baby, they should be very careful with any of the "main" soy/lactose free formulas, because they aren't truly lactose free.

The problem is that it becomes a loaded issue, with people thinking they are being accused of being a horrible parent for not BFing. That and the amount of money poured in by formula companies makes it very difficult to make real headway in the situation. Moms are defensive about the choice they make, propogating the same misinformation to their children, who are defensive about the choices their mother made and that they make, furthering the cycle.

Think of it like russian roulette in a way. We play it every day with so many of our own choices. Many kids will be absolutely fine with formula. But, you run the risk that your child might be one of those who desperately needed that additional nutrition, those extra antibodies. Your child was healthy on formula. They would have been just as healthy on Bmilk, if not moreso, if you can get there. If a child is sickly and is Bfed, it will only get worse by removing that extra immune support and nutrition by switching to formula. So, you might have a wonderfully smart and healthy child, but you could lose the roulette, and have a child whose life might have been saved if they were Bfed. Unfortunately, we have absolutely no way of knowing ahead of time.

I'm sure if we could pinpoint a baby and say "Joey will die at 9 months from RSV if he fed formula," that mom would either nurse or get donor milk. Or if we knew for sure that preemie Katie would definitely get NEC if she was supplemented, we would be sure to not do it. But we have no way of knowing. So, we cross our fingers and hope for the best, which is all we can do in life for many things, and encourage people to not play the game in the first place.