Next Step with Milk Allergy

Have you tried raw milk? My friend's sons are allergic to milk but not raw milk. Something about the enzymes in raw milk and how they help with digestions.

Hi K.~
I would try him on enriched rice milk and also make sure he's getting other "good" fats in his diet like avocados and flax. The flax oil you can hide in his food and avocados make great finger foods!! Hit up your local health food store's book section to find great books on cooking for kids with allergies.

I also have a child with severe allergies, including the ones you've mentioned with your son. Potato milk is our "milk" of choice. Oat is another option for us. The potato milk has a similar texture to dairy and is a little sweet. You can buy it online and at health food stores - I know Simple Enough in Westboro carries it (that's local for me). Of course, these can't really replace the dairy or soy entirely nutritionally so you need to make sure that your son is getting his calcium from other foods like spinach, kale, beans (those are some of our favorites). Take care.

Both my boys (3yo & 20mo) are on RiceDream Enriched Vanilla Rice Milk. That takes care of the A, D & Calcium requirements. The big piece we have to add is whole fats. So I add a squeeze of flaxoil to the rice milk. It looks funny, but it gets into their system. Also, since rice can be a bit binding the flax helps to loosen things up. My 3yo is in daycare and has recurring bouts of constipation when I leave out his flax oil.
Since we all eat meat, protein hasn't been an issue.

I would suggest rice milk there are other ways to get calcium, vitamin A & D but I would talk to your ped. first

They do make a Neocate Jr. that is meant for older children with allergies. Ask your pedi about it.

Hi K., my son also has multiple food allergies. Instead of cows milk he can have the Rice Dream Enriched rice milk. He loves it and our pediatrician said it has all the calcium he would need. HOpe this helps.
M. W.

you should ask to see a pediatric GI specialist. there are different formulas like neocate for older kids(one is called neocate jr).

goat milk! best and cheapest if you can find a small local farm to get it fresh. my son with the same allergies (minus egg) has been drinking goat milk since he turned one. I wasn't comfortable giving him rice milk b/c it is so high in sugar.

My daughter who is now 18 months old has been off dairy, soy, gluten, egg, and nuts since she was 9 months old. She has been drinking mainly water and only recently drinking some juice and rice milk. Before she would never drink the juice or milk. I wouldn't worry about the milk issue. My daughter does take a calcium chewable though from Nutrition Now - Rhino. She absolutely loves it. Really, the only reason I was ever given for the whole milk was for the calcium. Since she doesn't handle dairy and her brothers don't handle soy, we don't use either of those but enriched rice milk. Just be warned that those charts they track weight and height on are based off from non-nursing whole milk drinking kids which are heavier. I didn't know this and therefore was freaking out there was something wrong with my daughter. But she is fine. Oh, she is still nursing too on occasion. So your son might not follow the chart the same without the dairy. Just wanted to warn you so you don't freak too.

In this case, I really think you need to ask your Pediatrician or Allergist what the next step is; these kinds of allergies are serious stuff, and working directly with the doctor/nutritionist seems the best course of action to me.

Good Luck!!!

It is very rare to have a true soy allergy. Most people are reacting to poor quality soy or the alcohol it is processed with. There are many people with "soy allergies" who can take Reliv, a soy-based nutritional supplement. There is a special kids' formula. The only difference is, your child would start out very slowly with small amounts. Reliv users have great results with allergies and many other issues through nutrition but also detoxifying the body. The majority of health issues in the US are diet-related (allergies, heart disease, diabetes, etc.) so boosting the immune system is the way to better health. It's possible your son could be allergy free. Reliv products are patented (hardly any food products are, so this is a real distinction) and the company has been highly rated by so many sources - Forbes, Fortune, Success and Business Week magazines, DeMarche and the Direct Selling Association, and twice honored by the Vatican for its humanitarian work in feeding 40,000 people a day! Reliv is formulated by Dr.Carl Hastings, a world renowned scientist and soy expert. He formulated ProSoBee and Enfamil formulas, widely respected and used by millions of kids, and is committed to worldwide health in children and adults. I would work directly with Reliv scientists at the highest level if I were you. Let me know if you are intersted and I will get you connected to the top people. Good luck! There is hope!

Hi K. -

My son Eli (who is now 5) was allergic to milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts and melons when he was 1. I kept him on the special formula until he was about 20 months, but we gave it to him in his special sippy cup rather than a bottle. And I introduced the enriched Rice Milk. The Rice Dream Vanilla Enriched is a little sweeter and has many of the same vitamins as regular milk. That is also when we started multivitamins that have calcium. There is a great chewable or gummy vitamin that is made in nut free plant that is available at Health Food Stores (I forgot the name sorry). I've also found chewy vitamins that are allergen free at BJs. For the next few years you will be searching for ways to add protein and calcium to you son's diet, so this is a good time to find out what he likes.

Good Luck! And know that you are not alone.
R.

Hi K.,
My daughter battled multiple food allergies, as well. She switched from Neocate to Neocate Junior around age one. She was on Neocate Jr. for several months before being able to switch to soy milk. The Jr. formula meets the needs of a growing toddler better than the original Neocate. She did well on it. She just turned 2 and is still gluten-free, but we have recently been able to add milk to her diet. Hope this helps... good luck!

I would ask your pediatrician about using an alternate whole milk source- such as goat or sheep. The problem with soy, almond, and rice milks is that they don't offer the fat that is still vitally important to your baby's brain development and caloric needs. You may be able to have your doctor test for sensitivity first, and then if everything is ok there, just be aware and watch for symptoms of sensitivity developing over time with use.

Hi K.,
My son has a dairy allergy. It is not severe, but I was able to get a referral from his dr. to see a nutrionalist. It was great to get some expert opinions. I give my son Rice milk & soy milk. He was small for a long time & I was told to give him oil as well to makew up for the lack of Milk fat. Maybe a seed milk( high in good fat). I think as long as he gets the fat somewhere you are ok with Rice milk. Good luck.