Today’s generation of children could aptly be called Generation A where the “A” stands for allergies.
Food intolerances of all kinds are rampant with the very first frequently becoming apparent when a formula fed infant demonstrates an allergy to commercial milk based formula.
The typical recommendation by a conventional doctor in this case is to put the baby on a soy based formula such as Isomil or ProSobee. About 25% of American babies are fed soy infant formula according to the website of Dr. Sears.
Elemental infant formula might also be suggested, but these are usually reserved for preterm infants and those with specific medical problems such as severe allergies to both milk and soy. Elemental formulas also tend to be foul tasting compared with milk or soy based formula and babies tend to reject them for this reason.
Many parents make the switch to soy formula in haste hoping to ease the digestive discomfort their child is experiencing on milk formulas not realizing the full implications of their decision.
In some cases, parents may never even try a dairy formula at all if a milk allergy already runs in the family. There is no evidence that using soy formula reduces the risk of a dairy allergy later, however. For this reason, the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against the use of soy formula in infants who are potentially allergic to cow’s milk. Milk based formula should still be the first choice even in those situations.
Why Soy Formula is So Dangerous for Babies
The primary problems with soy formula are threefold: trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid and worst of all: phytoestrogens.
Trypsin inhibitors are proteins found in plentiful amounts in soybeans that inhibit digestion and absorption of nutrients. They are large in size and require application of high heat for appreciable periods of time to neutralize.
The industrialized process of producing soy infant formula deactivates the majority of trypsin inhibitors. Unfortunately, some remain and even in low amounts, they have been found to prevent normal growth in rats. Given that a baby’s brain grows at its most rapid rate the first year of life, growing to about 75% percent of adult size (it is 25% of adult size at birth), even a slight retardation of growth could be devastating to development of the brain and nervous system.
Phytic acid is an organic acid, which like trypsin inhibitors, is present in large amounts in soybeans. Phytic acid is present in the outer portion of all seeds and blocks the absorption of critical minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and particularly zinc.
Unlike other seeds, soybeans have extremely high amounts of a type of phytic acid that is particularly resistant to deactivation. Researchers testing soy formula in 1967 found that soy formula caused zinc deficiency in every single infant who received it.
Zinc is known as the intelligence mineral because it is critical for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. As a result, deficiency of this nutrient in infants at a time when the brain is growing at its most rapid rate could have lifelong implications and possibly reduce IQ.
Phytoestrogens or isoflavones represent the most serious problem with soy infant formula. These estrogen-like compounds have the potential to disrupt baby’s hormonal system for life.
According to the Weston A. Price Foundation:
Toxicologists estimate that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. By contrast, almost no phytoestrogens have been detected in dairy-based infant formula or in human milk, even when the mother consumes soy products. A recent study found that babies fed soy-based formula had 13,000 to 22,0000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula.
Flooding of an infant boy’s bloodstream with female like hormones has the potential to cause serious developmental problems at puberty. During the first few months of life, a baby boy has testosterone levels that could be as high as that of an adult male. This “testosterone surge” readies the baby boy’s hormonal system for puberty both for normal development of the sexual organs and also patterns of male behavior.
Could soy infant formula be responsible for the increasing problem of boys where physical maturation is delayed or even completely absent with retarded development of the sexual organs?
Baby girls fed soy infant formula may suffer negative hormonal impact as well from early soy exposure. In a 2010 study, time-to-menarche was assessed in 2,884 girls. Those girls identified as early soy fed via soy infant formula had a rate of menarche in early adolescence (before age 12.5) that increased by 42%.
Early sexual development in girls can herald serious problems with the reproductive system later in life such as unexplained infertility and breast cancer.
Research from 2012 published in Biology of Reproduction’s Papers-in-Press describes the effects of plant estrogens found in soy on the mouse oviduct. The study was specifically designed to model the effects of soy-based baby formula on human infants. The results of the study suggest that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to negatively affect a woman’s fertility as an adult.
Organic Soy Formula No Protection from Soy Dangers
Some parents mistakenly believe that genetically modified soy is the main problem and that buying organic soy formula is protective for their infant.
Nothing could be further from the truth. While organic soy formula does indeed provide a better quality source of soy, organic soy still has the same problems as GM soy – trypsin inhibitors, high levels of phytic acid, and large amounts of hormone disrupting plant estrogens that can devastate baby’s development and hormonal system.
Parents wishing to provide the highest quality formula for their baby should breastfeeding not be an option should consider a homemade formula from grassfed raw milk. Most babies allergic to commercial dairy formula surprisingly have no problem with a homemade raw milk formula and in the rare case where a dairy allergy presents with the homemade milk based formula, a hypoallergenic formula based on homemade broth and pureed meat can be utilized.
Click here for detailed recipes and a comprehensive training video illustrating how to make either the milk based or hypoallergenic formula.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources: Why Babies Should Not Be Fed Soy
How neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility
The Tragedy of Soy Infant Formula
EARLY LIFE SOY EXPOSURE AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT: AN ASSESSMENT OF
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, PLAY BEHAVIOR AND TIME-TO-MENARCHE
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{ 105 comments… read them below or add one }
So what can someone do if they did give their baby soy formula?
I think if someone fed their child soy formula, they just do the best they can now! You can’t change the past, so you take a deep breath and change the present and the future! That might be working on diet, working with an alternative health professional, etc. or whatever is best for you and your family.
YES! We can’t undo the mistakes of the past .. we just move forward with what we know now.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Why Soy Formula (even organic) is So Dangerous for Babies
Nutrient dense, traditional diet to build the child up and lots of prayer.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Why Soy Formula (even organic) is So Dangerous for Babies
I honestly don’t know anyone who has successfully reversed the damage from soy infant formula. I know many who have tried with varying degrees of success with the help of a holistic pratitioner specializing in gut and/or hormone health.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Why Soy Formula (even organic) is So Dangerous for Babies
That is what I was afraid of. I was a nanny for years before I became a mom myself and one of the babies was fed soy formula, I just wish I could be more helpful. Thanks for the reply.
GAPS is a fantastic way to find healing for babies who have had a start on soy formula. I know of several who had had really rough beginnings and have found healing thanks to brave mamas transitioning them off of horrible chemical formulas and onto GAPS. My daughter has extensive damage to her body, and soy formula is one of the major reasons. She is thriving and growing and healing tremendously with the help of GAPS and alternative medicine. There is always hope.
I am so, so grateful I knew this when I could not produce enough breastmilk due to a medication I must take and I had a milk protein intolerant baby. Soy is the worst. I read in America 25% of infants are on soy formula and in Europe it is used as an absolute last resort and labeled with warning stating as such.
I didn’t know this when my baby needed formula, but my husband knew that soy had estrogen and he wasn’t eating any of it himself. Thank goodness. We found the raw milk formula and have never looked back. My six month old son is bigger now than his one year old cousin. He is solid and very happy! My two and a half year old daughter likes to drink the formula too, actually, so I let her have some also. She also asks for her cod liver oil every day. She’s hilarious.
We gave our daughter soy formula 16 years ago when an infant from 4 days old until we weaned her off and introduced pasteurized cow milk (we just discovered traditional eating including raw milk 2 years ago). Right now it looks like she’ll be the valedictorian of her class so if the soy impaired her brain development, it isn’t showing. Of course we don’t know if she escaped infertility or breast cancer but time will tell. And as you said, Sarah, the whole thing has to be left in His capable hands or spend the next 10+years worrying about it which I choose not to do. Obviously if I knew then what I know now I would have NEVER given her soy formula but live and learn as they say . . .
Jason Slajchert
My son was “allergic” to cows milk formula but has been on the raw milk formula from Weston A Price for 5 months now and is doing awesome!! The doctor said he has nicer skin than most kids he sees.
Wow… I wish I knew this 4 years ago… At least my sweet pea was able to nurse most of the first 5 months…she is bright and began reading one syllable words just as she was turning 4… I have noticed signs of zinc deficiency, but I also have had issues with that. Sarah, do you have any specific recommendations for getting more of this in her diet other than massive quantities of oysters? I’ve tried a liquid supplement, but that’s not gonna happen. She’s eaten a mostly processed food free diet her whole life. Mostly meat, veggies, and some fruit… Nuts and seeds, we eat some dairy, but it tends to make us congested… I’ve knew to the world of Kombucha, but my kids LOVE it and will drink it faster than I can make it! Thanks for your help!
I gave my son soy formula and I didn’t know this then. I have worried over it since I started this journey on better health and nutrition. I’m sick over it but I can’t undo it. I must move forward with making his nutrition as best it can be and put it in God’s hands. He’s very smart but is having trouble with spelling and vowels. I’ll never know if this is because of that or not. I wish the Dr would have told us not to use soy. I didn’t have enough milk and he threw up with milk based formula. I wish they never sold it.
I was told that, when I could not breast feed, soy was the closest alternative. I wish I knew then what I knew now. At 5 my daughter was already beginning to develop breasts, and now at age 10 she has started her menses!! We have been off ALL soy for several years now but it did not reverse the effects. Add that to the hormonally treated milk we were giving after formula…UGH!! I am praying that our new lifestyle will help to even out some of this mess and reverse some of the damage.
Amber, my daughter never had formula and while very advance in language arts, still struggles occasionally with math. Seriously, do not link everything to food otherwise you will drive yourself psycho, I am sure you are a good, caring mom.
I wish I had known this 19 yrs ago. My son exclusively drank soy formula. I can’t stop feeling like I suck as a mother. I never even questioned it back then.
I’m right there with you Amber – My son is 16 now but, had digestive trouble as a baby, I was told to switch to soy formula – he puked on that stuff just as much as the regular formula but I was young and ignorant and thought doctors knew everything. My son has Asperger’s Syndrome, he’s academically advanced but has always struggled socially. Physically he’s fine though, no delays in physical maturation.
I just took a Nurtitrion class through USC that totally says something different. My daughter used soy milk, is fine and I am totally at peace with that decision.
And please, don’t everyone start blaming learning difficulties on soy formula…..they probably would have had them anyway.
I don’t agree. Learning difficulties are a modern problem. It’s not just soy but also poor nutrition and poor gut flora.
Learning difficulties are just one of the new problems that kids are dealing with. We have to look at the things that go into our bodies as the causes of this stuff.
I’m in school for Nutrition & Integrative Health at the moment, and our professors seem to dance around the soy issue, not wanting to offend anyone. I’ve seen some professors endorse it in moderation (fermented, organic), and some who won’t recommend it at all. However, as someone whose former high-soy diet gave me a seriously whacked out thyroid (at age 21!) and hormonal imbalances, I’m 100% with Sarah on the soy issue. (Btw, I’m 25 now, following a no-soy, whole foods diet, and feeling a million times better.)
I swore I’d never use soy formula after my 1st son… He became SO emotional and difficult to deal with. His mood completely changed. He started growing hair ‘down there’ (no word of a lie, 6 months old) and I said that was IT. That’s when I looked up soy and I’ve NEVER touched it since. I just feel terrible it took my son for me to realize it! (I will say, he is now a happy, incredibly fit, healthy and thriving 4 year old but I will ALWAYS warn people about soy!)
Terrible, Jenna.
Thanks, Jason Slajchert!
I was unfortunately fed soy formula in the early 80s when my mother could not produce enough breast milk and I couldn’t digest cow’s milk…I broke out in eczema from it too. Although not genetically modified, I believe it could be the cause of health issues I am dealing with now, including hormonal, digestive, and chronic pain. If only the cow’s milk/formula had been raw, I could have properly digested it. I’m making up for lost time by drinking as much of it as I can now and taking other measures to heal myself. I wish they wouldn’t even sell this on the market for unknowledgeable parents to buy for their babies! Thank you, Sarah, for spreading the word.
I wish I had known. I thought I was doing the right thing feeding my adopted baby soy formula. I don’t even remember what my reasoning was…. Now at 15 he seems to be a very typical boy but has very challenging learning disabilities. Can’t dwell on past mistakes. Just have to move forward and accept what is.
When I click on the link for the video, I go to a “Blip” website that says, “This video has been marked private.” I can’t access it! Any ideas?
I had also read somewhere about soy infant formula having extremely high levels of aluminum. Sarah, did you find any evidence of that in your research? Even if I’m wrong about that, the other reasons are plenty enough not to use it!
Danielle\’s last post: Diastasis Recti Surgery Series – Surgery Day
I am disgusted that our country allows soy formula to be sold! I, like so many of you, gave my daughter soy formula after I stopped breast feeding, at six months old. Even though she is doing well in school, it still concerns me in regards to her physical health. I quit giving soy to her at a year old when she started have severe digestion issues, and the dr told me it couldn’t be the soy. Well, I looked it up and seen how dangerous it really is! Don’t blame yourself, lets just warn as many people as we can.
@Jacqui the issues with soy formula are the same issues with all soy, read the article – the phytic acid and the hormone distruptors etc, no one should be eating soy. No one blamed soy on learning difficulties, I certainly didn’t but I thank goodness I don’t see anything “wrong” with him that was likely caused by soy. It’s good to know though and all people should do their own research, not rely on doctors, especially for nutrition advice.
Allissa, I was ebf until 1, fed a very traditional diet long before it was popular, my mom made EVERYTHING from scratch, raw milk, whole grains, absolutely nothing refined ever, venison or home grown meets only and I started my period at 10. Some girls develop early. My mom didn’t but I did. Don’t worry about it. Relax. Ok?
Thank you, Selissa! What an encouraging post. I think that it is always important to keep in mind that EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT and thus can respond to things differently.
I cannot believe our government would approve soy for babies well i can believe it.Dome countries it is banned
Maybe doctors should know this. Sigh.
My son had severe reactions from soy formula when I had to suppliment him with it and do NOT recommend it at all!!
We don’t allow any soy in our house. Bad news.
Maybe doctors should know a lot of things. But generally doctors and actual nutrition information hardly ever cross paths.
Thank you for this and all your articles really!!! Soy is horrid! Especially for little babies!!!
My son was sooo allergic to soy when he was a baby he would get deathly sick 2 hrs later from eating it. We had to be soo careful, it’s bad stuff. Poison.
A customer at my work has a daughter who had early onset of her menstrual cycle. The little girl is 4 years old. All due to soy. Her doctors and child protection services had the mom in for questioning for child abuse. I feel really bad for the girl…how do you explain that to her?
I wonder if soy in regularly processed foods further increase the problem? Do vegetarian children (who eat soy) have an increased likelihood of early menstrual onset?
I don’t understand why the mother was questioned for child abuse due to her daughter menstruating that early. It’s not like the mom did anything intentionally to cause it.
To add to this…
1) Zinc is one of the most essential nutrients “specific to” the male reproductive system. So decreasing a baby boy’s zinc AND giving him phytoestrogens – well, that’s just not a good mix.
2) It is my understanding, from a book about infant development I read years ago, that galactose is essential for the myelinization of the nerve cells in the brain. And galactose is only found upon breakdown of lactose – which means SOME form of animal-based milk (preferably human, obviously, but at least *some* non-plant form when that’s not possible) is important for healthy brain development. (And, interestingly, autism is related to issues with the myelin sheaths. I’d like to see them study these things.)
But I’d also like to emphasize that, as Sarah said, we can’t change the past! I’m confident this wasn’t posted to harass any parents who did use soy formula.
It’s to inform for the future. You just do the best you know with what you know at the time. 
Rachel R.\’s last post: Getting Organized: 13 – Health Records
What about soy later in life – same harmful side effects? I buy non-GMO soy butter for my son who is allergic to peanuts. I also used soy formula when he was a baby. Ugh!
I would use other nut butters (almond, cashew, etc.) if his allergy is specific to peanuts. There is also sunbutter, made from sunflower seeds.
I wish I knew then what I know now. My oldest (now 9) has a true dairy allergy and the only thing suggested once he weaned was soy milk. Later, when I found out the dangers of soy I was astounded and immediately removed it from his diet. He had some behavior issues that eased when we removed it.
I’m highly devoted to Weston Price and love your blog. We only drink raw milk & have no children. But, I am concerned for the little ones. The farm that I used had fabulous milk, extremely clean farm & milking area. The milk actually had (from letting the cows graze on immature pasture) e-coli & the family’s youngest daughter was hospitalized with kidney failure from the e-coli. It’s very difficult to weigh the risks.
It saddens me that so many well known celebrity health practitioners and doctors like Dr. Oz keep highly recommending soy. He has it backwards – less soy is more! Not to mention only fermented soy is safe to consume. It makes me wonder do any of them trust their own instincts and wonder why there are so many different opinions on soy? At least there are alternative bloggers out there like Sarah trying to spread the truth! I hope more Americans start to wake up about real food.
goats milk is best!
It’s a little less dramatic:
Dr. Sears actually writes that 25% of FORMULA-FED American babies are fed soy-based formula. But not every baby is formula-fed.
Looking at CDC data, it seems that only about 10-15% of babies are exclusively breast-fed, so 90% probably get some kind of formula before they’re 6 months old (when 40% are still breastfed, though not exclusively so).
And OF THESE, 25 % get fed soy-based formula at some time and in some amount.
So, the percentage of babies mainly fed soy-based formula is smaller.
It’s still bad stuff, though.
I think that EBF typically means they’re receiving NO other nourishment, so some of those babies may be getting baby food/table food rather than formula. (I am flabbergasted by how many people are regularly feeding cereal or other foods at 4 months.)
@Shelley: Yeah I was wondering about goats milk…
If soy is bad, just how many alternatives are out there? ‘Availability varies widely across the States so more options are all the better.
I don’t have children but I am very interested in food and nutrition issues.
My husband has gynecomastia from taking pro-hormone supplements in weight lifting so we use Almond milk. It is great tasting, my children love it and it is a very healthy alternative to cow’s milk if there is an allergy. My husband and both my kids are allergic to dairy and we trust the almonds lol It comes in original, vanilla, and chocolate, and you can also buy it unsweetened which is great for cooking and baking. You can’t tell a difference. It’s awesome. I would highly recommend it to anyone asking
I’ve also tried Rice milk and it is delicious but a little on the thin side. You don’t have that problem with Almond milk. If you’re looking for a treat though, pick up some Chocolate Chai or Vanilla Hazlenut Rice milk. SO yummy
Sarah, I just want to say thank you for this article. Your articles are always very informative. I really appreciate them…keep up the good work!
Omg! This explains so much! After being born jaunice I was put on soy. I’m 33 and have never had a period! Doctors could not tell me why my reproductive system was under-developed. It’s messed up a huge part of my life to be honest. Unbelievable.
Soy is a terrible and cheap protein source, even for menopausal women! Stuff should go away!
I would lose friends if I started emailing this around. Is that something people really do?
Rachel MacPherson Crouse why would you lose friends? I would be grateful if a friend passed along information to me that could save my baby’s health.
Good info!
Raising a baby is NOT like raising chickens or other farm animal for slaughter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t know. My son was fed exclusive soy. He is intelligent, not allergic to anything and completely normal. He’s 8 and amazing, thanks.
My milk dried up when my youngest was 2 months old and when exposed to dairy formula had a bad reaction to it so we switched her to soy. She is almost 4 now and perfectly healthy. She is a bit on the small side, but her PA says that is only because her growth was stunted so early on from her feeding problems. My husband was raised on soy and so were all his sisters and they’re all fine. I would definitely have to do more research on this before I passed judgement on soy products. I’m glad to have someone else as skeptical as I am
That is excellent, Amber. But it doesn’t mean that the risks are not real.
Hah! Shared this in a moms group im in n one of them told me not to post something with no reliable links! Cos all it does is just spouting things with no scientific background!
I was shut down! Can only help people who want to be helped or who want to know better.
Asti Swastiani This post is sourced to the moon and back. Have you seen all the scientific references at the bottom?
This must be the cause of all the skinny-pant, wearing Justin Bieber hair styling in today’s so-called men. Lol!
Asti Swastiani at least you tried .. those folks didn’t even read the article else they would have seen the sources.
The problem with soy formula is that the problems don’t show up until puberty in many cases.
I weaned my son onto soy milk. I fortunately had a dear friend tell me about how soy was so bad for a child’s developing hormonal system … I got him off it and will be eternally grateful to my friend for speaking up.
I did. But i think she already got too offended that she mentioned the article has no links to anything scientic.
saw the sources and haven’t researched them, did you? Some times people indorse things because they get paid to.
She might lose friends because some people dont appreciate the Sanctimommy schtick.
I do not like soy for a number of reasons, and I tell people those reasons if it comes up. But lets face it, this is just another way that we think we’re better parents than other parents.
I know, I know “I dont think that at all, Im just trying to save lives!” Well, so is that person who forwards you an article about the benefits of full vaccination. Think about that.
I’m actually curious … since I noticed that every dairy-based formula on the market contains substantial amounts of soy (I seem to get a lot of samples in the mail when I get pregnant) … if this ties in to the increasing rates of autism in boys especially? Along with the the pitocin flush from inductions … :p
Just another reason why I’m happy that I can breastfeed.
If people are that immature that they can’t handle opposing views posted on Facebook or in email, then you have no business being their friends in the first place. Ouch! Yeah, I’m right. Fair weather friends hmm. They should be mature enough to see it and either pass on it or maturely comment that they disagree.
FWIW, if you myst use commercial formulas, NeoCate is the only one I’ve found (including the hypoallergenic formulas) that doesn’t contain soy oil.
I work for WIC and have such a hard time letting all these little ones be fed soy (and commercial formula in general).
Being a government-run/financed operation, there’s only so much I’m allowed to say, but when people come in asking for soy, I do my darnedest to convince them to try the low lactose or hypoallergenic… After all breastfeeding support/assistance has been exhausted…
Thanks for getting this vital info out there!! I wanted to wean my son at 10 months onto soy formula, because I was believing all the hype about soy being healthier at that time (this was 18 years ago). My doctor, bless his heart, really discouraged me, telling me to read the label and see that it was mostly sugar. Thank goodness I heeded his warning, and weaned him onto a dairy formula for 2 months until he could drink milk. He’s an extremely healthy 19 year old today!
Babies need human milk (or another animal if human is not possible) Milk for the “Galactose” sugar in order to grow their brains (especially) properly. (this sugar is not available in vegetarian milks)
Mari Mari
I know moms who are aware of the dangers and are still choosing to use it
Emily, I’m so sorry to hear about your trauma. And Rachel, I agree with you, it would be difficult to even share this on FB, for me, as I have many friends who have used soy. All we can do is share as sensitively as possible! Thank you, Sarah, for an incredibly informative article.
Amy\’s last post: St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bin
Does anyone know an alternative? A friends baby cannot have regular as she’s very allergic, but I shared this and she’s wanting to know what else she can give her besides getting her milk back. ? Thank you!
Honestly, I don’t think our gov’t cares a lick about the well being of babies, much less its adult members of society. Haven’t they made that pretty obvious?
Breaks. My. Heart!! I breast fed but also was encouraged to supplement with soy formula b/c I had a big eater. He’s ASD & had all this info been more readily available I could have maybe known better.
So what is a woman who can’t breastfeeed and who’s child is lactose intolerant supposed to do?
Enfamil Nutramigen or Similac Alimentum. I believe they are lactose and Soy free.
After 2 years of steadily plugging away at eating nourishing food and following all of the WAPF guidelines, I just heard this week that WAPF discourages a mother from breastfeeding if she doesn’t eat a diet according to WAPF. Can you please clarify this for me? I abhor soy in every form and definitely saw my little brother react to it when he had pancreatitis as a 24 year old due to soy formula and soy milk growing up. But this particular belief against breastfeeding is enough for me to question a lot of the nourishing guidelines. I’m having a crisis of food! Please clarify!!
Lisa G\’s last post: 7 Quick Takes (#47)
Also, if you’re being told your little one is lactose intolerant, do your own research and make SURE that’s really what’s going on. Most doctors are clueless about breastfeeding. True lactose intolerance is very rare in infants – human milk contains significant amounts of lactose, so from either an evolutionary or Creationary perspective, lactose intolerance in a baby just doesn’t make sense.
It *does* happen in rare instances, but in most cases when doctors say “he’s lactose intolerant,” what’s really going on is overactive letdown reflex and/or foremilk-hindmilk imbalance. Doctors generally won’t tell you this, because they don’t KNOW, but it’s a pretty significant difference because foremilk-hindmilk imbalance can be rectified just by things like changing your nursing pattern.
If you’re trying to feed a baby something with processed cow’s milk because of an inability to breastfeed, there’s a good chance the issue is in the processing more than in the milk. And goat’s milk is a better match to human breastmilk than cow’s milk.
So there are usually options…you just have to be willing to think outside the cultural box.
Rachel R.\’s last post: Twiztt Cookware
Thanks for sharing. I posted this on my facebook page for moms and babies.
It seems like soy formula should be illegal! So terrible that it’s even an option on the shelf when most parents don’t have the information they need about nutrition to make such a life altering choice for their child.
Julia\’s last post: Shopping for REAL food at the Grocery store
It just shows that you can’t even trust Naturopathic doctors!!!!!!! I was told this was the best route to go when my breast milk dried up with my second and gave him Soy and now this article says that you basically royally SCREWED your son for life. Well if I can’t trust my homoptathic doctor OR my naturopath or my Chiro ALL who told me I was doing thr ‘healthy choice’ using organic everything………and now this???? Everything is found later down the line to be a lie…..literally half of thr things I grew up with I my extreme healthy granola house are not even done any more because they came out with a study that said ________. So tell me……who do we trust?!?!??
My daughter had soy formula and she is fine! Top of her class very intelligent. She is now 14 and everything is fine hormonally as well. I get so tired of do this don’t do that, this will kill you this is healthy and 5 years later its the other way around it makes your head spin! Everyone has to make the best decisions they know and really hope for the best. You can’t do everything perfect 100% of the time even with your kids as much as we may try. One other thing I know for fact is EVERYONE is different some people tolerate things and even thrive where others don’t so to say soy is dangerous across the board I think is miss information some people do well where others don’t.
Yes, I’ve tried telling people that soy is bad and I’ve posted links but I still get the “I gave my kid soy and they’re fine” argument. Well, I can put one bullet in a gun and aim it at my kid and there’s no guarantee that they’ll get shot. Same with soy…plus we can’t see what’s going on inside our kids bodies, so they might seem fine, but really aren’t as healthy as they could be.
When my little brother was born, he was puking up the soy formula and the breast milk. By accident, my mom discovered that when she fed him skim milk, he would keep it down fine. Apparently it was the FAT in the milk/formula that he couldn’t tolerate. I’m wondering if that’s what is happening with babies that they say are lactose intolerant? My brother is over 50 now and going strong…I have elderly friends who were given goat milk as infants, saving their lives. One friend was raised Amish. I don’t remember what her problem was (maybe it was her mom) but I know she told me that when they put her on goat milk, it saved her life. She’s been using raw goat milk ever since (and had 12 children, including two sets of twins) and she’s in her 70′s now. She breeds and shows Nubian dairy goats. We personally also raised our kids on goat milk. I nursed (and nothing else) until they were a year old, then they went on the goat milk. They are pushing 40 years old now and are big strong men. Our grandkids are the same – being nursed until a year old and then on to raw cow/goat milk. In our state, raw goat milk is legal but cow milk is not. Stupid!! I highly recommend putting your infant on raw goat milk from a clean healthy source rather than formula. And if they have trouble keeping it down, try the skim milk and see what happens.
And a few people asked about alternatives…there’s only one good formula…homemade raw milk formula.
More and more people have soy allergies all the time – that should raise a red flag!
Lost good friends because i tried to give them info on soy formula. That was of course me accusing them of being bad parents because i could nurse and they couldnt. People know to come to me for info but ive stopped giving it out unless requested.
Breast is Best no matter what! I understand that some women arent able to Breastfeed but research all of your alternatives before you give it to your child.
God gave women boobs for one reason, to feed your infant. Like every other FEMALE creature on earth! If infants had been fed breast milk from day one back to the beginning of time, you wouldn’t be having these problems now and there would be no need for manufactured baby formulas!
We adopted our son out of foster care. When we got him at 6 months of age he was on soy formula. His records did not indicate why. Our pediatrician said if he was doing well on it to continue, so we naively did. He is 18 months now. Any suggestions?
This post made me very concerned. I felt depressed that I couldn’t exclusively breastfeed because of my low milk supply. I gave her cow’s milk formula till she was about 7 months old. Then I wanted to switch to an organic formula, and I thought soy might be good. When I switched her to soy, her bowels seemed to improve, so I decided to stick with soy. I continued to breastfeed, but she drank mostly formula. I never heard anything bad about soy before. Now I’m concerned about how this might have affected her. What can I do to help her now that she is 13 months old?
I have a big, strapping 15 year old son who was on soy formula (due to a family history of dairy trouble) for about 8 months after he self-weaned at 8 months. He has had no physical or learning disabilities–ever.
He is a very fit 5’10, 140 pounds, and a runner.
He is all male, right down to his cute little hairy face that he shaves daily–in the 9th grade.
I hope that any readers tempted to beat themselves up for using soy formula now or in the past will think twice before self-flagellating.
We are all doing the very best we know how to with the information and abilities that we have at this moment. Let’s not look for any reasons to create fear or false feelings of superiority…balance is beautiful!
This is going to be my day to unsubscribe from this blog. Too many of Sarah’s posts in the past year or so have been unnecessarily provocative, frightening, or just garden-variety rude. Reading such stuff can’t be good for my health in the long run, either.
Don’t tell them it has demasculating effects, some of these feminazis may start giving it to their sons in the hopes it makes them more feminine, cause who wants to have boys that act like boys, being masculine is a like a freaking crime in this country for some reason.
This really sucks! I was fed soy formula but only after having been breastfed for the first 6 months. I’m hoping good genes will help me out here. My fam. tends to be of pretty sturdy farmer stock where they grew and many still do grow and raise their own food and whatnot. So far so good, I’m 26 and have no allergies, hardly ever get sick, 20/20 vision, never needed braces. Hopefully I won’t get breast cancer down the line or something, geez.
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