I’m not sure about other cities, but in New York’s little cafes, it seems like ‘soy’ is just about as trendy as POM (the overly priced pomegranite drink guaranteed to boost your general health). I have heard many moms talk about how they feed or plan to feed their child soy as if this is the new health rage. The assumption is that if soy is good for mom, it must be good for babes. The truth is that soy is great–if medically indicated.
Soy formula uses plant based protein (found in soy beans) to replace the protein in regular formula. If you haven’t read my other blogs on what is in formula, you may find it helpful to have them as a comparison. Most formula uses cow’s milk protein and modifies it to make it easier to digest.
Estrogen?
Research on soy is mixed. One concern over soy is the amount of estrogen it contains. Soy is actually used to treat menopause symptoms so there is definitely a hormonal effect. Scientists have also pointed to the use of soy producing hormonal side effects in rats and their babies. However, on Askdrsears.com, Dr. Sears writes that the amount of estrogen in soy is neglible. It is plant estrogen which is NOT the same as human estrogen. He also writes that he personally has rarely seen hormonal effects in infants drinking soy formula.
When Should I Use Soy?
Sometimes, parents are misguided about what might be good for their baby. I have heard parents talk about cutting out all sugar, carbs, etc. from their baby’s diet. I even heard one mom on another forum talk about how she won’t use formula with corn syrup in it. (In actuality all formulas contain some type of sugar and is most often the same type of sugar as corn syrup.) The truth is babies need fat, protein, and yes–even carbs in the form of sugars in their food. While I’m not advocating sitting your child down to a meal of bon bons and cookies, infants are different and need all that stuff that we would never touch. It is a mistake to think that feeding your child soy formula is better simply because it’s a plant protein and would be good for you!
However, some parents who observe a vegan diet might prefer soy formula. In this case, parents need to be careful to construct a vegan diet that is appropriate for their growing child and to do so under the care of a pediatrician. However, it certainly can be done and in this case, parents would likely choose soy formula if they were bottle feeding.
Lactose intolerance (which is an allergy to the sugar in cow’s milk) is another common reason why parents choose to feed their child soy formula. Possible signs of lactose intolerance may include: excessive fussiness, irritability, excessive spitting-up, gassiness or constipation. Symptoms may also include a “reaction” such as skin rash, eczema, or diarrhea. There is also research that indicates a strong correlation between increased ear infections and lactose intolerance. If you think your child displays signs of lactose intolerance it is important to talk with your pediatrician before switching to soy formula.
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