Can My Son Be Allergic to Milk Based Formula?

I think it depends on how long this goes on. It could be a bug (although you would think you might see other symptoms) but it should resolve itself quickly if so. Teething is a definite possibility. Rather than a true "allergy" (of which there really are very few - it could be the result of an imbalance in his system. There was a huge report recently about over-diagnosed food allergies and all the kids who have been taken off various foods, when it's not necessary. That report (all over the news) included soy, milk and many others as well as peanuts. Turns out that, while kids are "testing positive", they aren't really! If the soy formula works fine, stay on it. Many kids don't try milk until 1 year old, and there's no real magic to cow's milk anyway. Much of it has antibiotics and hormones from the cows, plus stuff that was on the grass the cows ate. Soy is really nature's protein and has been in use for thousands of years. However, depending on how it is processed, children can develop a sensitivity to the other things it contains. It can be hard to determine the other processing agents (such as alcohol) and whether there are any contaminants in it. It's pretty amazing how much junk is allowed in our food processing plants, from insect parts to rodent droppings to chemicals. Our FDA doesn't get involved unless there is a huge outbreak of salmonella or some other disease, as with the recent peanut problem or the pistachios, and so on. There is a great children's product that is accepted in countries like Australia and Germany with very strict standards. That's the one my friends use for their little ones. Australia's FDA-equivalent (called the Therapeutic Goods Administration) inspects this company's plant for several days every year before certifying the products for export to Australia. You want to use products that are produced under near-pharmaceutical grade conditions to guarantee purity. That will help with sensitivities now and going forward. I'm telling you this so that, if there is any problem with the soy formula, you don't write it off to "allergies" if it isn't. Good luck - hope your little one does well!

....or perhaps he simply has diarrhea? My whole family has had it the last couple of weeks - there are no other symptoms, just the diarrhea.

If it is a GI bug, then the soy formula will be easier on his stomach and will stop the diarrhea. This happened with my son at 6.5 months and our doctor recommended trying the soy until the bug cleared up because soy is known to be constipating. (Of course when you have a stomach bug, it doesn't actually cause constipation, it just causes the stool to firm up so don't worry you'll go too far in the opposite direction.) After about a week or so, we went right back to the milk based formula with no problems.

Yes, I know of many babies who have this issue. A little one I baby sit for can have things like cheese and yougurt but actual milk for her is an issue. I know many babies who needed a soy based formula. Some baby's have grown out of it and some don't. I think only time will tell.

He could be it could also be something he is eating if he has started any solids foods. Allergies can develop at any age at any time even if it is something that was always eaten.

Is he teething? He could be reacting to the change and new teeth coming in. I am not trying to be fresh - is it really diarrhea or could his stool just be looser. Have you changed anything else in his diet? Was he exposed to anyone that might have a stomach bug? This could also be in response to a growth phase.

Hi,

Is he teething? My son had diarrhea the entire time his teeth were coming in. IF he cramps up after dringing the milk-based formula, and if he is having skin rashes or excema, it might be an allergy. I wouldn't switch to soy milk unless absolutely necessary. Soy contains compounds that mimic estrogen and some studies think that this could have long-term impacts on fertility or cause other hormone-related problems.
Good luck!

when my son was between 9-11 months he began having diarrhea multiple times a day. i switched him to Soy milk and juice, but did not change what i cooked with and the diarrhea stopped right away. at around age 3 i started giving him regular milk/juice again and he was fine. never had a problem since and he is now 9

Hi A.,

In Decemeber when my son was 7 months old, he got a terrible case of diarrhea (and some days vomitting) that lasted about 3 weeks straight. The doctor suggested pedialite, but he refused to drink it. Once that didn't work, the Dr. suggest switching to soy formula for a week. She said soy formula is easier for a baby's system to digest. We used the soy formula for about 10 days. Finally his stool started to get a little thicker. We then switched him back to the milk based formula he had been on forever. It took him a long time to get his appetite back again and have his stool be completley normal again. I would suggest to give him soy formula then switch back. Hang in there. It will take time for you little man to recover completely. Good luck :)