OK, ladies, I need some soy help...
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Children with Special Needs: OK, ladies, I need some soy help...
I'm making the transition from dairy products to soy with Connor. The blood tests said that he has a moderate allergy to milk. The doctor said that I should pull all milk from his diet for a week and see what happens. (I haven't noticed an allergy to milk at all and we were just testing for his egg allergy, so I feel a bit blindsided.
BTW, what is a milk allergy supposed to do to his body? He doesn't have diarrhea or stomach issues and I didn't think to ask this question while on the phone with the doctor. I think I was in shock.
He loves cheese, yogurt, and milk. He drinks the vanilla soy milk with trepidation but that's all I've tried so far.
Recommendations and links so I can see what the products look like?
{{{{{ Heidi and Connor }}}}} Heidi I've read your posts and I feel for you and what you are going through. I'm a known softy and my kids know it. Chances are if I was in your shoes I would give Connor whatever he wants to eat (dairy free that is) at this point just to make sure he is fed. My boys are totally different in the food category. My younger one will eat any and everything you put in front of him. My older one was and is a picky eater still at 15. I make a mish mash of dinners so everyone has something to eat. However we do not have any allergies. I did a quick search to see what is available out there for dairy free. I found two out of the many that might help you but they are orders only I don't think they have stores you can go to and I know you need food right away. Maybe thay can give ideas where to find these foods. Take a look at www.allergygrocer.com, you can search on dairy free for children. The other one is www.shopdairyfree.com, actually there are all kinds of substitutes I just hope Connor will like some of them. If he will only eat the Cheerios and Kashi for the next week, then so be it. He'll be fine.
(((Heidi)))
I've been wanting to post but haven't had time to sit down for long. Saw this and thought of you.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpnutrition/0,,3w8h,00.html
Toddler with milk allergy
by Sue Gilbert, MS
My son is now two. We have a history of allergies, and both of my children are being treated for them. I've notice that the two year old seems to have more problems with drainage when he drinks milk. I realize that milk is a very important part of his diet but his health and sleeping habits are much better when he doesn't have any milk products. What can I do?
Hello,
It sounds like your son will get along much better without milk in his diet. With the family history of allergies, you are wise to exclude it . Since you are aware of and concerned about the problem, I know that you will make every effort to make sure you include other foods in his diet to make up for the nutrients he is not getting from milk.
Most importantly milk supplies protein and calcium. The protein is easily found in any number of other foods. For example, eggs, peanut butter, meat, fish, chicken, legumes, and seeds. Calcium is not so easy to come by. The calcium found in milk is the calcium most easily absorbed by the body. There are some good vegetable sources of calcium including collard greens, tofu, almonds (try almond butter), and spinach. Some animal sources of calcium are canned salmon and oysters.
Not too many of those foods sound very child friendly. Therefore, look for foods they have been calcium fortified. There are more and more on the market today. Some of them are: calcium fortified orange juice and calcium fortified ready to eat dry cereal (that he can eat out of hand as a snack). You can also find calcium fortified soy milk.
Other important nutrients found in milk are vitamin A and D. If you live in a sunny climate, his body should manufacture enough of vitamin D.. Vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene) he can get from lots of deep yellow and dark green vegetables. Your son needs about 800 milligrams of calcium a day. Become knowledgeable about the calcium content of different foods and try to determine if he is getting all he needs. If not, you may want to add a calcium supplement to his diet. I refer you to your pediatrician for recommendations for an appropriate child supplement.
Another internet site that you will find helpful is: www.foodallergy.org/.
It is a lot of work to manage a diet around a food allergy. It should get easier with time. Try to include your son as much as possible in the food selection and education process so that he can eventually become independent in managing his diet himself. This will be especially important when he gets to the age where is is going to friend's houses for meals, or buying snacks with buddies at the corner market after school, or going away to camp.
Good luck at your task. Thank you for writing.
Here is a message/support board for parents who have children with allergies. HTH!
Children's Allergies
Thanks Mary and Trina!
Your words are like a warm blanket on a cool winter night...comforting.
You put my mind at ease in these uneasy times. I feel so responsible for his growth and development and you guys helped so much!!!!
HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My son (youngest- age 4) has milk intolerance which triggers his asthma (coughing). It is a hard one to eliminate. He loves Soy milk, though. Chocolate soy milk is great too. The trick with milk is the cheaper the baked product, the more likely it doesn't have milk. Try the store brands- those are generally milk-free. And read those labels! Plan a VERY long trip (by yourself) to the grocery store at first so you can read labels. It does get easier!
Laura, that was very helpful. I'm angry that my ped didn't notice that he's had some asthma type problems in the past and that she didn't correlate this new news of milk allergies to what's happening in his lungs. I just found it out this morning and I'm glad I'm not the only one going through this.
Does your son get a runny nose and a fever too? Sometimes he gets it all at once and I can't tell if it's just a cold or if he's wheezing because of the allergy.
Good idea about going alone to the store too...
Connor is sick right now so no one can take care of him yet, but i will do it as soon as i can.
THANK YOU!
When my son has a fever, it's usually complicated with an ear infection because of all the junk in his nose. He had a sinus infection as well. We have noticed a huge difference with his symptoms now that he is off of most milk (I don't go crazy with milk in crackers and things because it doesn't seem to affect my son.) Only milk and milk products really have an effect. You sort of have to play around with it an figure it all out. Also, are you seeing a pumonologist? That has helped too to make sure he's taking enough of and the right medications. My son takes ALOT of meds for his asthma: flovent 110, albuterol (as needed), Singulair, Prevacid (for the acid reflux which makes his asthma worse), Zyrtec (as needed) and Nasonex (as needed). It's a lot, but we've found, with experience, that it really does help and avoids ER trips, which require more serious meds (Orapred). My oldest son takes the same meds- with the exception of the prevacid. Not fun- and it gets expensive!
My other son had lactose intollerance as a baby- as did I as a child, so I'm VERY used to this diet! Trust me, it does get easier. You just have to learn the products that he can have. Hope he gets better soon. Have you had his ears checked lately?!
|
Members
