Milk Alternatives

Choose Milk Alternatives after consulting with your Physician

What are Milk Alternatives?

Cow’s milk is extremely beneficial to human as it contains several nutrients including protein, fat, sugar, minerals. It also provides energy.

But many infants and children unable to tolerate milk protein and sugars leading to several types of reaction. Among the several types of reaction, allergy to cow’s milk protein are of great importance.

Options include

Soy milk
Tree nut milk
Rice milk
Oat milk

Soy milk is usually the best choice and commonly used cow’s milk alternative.

Why Milk Alternatives?

Many infants and children unable to tolerate milk protein and sugars leading to several types of reaction. Among the several types of reaction, allergy to cow’s milk protein are of great importance.

Advantage of Cow’s Milk

Hazardous effect of Cow’s Milk

Hazardous effect of Milk

Milk Allergy
Intolerance

Milk Alternatives for infants

Milk Alternatives for infants up to 1 year of age

Soy protein based formula:

Extensively hydrolyzed formula (EHF)

Amino acid based formula (AAF)

Rice protein based extensively hydrolyzed formula (rEHF)

Milk Alternatives for children

Milks alternative for children over 1 year of age:

Soy milk, oat milk, nut milk, calcium enriched rice milk can be used depending the condition of the child.
After 1 year of age milk alternative formulas may be insufficient to meet the protein and fat need of the child.
If your child is suffering from multiple food allergies then you must first consult Allergist to formulate a diet plan.

Food Allergy Mimickers

Common conditions that mimic food allergy include:

Lactase deficiency / lactose intolerance
Food poisoning
Celiac disease. sometimes called to as a gluten allergy
Sensitivity to food additives.eg sulfites used in dried fruit, canned goods
Histamine toxicity from certain not refrigerated fish

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Point to be remembered in managing Food Allergy

Avoidance of the offending food is the best way to prevent food allergy. One must know the causative food to which he is allergic. A person with food allergy must be cautious when eating in restaurants and in social events.

If you have food allergy, then follow these steps:

Know what you’re eating and drinking. Always read the food labels while you eating something.
If you have already had a severe reaction/anaphylaxis, wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace that will alert others and you have a food allergy.
Have an action plan ready. Always have a action plan of your food allergy.
Have an Epinephrine / Adrenaline Autoinjector with you.
Be careful while eating at restaurants.
Plan your meals and snacks before leaving home.

If your child has food allergy, you must follow few steps to ensure your child is safe:

Always notify key people about the child’s food allergy. Inform your child care providers, school personnel, parents of your child’s friends and other adults who regularly interact with your child. Tell them that food allergy may be life threatening and may require urgent intervention to save life of the child.
Explain food allergy symptoms to persons who spend time with the child.
Have a written action plan.This plan should include the appropriate management strategies to care the child in case of food allergy and in emergency case of anaphylaxis.
Have your child wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace to display that he/she has Food Allergy.

In-depth reading about of Milk Alternatives

Cow’s milk is extremely beneficial to human as it contains several nutrients including protein, fat, sugar, minerals. It also provides energy.

Advantage of Milk

Hazardous effect of Milk

Milk Allergy
Milk intolerance

When to introduce cow’s milk to infant’s diet?

As per national and international guideline, exclusive breastfeeding is the best for baby for first six months of any infants.

An infant will be exposed to cow’s milk protein in first 6 months of age if mother is taking cow’s milk or baby is taking traditional infant formula containing cow’s milk protein. Dairy products can be introduced to baby’s meal after 6 months of age. One should introduce a plain, whole-fat or whole Greek yogurt as the introductory form of cow’s milk protein. One should avoid the yogurt with added sugar.

During 6 months to 1 year of age your child may not tolerate to cow’s milk protein in large quantities, so is advisable not to take whole cow’s milk. When you are giving your child formula feed up to 1 year of age make sure you are using proper iron fortified formula as low iron formulas may lead to iron deficiency anemia.

What if my baby is allergic to cow’s milk?

Consult with your Pediatrician or an Allergist if your child has cow’s milk allergy to find out the possible alternatives. Hypoallergenic baby formulas are usually cow’s milk based. Soy based formulas are not based on cow’s milk.

If your child is diagnosed case of cow’s milk allergy then you should not take cow’s milk. But it is not mandatory.

What are the of cow’s milk alternatives?

Options include

Soy milk
Tree nut milk
Rice milk
Oat milk

Soy milk is usually the best choice and commonly used cow’s milk alternative.

Are these milk alternative formulas same?

All milk alternative formulas are usually contain less protein and less energy than cow’s milk. Theses formulas are usually fortified with vitamin D and calcium. When you are selecting one alternative you should follow as per your doctor’s advice.

Milk Alternatives for infants up to 1 year of age

Soy protein based formula:

Infants with cow’s milk allergy are usually well tolerated to soy-based formulas.
But for infants who are allergic to soy, it is not a suitable substitute.

Extensively hydrolyzed formula (EHF)

In EHF, cow’s milk proteins are degraded by the help of enzymes. Degraded proteins are not allergenic. So it can be used in cow’s milk allergic infants.
Partially hydrolyzed formula is not advisable.
However, some infants also can react to EHF.

Amino acid based formula (AAF)

Amino acids are the building blocks for protein. AAF is well tolerated by almost all infants with cow’s milk allergy, soy allergy, food intolerance and in eosinophilic esophagitis.

Rice protein based extensively hydrolyzed formula (rEHF)

rEHF FOR as short-term alternative formula for uspected cow’s milk allergy.
rEHF should not be used in babies with food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) to rice.

Milks alternative for children over 1 year of age:

Soy milk, oat milk, nut milk, calcium rich rice milk .
After 1 year of age milk alternative formulas may be insufficient to meet the protein and fat need of the child.
If your child is suffering from multiple food allergies then you must first consult Allergist to formulate a diet plan.

CFAA