Formula Options for Toddlers with Food Allergies

Babies can develop intolerance or allergy for certain foods. Breastfed babies can show symptoms due to food proteins that the mother eats which passes through her body to her breast milk. Toddlers fed with formula can show symptoms due to intolerance for the food proteins in infant formula.

Food Intolerance

Symptoms of toddler food intolerance can differ, but it may include colic, reflux or severe spitting up.

Food Allergy

A food allergy happens when the immune system of a toddler's body sees a certain food as harmful and then react by causing one or more symptoms. This reaction is known as allergic reaction.

Symptoms of toddler food allergy may include:

rash

bloody, mucousy stools

hives

eczema

severe allergic reaction

Milk Protein Allergy

Milk protein allergy in toddlers is a serious problem because both babies and mothers are impacted. If you find out your infant has a milk protein allergy, it is important to determine which feeding option will help them thrive.

Up to 3% of babies are allergic to cow’s milk protein and this occurs when the baby’s immune system perceives milk protein as harmful and then set off an allergic response.

Formula Options

Not every woman is able to breast-feed. If breastfeeding is not an option, there are some formulas that don’t contain cow’s milk that you can introduce to your baby showing signs of allergy or intolerance. Below are different types of formula available that you can discuss with your child’s doctor.

Soy Formulas

Soy formula is made from soy protein. However, some babies are also allergic to soy and may experience symptoms that are similar to cow’s milk allergy. These formulas are no less allergenic than cow's milk-based formulas. 8-14 percent of infants with cow's milk allergy will also react to soy. Some toddlers will develop proctocolitis or enterocolitis. Enterocolitis is the inflammation of the GI tract, which consists of both the small and large intestine, and proctocolitis refers to inflammation of the rectum.

If this occur, 25 to 60 percent will react to soy formulas. Because of this, soy formulas are not advisable in the treatment of cow's milk allergy.

Partially Hydrolyzed Formulas

These formulas break cow's milk protein whey into large pieces. Still, most toddlers allergic to cow’s milk will also react to these large pieces of milk protein. Therefore, these formulas are not used for infants allergic to cow's milk.

Extensively-Hydrolyzed Formulas

These are hypoallergenic formulas.  Extensively-Hydrolyzed Formulas offer complete nutrition for infants who can't digest intact cow's milk protein. Also, they help infants who are intolerant or allergic to intact cow's milk protein. They break casein, which is a cow's milk protein, into pieces. These formulas are also useful in some cases of malabsorption.

Amino Acid-Based Formulas

These formulas offer complete nutrition for infants. Toddlers who are unable to tolerate extensively-hydrolyzed formula can do well on an amino acid-based formula. It is made of amino acids or protein in its simplest form. They are also known as elemental formulas.

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