As I was perusing the formula aisle at our discount warehouse, I noticed that every brand's soy formulas now come in bulk. This is a change from when my older son (OS) was born. At the time I remember being intrigued as to why people would use soy formula for their babies. I assumed that it was for an allergy to milk and as such I pictured anaphylaxis shock. However, now that I've known some people who've used soy formula for their children and also have looked into it a little bit just for my own curiosity, I know that it actually is for a lot more than that.

One friend of mine switched her son to soy formula because he was spitting up all the time. She said the switch helped a little bit, but not a lot. Still any improvement was good, so she kept him on it for the full year. I also know someone whose child had painful digestive issues: constipation, gas etc. He was also put on soy formula.

So how do you know if your baby needs to switch? The key cause is if it seems like something just isn't quite right with their formula. If your baby is gassy or fussy or spits up excessively (which is somewhat subjective, but again as a parent you usually can tell) and you're concerned, I would ask your pediatrician. It seems like a lot of parents I know are first told to switch to Nestle Supreme. It's made with whey protein, which is easier to digest. If you do decide to go with Nestle, make sure you sign up for their coupons. They're really great! If however, that doesn't work out, you will probably be told by your pediatrician to switch to soy.

I believe all the formula companies in the US now offer soy-based formula. Enfamil calls theirs ProSobee and Similiac calls it Isomil. They both contain the DHA and ARA of the regular milk based formula.

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: If your baby is gassy and fussy or spits up a lot on a regular basis, talk to his pediatrician about soy formula

Labels: Child Health and Personal Care, Formula