Help My Niece Has a 4 Weeks Old Son, and Would like Feedback on the Following...

Is there a reason she isn't breastfeeding? Babies really aren't made to digest artificial formula. Their systems are designed for their mother's milk.

That sounds like it cold be serious. I would request a referral to a pediatric GI specialist. Don't know where she lives, but in the East Bay Area, I would recommend Dr. Susan Jeivan.

K.

I would go with what the Dr. said. The baby is probably allergic to the soy. I would just get plain milk formula if she has to give the formula. Breastmilk is best for the baby though.

Poor little baby! My son had problems with formula too (we tried a million different kinds!!) Soy actually made him throw up the worst. What we finally ended up doing (after much stress) was switching him to Enfamil Nutramagin. It is hypoallergenic formula. The proteins are different than normal formula and already broken down to make it easier to digest for the baby. My son did great on this. He still spit up a lot but was no longer uncomfortable. I would suggest she mention this to her doctor (I'm shocked they didn't already recommend that!!) The only problem is that it is SUPER expensive. It is double the price of regular formula. We spend about 50 dollars a week on it!! It only took him a couple months to outgrow the allergy though and then we slowly put him back on regular enfamil and he was fine. I wish her luck! It is hard seeing your baby in pain! S.

To keep a very long and sad story for me short my first son had severe alergies to all Dairy protiens. I had to stop breast feeding because despite all of my efforts to stay away from dairy there is dary in almost everything! (I was down to my high school weight though on the restricted diet!) Anyway, since regular formula was out of the questioin the soy formula didn't work either. My husband and I almost went broke giving our son Neutramagin (it is dair free and very expensive). This formula is avaliable at Target and Babies R Us. But if he has blood in his stool then the expense is worth his health. I do not know what type of insurance she has but some insurances cover this type of formula. Kaiser does not. At least not 6 years ago. If she has WIC then they might have this formula.

Also if the spit up is that serious and it is very often the baby might have reflux. She might want to have him checked for that. She might also want to have his sphinctor (sp?)mucle in his throat checked.

The number 1 and 2 concerns show a food allergy. I know the baby is drinking soy, but that the spit up and bloody stool are signs of a food allergy. See the pediatrician...also check the diaper rash. Little red bumps are a sign of a yeast infection. I would see a doctor asap to make sure that the baby is ok and still gaining weight. good luck.

yup, definitely allergic, my nephew went trough this too. Doc prescribed "Nutramigen" formula.

Sounds like a severe reaction to the soy protein in his formula which is not all that uncommon. Switch him ASAP to Nutramigen or Alimentum. The blood in the stool is caused by allergic colitits. Once he is switched to a hydrolosate formula, the blood should resolve. Is he projectile vomiting or just slightly spitting up? If he is projectile vomiting, ask his pediatrician about pyloric stenosis. P. stenosis is when the valve between the stomach and esophogus is too tight and needs to be surgically loosened. The diaper rash should resolve once you change the formula. Only clean him with wet cotton clothes (I know it makes for more laundry but it is well worth it!) Air dry his bottom as much as possible. Protect his bottom with a 40% zinc oxide product such as Desitin Original. Avoid Balmex or Desitin creamy....they are only 10% zinc oxide. Rite Aide, Longs and Walmart all have a generic 40% zinc oxide cream that is much cheaper. Good luck...hope the little guy is feeling better soon!

It doesn't sound like her Dr. is being very thorough and helpful to her. Is it possible for her to change Drs. If not, I think she needs to be persistent with asking this Dr. for more help.

I'm not familiar enough with these problems to have any suggestions of my own, but did pick up on the answer from the person who mentioned that there are corn syrup solids in most formulas. We have a corn allergy in our family, and corn syrup additives seem to be the biggest problem of all. I've noticed lately that manufacturers must be getting the idea that these additives are becomeing a problem, because a lot of items are now being advertised as having no corn syrup in them. I have been writing to companies letting them know what a problem it has been buying food since having this allergy come to light in our family. Try checking everything you buy to see what corn product is hidden in it, and you'll be surprised at how little is available without some sort of corn additive. I'm proud to be from the corn state of Iowa, and love to eat corn, but am afraid that by adding it to so much other stuff, the manufacturers have created the tendency to this allergy, and are causing people to have to give up corn entirely.
Having said that, because I haven't been in a position to need to buy formula for years, I was totally surprised to find out that it is even in formula!

HI sha...
um.. that's a little weird... how long has the baby been on soy formula? Is he on soy because he was alergic to regular formula? Who recommended this change? Have you tried breast feeding at all? Blood in the stool is not usually something to let go of, If you feel that this doctor may be missing something, I would take him to a different pediatrician... as for the diaper rash, my daughter did not have one diaper rash until she was maybe 7-8 months old.. then she had one that seemed to last for ever, it turned out it was a yeast infection... you may wanna check with the doctor and see if that may be the case with your son (some sort of infection)

Hi Sha!

WOW! How scary for your niece! What a wonderful Auntie you are to help her :o)

Well, it does soud like an allergy to the formula, but I'm not a Dr.

I am most concerned that the baby is not being monitored enough by the Doctor. If a 4 week old baby could possibly have an allergy to their ONLY supply of food, then the baby should be monitored closely. I mean daily, too. Someone should be in contact with you daily!

I think your other two issues will be solved after the vomitting stops. The Blood in the stool is probably normal with everything else going on. The diaper Rash is probably a result of the reaction, too.

It sounds like giving the baby warm baths more often will help him relax more and give him more comfort, too, for his diaper rash. Please remind your niece, DO NOT wipe, only press the diaper area, so you don't hurt his little butt even more :o)

My prayers are being sent your way!

~N. :o)

This sounds like the same thing that I went through with my son. He is 4 yrs. old now and everything is fine. He was allergic to milk and soy formula. His pediatrician put him on Nutramigen formula which is prescription and it does not have the same derivitives as milk and soy formulas. This lessens the spitting up. He had acid reflux as well which the doctor prescribed a medicine called Reglan for that. I would have your niece ask her pediatrician about these options. These things helped my son a great deal. The kids eventually grow out of the allergy in most cases. Best of luck to your niece and Bless you for being such a big help to her.

You mentioned she is using soy. If she isn't affraid of regular formulas I would try Isomil or Prosobee, as my son was highly allergic to milk, and anything that contained milk. It came with extreme vomiting, rash, and almost death. He did eventually grow out of it and can have some milk. Good luck, and God's Blessings to her and her littleone. N.

Hi Sha,

Here's a good web-site that maybe helpful to your niece:

http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/Obstetric_and_Newb...

It has all the basics.

Blessings....

As for the diaper rash...Balmex works great. It protects their bum, but it is easy to wipe off at the next diaper change. As for the spitting up...that's NOT spitting up if it is coming out his nose and eyes too. That is vomitting. If the doctor says that he is probably allergic, did he suggest what you should do about it? Like suggest a different formula? And as for the blood in his stool...did the doctor do any testing to be sure that it is just an allergy and not something more serious? Does your baby seem to be constipated? If so, that can cause a tear in the rectum, causing minor bleeding. If it is more than just a little bit...you should be concerned. I would bother that pediatrician day and night until he gave me some CLEAR answers as to what it IS...not what it probably is or what it could be....I would want a CLEAR diagnosis and I would insist that he tell me what to do about it. What formula should we switch to...how do we stop the bleeding...and what signs should I watch out for in the future? When should I call you immediately and when should I wait till normal business hours. If you don't like the answers that you are getting, get a new doctor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!! This is YOUR child...and it is YOUR job to protect him in any and every way possible. Not all doctors really know what they are doing...some just pretend. If your gut tells you that this one is not a good one, you're probably right. Find a new one!

I hope this helps and I hope I have not offended you in any way. Good luck and God bless!

Ask pediatrician for a referral to a pediatric GI specialist. Reflux if very difficult and could cause damage to throat and tummy. May need to try GoodStart formula which is easier on the tummy and may need reflux medicine. The ped GI specialist was a HUGE help with my daughter who was not gaining weight. As for diaper rash, make sure diapers changed frequently, area is completely dry after wiping, use Desitin liberally. If does not clear up in a few days, ask pediatrician for referral to dermatologist. Good luck.

You have lots of suggestions on the formula, so I won't respond. For the diaper rash, instead of using wipes, go to a very soft washrag with warm water on it until the rash clears. Use desitin every time you change the diaper. Be sure you are changing the diaper often enough so that the baby isn't sitting in a damp one~ which should help too. Lastly, there is nothing wrong with letting the baby go bare bottom for awhile every day as long as s/he is warm. A little baby pee on something doesn't hurt!

Good luck!

two words - GOATS MILK. its readily available these days and is the next best thing to breast milk. It has all the right combinations of everything the little guy needs. Or find a way to get him breast milk from a friend. His body is rejecting the soy! i also encourage her to hook up with a local naturapath. Good luck, that must be so scary to a first time mom.

I second GOAT MILK. You can get it at any health food store and online. Expensive but WELL WORTH IT!!! Change the ped if he/she is NOT leading your neice throughly

If he is allergic that could be the trigger for both #1 and #2. What type nipple is she using. She may need to switch to something with a smaller hole and slow flow so her son's tummy doesn't get filled up so fast.

If the ped thinks he is allergic, he should have recommended something different. If she has no advice from the doctor, she should probably try him on milk-based formula and switch from soy.
L.

Hi there,

I can only comment on the blood in the stools... Our daughter had blood in her stools at 5 months. It wasn't a lot, but sure did alarm me! The doctor suggested that I stop eating dairy (she is breast fed) and that did clear things up. We've just now reintroduced it and all seems to be fine (she's 14 months now). So, I'd agree that it sounds like a food allergy. Does the soy formula have any cow's milk protein in it? Or maybe he's allergic to soy. Either way, follow the doctor's suggestions of changing the formula and hopefully things will clear up!

Good luck,

H.

Is she sure the spitup is coming from the eyes and nose? if so, she needs to see an ENT ear, nose throat specialist or at least get a second opinion from another doctor,sounds like too many concerns not being addressed. Hope the little guy feels better soon!

Hello Sha,
Wow! My son has acid reflux and has had it since he was a couple weeks old....he's now 9 weeks old. He's had it come out his nose only. I feel very sorry for the baby to have formula come out all his mouth, nose and eyes....especially eyes. Ouch! That's got to be a lot of pressure behind it. Our doctor said, our son should grow out of it but for now we make sure that he is sitting up in a bouncer, car seat or something so it doesn't make it more likely he will get sick. As for diaper rash I have used with my son and my daughter that is now 19 months since she was a couple weeks old we've used Resinol It's a Medicated ointment. You can get it at Target at the Pharmacy. It's behind the counter you have to ask for it. It is expensive ($7 something)but it's like liquid gold. If you use a very thin layer...your baby will not get a diaper rash gaurenteed! It is awsome. It works wonderful. A friend of mine swears by it and I tried it and use it ever since. I found that regular diaper rash ointment didn't really cover if the diaper rash is bad and doesn't heal it at all. I just never found one that really worked! Hope this helps! I wish you guys luck and hope he grows out of the spitting up or vomitting when he gets older! It's no fun but it should get better.
M.
Hope it

Sounds like a milk protein allergy, try Enfamil Lactose Free. Try it first, then if there is no reaction... you can purchase by case at Babies-R-Us- cheaper when u purchase a case at a time!

This sounds very serious! IF the doctor is saying he is allergic to the formula that is best place to start. Definitely keep on tabs on him as well as a record of what and when for the issues at hand.

I totally understand your niece and know exactly how she feels because I had the same problem with my son since he was born. It is a milk protein allergy and switching formulas will help but it is best if she takes him to the hospital. My son's ped could not find what he was allergic to so we ended up taking him to Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno/Madera and he was immediately admitted. He was there for almost 1 1/2 months until they could pin point exactlly what it was and then switched formula to Nutramigen. I hope he gets better soon and you keep being supportive of your niece because she really needs it right now especially since she's a single mom. Good luck!!

Her doctor is right, he is alergic to the formula. I am alergic to soy, and have the same type of symtoms when I have it by mistake. I am no doctor, but have her change the formula right away. There are many kinds of formula, have her try something without soy. Good Luck...

Get another doctor right know. If he is really spitting up trhought his nose and eyes something is very wrong. He is throwing up not spitting up. Spitting up just kinda comes out of the mounth and dribbles down the chin. Sometimes it can have a little more force to it if it is accompanied by a big burp. I would really make sure that he is not deyharated. If he is not keeping the formula down he probably is. Take him to the ER if that is the case. Swicht formual now!!

Let us know what happens and wish you good luck in getting this figured out.

Hi Sha,

Is the baby spitting up or actually vomiting(projectile)? We had similar problems with my second son. We tried a variety of formulas, bottles, nipples, etc. trying to figure out why he was not keeping anything down. After several weeks of trying different things, my son was finally diagnosed with Pyloric Stenosis. He had to go into surgery ASAP. He was only 6 weeks old at the time. Have your niece talk to her dr about this and have it checked out with a simple ultra sound (won't hurt her baby at all). The day after surgery, my son was eating, keeping his formula down and so much happier!

Good luck and God bless.

N.

change the formula to cow milk based with comfort proteins that are broken down and may help with digestion. I use Weleda cream, found at health food stores and it works great
good luck and keep suporting your niece- what a great aunt you are

I would encourage her to take her son to the doctor. He probably doesn't need to be on soy formula and is allergic. Blood in the stool is not a good sign, so that needs to be checked out with the doctor. I would also encourage her to breast feed. Breast milk is by far absolutely the best food for infants, and as long as you can breast feed, the better. It's better for the baby, and better for the mommy.

Diaper rash is also probably from the formula. I would encourage her to not use over the counter creams unless they are organic. Melaleuca oil (tea tree oil) is awesome in curing diaper rash, as well as a host of other skin issues. I have used that on both my children, and it's a staple in our home.

Also, make sure she uses green household cleaners and laundry detergent. Have her get all the chemicals out of the home. Most brand name products on the marketplace contain harmful ingredients, and cause a host of health problems.

Wishing you all the best,
Linne S

Dear Sha,
Probably the best thing for any child is breastmilk! Is there a health problem that prevents your niece from nursing? If not, then she would do well to switch right away. It eases so many of these initial digestive problems in babies. There are many studies today that suggest that any non-fermented soy product, especially soy milk, is indigestible for human beings. If your niece cannot breast feed, then perhaps she can find a better alternative to the soy milk. For example, if you have raw milk available in your area, that is closest to "mother's milk". Or see a homeopathic doctor.
As for diaper rash, it is usually a dietary symptom. There are several homeopathic remedies that do not further irritate the skin...if you have a health food store or market in your area, just go and ask - I have found these to be gentler and more effective than drugstore preparations.
Best wishes to you both,
J. Birns
Waldorf Educator & Consultant, mother of two

It's not too late to start breastfeeding and she'll save a lot of money as a single mom. Get her in touch with La Leche League or the Mother's Support Network in Sacramento. If she doesn't want to do that then her doctor should be more helpful in finding the right formula for the baby. The perfect formula, of course, is the milk she makes especially for him.

First I would request another Pediatrician that will work with her. The baby is not doing well on the type of formula he is on and needs to be switched to find the correct one for him. A little spitting up is normal but not to the extent that you describe. A friend of mines' daughter had bloody stool in the Nicu and they changed her right away to a special formula that is hypoallergenic its made by Enfamil and its called Nutramigen (this spelling may not be exact). Blood in his stool is also a sign of something not going right and should be checked out throughly. The diaper rash is easily handled with a powder called Caldesene Baby and you can get the bottle at Kaiser pharmacy's. The bottle is blue and it works after the first time just about every time.

1) Formula coming out through his eyes? See a pediatric Ear, Nose, Throat specialist. The sinuses and tear ducts are all connected but this sounds unusual.
2)Best thing I've found for severe diaper rash is Triple Paste. Expensive but worth it. I saw Lotrimin mentioned but it only helps if the rash is a yeast infection.Regular diaper rash does better with diaper rash ointment.
3) Soy formula does not necessarily help with spitting up. In fact it is rarely recommended unless there is a true allergy to something. I had good luck with Nestle Good Start Formula. It's enzymes are predigested so that digestion is easier for the infant.
4)Perhaps take him to a childrens hospital for evaluation, such as Children's Hospital in Oakland (I'm not sure where you live). There is also one in Fresno I believe, but I cannot remember it's name.

My son had the same spitup/rash/blood-in-stool problems. We went through every formula out there and couldn't find one that worked for him for the longest time! We finally found Baby's Only, which is the only formula on the market that doesn't contain corn syrup solids, and he does well on that. BUT, it's a toddler formula, technically, so your niece should try all the other alternatives first. Our doctor explained it like this: If a baby is allergic to milk, it's the complex milk proteins they can't handle. So, you need a formula that breaks those proteins down further. Nutramigen is a hypoallergenic formula that works for some babies. It didn't work for ours, but I know a lot of people with allergic babies supposedly have luck with it. It has the proteins broken down further than normal formula. I think a couple brands make similar hypoallergenic formulas--Alimentum is another. (Both of these are available at Target, Babies R Us, etc.) If that doesn't work, Neocate (only available online or through a pharmacist) is SUPER hypoallergenic--the milk proteins are broken down to the amino acid level. Our son did okay on that...but not great. He also couldn't tolerate any of the soy formulas, which is common with babies with a milk allergy...they have a 1 in 10 chance of also being allergic to soy. (I was, in fact, as a baby.) In our son's case, Neocate was the best of all the formulas, but still not great (and it's VERY expensive), so we finally tried the Baby's Only, and that solved our problems. But, as I said, that's technically a toddler formula, so she should try all the baby formulas first.

I take it she's not breastfeeding? If she is, she should get ALL dairy out of her diet...including all products with casein and whey (which includes a lot of breads, crackers, prepared foods, etc...it's in EVERYTHING!). That helped a LOT with my son. (We were breastfeeding and using formula.) It takes about a week for all the dairy to clear your system, but once it does, we saw a marked improvement in our son.

Bottom line...try anything and everything! Her baby will be soooo much happier if she can find something the baby will tolerate digestively. Our cranky, squalling son was like a new kid once we got it all sorted out.

Good luck to her!

If he is throwing up so hard that it's coming out of his eyes and he has blood in his stool, I would take him right away to children's hospital in Oakland. You never know with an infant that small and this seems not normal to me. My daughter and several of my grandchildren spit up their formula constantly but NEVER to the point of it coming out of their eyes.

You have had some great advice! Is there anyway she could give him breast milk? If he is allergic to soy formula the little guy might really benefit from the immune help that comes with breast milk. It really might pay off down the road. Getting breast feeding going would be hard work but worth it and far cheaper than formula! If she wants to try it find a good consultant. She could even pump and give bottles if she isn't around to actually feed him.

Just a thought.

My son was throwing up large amounts of breastmilk for the first 6 months of his life. I couldn't eat a regular meal without it getting worse because he was allergic to milk and was sensitive to most other foods that I ate. The only way I could eat at least one regular meal a day was to feed him first and then eat dinner. At the next feeding, I would pump out the milk and dump it and feed him a bottle of the milk I pumped in the morning. He also had horrendous diaper rashes and a similar rash on his face. I gave him supplements so he grew very well, even though he was throwing up ounces of milk at every meal and in between meals. At 6 months, I put him on Natren non dairy, probiotic powder. It is shipped refrigerated from natren.com. Vitacost.com and Whole Foods sell the capsules. Three days after I started the probiotics, he stopped throwing up. I had to give it to him at every meal until he was 13 months old, otherwise he would throw up....even solid food. The rashes cleared up too as long as he didn't have anything with casein (milk protein) in it.
So specifically, for your niece....breastfeeding is best, but I'm sure there's a reason that her baby is on formula. Address the formula issue first. The baby is obviously not doing well on soy and there is much information out there that soy formula can be unsafe for a baby, especially boys because of the estrogens and other issues. I'm not a fan of cow milk because the milk proteins in cow's milk are completely foreign to the human body, Goat milk formula is not used here in the states, but is used in other countries with great success because goat milk protein is very similar to human milk protein. If I had another child that I couldn't breastfeed, I would use goat milk with some additions to it. If you add in Ambrotose to replace the glyconutrients that are in breast milk, but not in formula, it should be very helpful to the baby. My heart goes out to your niece. That first 6 months for me was a complete fog. I've never done so much laundry for one little person in my whole life. Now he's a healthy 3 year old and I'm a blessed mama!

STOP FEEDING HIM WHATEVER SHE IS FEEDING HIM!! Oh my gosh, my heart is breaking for that baby.
Try another formula, has her milk dried up? If not, I suggest she start pumping until she figures out a formula that works. Why did she go to a soy formula first?

-K.

Was she told to put him on the non-allergenic formula? I can't remember what its called but I've heard it smells really bad and is VERY expensive. i agree that she should find a new doctor, this should be taken care of immediately.
Also, I wanted to say if he has bad diaper rash she may want to consider either rinsing the wipes before she uses them or use a warm wash cloth. The chemicals in the wipes burn when you use them on a rash. Also, my friend mentioned to me the other day that a rash can cause a yeast infection, so she should look out for that.
Best of luck to you and your niece!
C.

There is a formula called NeoCate that is supposed to be impossible to be allergic to because it does not contain any intact proteins. The protein is broken down to the basic amino acids. (My middle child was allergic to both dairy and soy, plus a whole lot more.) It's expensive and tastes terrible (or so I've heard), but if your niece tried it and he improved, it would help confirm that it IS allergies. Once he stabilized, she could try some more of the regular formulas to see if he tolerates one. For example, Carnation Good Start is dairy based, but it is partially hydrolyzed, which means that some dairy allergic children will tolerate it. (My youngest did, despite his dairy allergy.)

My middle child used to get severe diarrhea and a bloody diaper rash. I recommend a brand called Triple Paste for that. It works WAY better than any of the usual over-the-counter brands. I used to have to special order it on-line, but I recently saw it on the shelf at Target.

Also, if she has internet access, there's an on-line support group for the parents of kids with food allergies. It's www.kidswithfoodallergies.org They were extremely helpful when my 6yo was a baby and I was trying to figure out what he was allergic to. I'd also suggest that she take him to an allergist and/or a pediatric GI doctor. If you post again with her location, I'm sure you could get recommendations for both types of doctors in private practices. Or, Oakland Children's Hospital and Packard (Stanford's Children's Hospital) both have allergy and GI departments. It can take a while (more than a month) to get in though, so she should call sooner rather than later.

-D.

I would change the formula and for the diaper rash she can get Lotrimin AF cream form. Only put a little on the red area and it works wonders.
I use this on my twins when their diaper rashes were bad and the next day the rash was gone.

Hi Sha,

The blood in the stool is quite serious and spitting up formula through his EYES?? Tell her to contact another pediatrician, this one seems very lax about her concerns. At the very least he needs to take into consideration that this is a new mom and he needs to alleviate her worries. Similac make a sensitive (lactose free) formula with added rice starch that often help when babies spit up a lot....my daughter does well with it. They have it at Target, Lucky's, and Walmart and it can be ordered from diapers.com as well. Good luck!!

Hi Sha,

I assume the Dr. is monitioring this situation closely, and if not, she needs a new doctor, Pronto.

First, try switching the formula. Goodstart is supposed to be the easiest to digest, but Similac makes a pre digested, hypoallergenic formula called Alimentum that she made need to use. Alimentum is VERY expensive, but she may be able to get it from WIC if she gets a prescription from the Dr.

As long as it is a reasonable temprature in the house, leave him in an open onesie with no diaper on, and apply liberal amounts of rash ointment. Aveeno works really well.

Keep a close watch for dehydration. The baby can end up in the hospital, or even die.

Thank goodness she has you to help her and to get information for her. Let us know what happens!

Try a different brand of formula, I used Prosoybee cause it is formulated for sensitive stomachs. She could also try Mylecon drops to help with baby's gas. Desitin works great for diaper rash. She might want to only use wipes and diapers for sensitive skin.

Good Luck

You may want to have your friend try a non soy or cow's milk formula: alimentum or nutramigen. My allergist advised me that 25% of all children who are allergic to cow's milk are also allergic to soy.

Hi Sha,

My son was like that also. I made my own formula with carnation milk 1 part to 7 parts water with Karosyrup.

Hope this helps.

N. Marie

Sounds like baby has a protein allergy and she needs to switch the formula to a doctor recomended brand. That will also clear up the diaper rash. The diaper rash is caused by the allergy.

Switch him ASAP to Nutramigen or Alimentum. i had to. for those recommending goat's milk they should be careful. 4 weeks is way too young for goats milk or goats milk formula. studies show that it might tax their little systems to have goat milk too early. air out the bottom as often as possible. best of luck.