What to Give a 1 Year Old to Drink?

My eldest got hives from cow's milk and diarhea from soy, so we did goat's milk. I think it's still available from Whole Foods. She outgrew the allergy when she was about three. My son had diarrhea from normal cow milk, lactaid, soy, and goat's milk. We did rice milk for a while, then I realized that he was fine with products containing cooked milk. (Probably a sensitivity to cassein.) After I saw a news segment on Parmalat, I tried it with him and it was fine. Parmalat is cow's milk, but they heat it a lot -- I think enough to break down the cassein-- so that they can sell it from the shelf rather than the refrigerator. You may have trouble finding a medical doctor acknowledging congestion from cow's milk even though it's a common connection in alternative medicical publications.

Julia,
The first thought I have is goat's milk. It's the closest thing to human milk.
Good thing you are changing Dr.'s. Most MD's don't have a clue about nutrition.
You can also try almond milk. It's technically a fruit. Get the unsweetned variety. It does say not to be used as an infant formula. I just looked at the hemp milk label. It seems fine. You can rotate that in as well.
If you need a reference to a good pediatrician, feel free to contact me.
Good luck,
L.

Hello Julia...Did you have full strength Vit. D whole milk? If so, maybe try him on Skim milk first for a little bit to see if it really is the milk or if the whole milk was just too much. I would try to work him up to it slowly and see if that helps..

Try Almond milk if he is not allergic to nuts.

it could have just been a coincedence that the milk made him congested as he may have had a cold at the same time. you could try flavored water. you could try fat free milk and add ovvultine or pay alot and do pediasure. they have yogurt drinks (cant remember their name). or make him smoothie tye drinks with fat yogurt in them.

there is a formula for kids 9 months and up including toddlers that isnt a prescription you can look into. its sold with all the other formulas at walmart.

Julia,

Enfamil makes a Nest Step LIPIL that is for children 9-24 months old (www.nexsteplipil.com). I agree with the no juice. My doctor says that juice provided unnecessary sugar and has little nutritional value. She suggested that we not give our daughter juice until 2 years old. Good Luck!
J.

Its the lactose in the milk perhaps. Try lactose free. And yes, milk does cause congestion, your dr. is whacked. The sugar in milk can cause excess phlegm which can back up and cause congestion. Drink a glass of milk yourself and see if you dont get slightly phlegmy or have more mucus... When my sister drinks milk or eats ice cream she coughs and drives us crazy...excess phlegm. You could also try to water it down maybe, just make sure he gets his daily allowance of milk.
Water is the only other drink I could suggest. Juice is fine at that age but I'd water it down. For frozen I add up to 2 extra cans of water...my kids still drink it. As for gatorade, forget the sugar content how about the sodium content. Powerade has less sodium.
It sounds like you are looking more for a milk alternative: why not leave him on formula for another year or so, cant hurt. I wouldnt warm it tho. Maybe when he is 2 you can try the milk again. Cows milk, weve been living off it for years, its fine......

Hi Julia,

I have a 17 month old son who had the same reaction to Whole milk. He is currently drinking Carnation Good Start for ages 9-24 months. The Good Start also has vitamins & nutrients that he would not get from whole milk. Works for us, hope it'll work for your little boy. By the way: It cost about $28 per can at Giant and $20.83 at Walmart. Needless to say, I buy mine from Walmart :o)

I never gave my child cows milk until he was one and he has only been sick a couple of times in his past 3 years. I had him on soy milk after breast milk. He is a picky eater, so I have been mixing cows milk with chocolate ovultine for the vitimans and he is doing fine.
But since you child won't drink soy milk and you are opposed to juice. Have you thought about giving your child flavored water or making your own fruit juice with filtered water and blended fruit?

Our youngest daughter couldn't eat dairy until she was around 2 1/2 because she had the same reaction your son did. She's grown out of it now, but she could eat goat cheese, and she loved the soy yogurt from Whole Soy Co. (available at health food stores), she never would do the goat's milk, but Trader Joe's has a really great selection of non cow cheeses. You could try Yo-Baby Yogurt, if he's not on soy formula, he's not allergic to cow's milk products as a whole. Some kids are sensitive to just cow's milk. Hope this helps. :-)

Our boys drink water, organic milk, really watered down juice(no rotten teeth)and kefir. Please research soy milk, it is not good for the boys.As long as your son has yougart and cheese(full fat) he should be just fine.He just needs fat for the brain development.The good thing lots of kids outgrow milk allergies:)

We have asked the same question, and our answer was goat's milk. Goat's milk is the closest alternative to human breast milk, having many of the same goods as human breast milk.

I think it is great that you are giving him water! We are a juice-free household, except for the occasional special treats, and prefer to eat whole fruts.

I know that some people give breastmilk and formula past a year, so I don't think you are doing anything wrong by continuting that for a little while. He needs those brain fats that are easily found in whole milk. I tend to think that he will be fine with cow's milk - if it did cause the congestion, it may just be because he is already a bit congested (like when an adult has a headcold and drinks milk) or his nasal passages are stil small or someting like that?? I would just wait another month and reintroduce it - it sounds like neither an alleragy nor an intolerance. Hopefully a new pediatrician will be able to help.

My four year old has always been fine with cow's milk, but I have start introducing almond and soy - maybe you could mix with cow's milk (if you don't think it is a soy allergy). I have read that rice milk lacks much nutritional value.

I would rely on the rule that kids don't necessarily need milk at all as long as they are getting their protein and calcium and Vitamin D sources elsewhere. Push those green leefy vegetables. However, he does need those brain fats that you find in whole milk at least until he is two or three. Does he handle yogurt and chees alright?

Best luck.

look at pediasure. my son is very lactose intolerant and he was drinking it from 12 months until 24 months and it worked great. now he was also underweight - so that was the real reason to use it -but if you are not giving milk often, it might work!

Perhaps try something lactose free? Personally I started my son on soy from the beginning and cut if half w/water when changing him over from formula during the fade in. Reason being, I saw this news program YEARS ago about a woman who had two sons with Chronic congestions & constant re-ocurring ear infections. After many unsuccessful doctor prescribed remedies, under the tutulage of an Nurse practioner- she went all soy and the issues cleared up - putting her on the path to total diet rethinking with regards to animal by-product. It always stuck with me, even thought it was like 10 years ago. I would do some research online for the alternatives and take a trip to your local Whole Foods(or a grocery store like it) to read some labels. Good luck and follow your instincts.

Maybe try Lactaid milk. We switched my daughter to that for awhile when she was having some problems. We've since gone back to regular cow's milk.

Yes, my son got ear infections since we started cow's milk and the pediatrician also insisted that cow's milk had nothing to do with it. The absolutely best thing is Fresh (not powdered), pasteurized goat's milk. It is not easy to get and it is more expensive but my son has been on it for more than a month now, and knock on wood, no ear infections yet. And no congestion either. You can get it at stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's , organic stores, and such. You also have to switch to goat's milk or sheep milk yogurt, get goat milk cheese (it's almost like regular cheddar cheese), and goat milk butter to see a real change. And you have to try it for at least a month to see if that is what makes the difference. If none of the stores around you carries goat milk products, then try soy milk but it is not as healthy as goat's milk. You should research goat's milk and congestion and ear infection online and see all the stuff. It really has made a big difference for us so for me it's worth the extra trip to the special grocery store and the extra cost. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

If cost is not an issue, continue him on formula. Then make a slow transition to milk (cow or soy) (like 1oz milk 7oz formula)over several months increase the milk. Water is fine and kids do not "Need" juice, but if you do give it to him water it down a lot. Do not give your child fat-free or 1% or 2% milk. They should be on full fat milk until they are 2 years old. Fat is needed for brain development and will not contribute to congestion. My oldest (now 7) was on formula until he was 2 years old. If you are concerned about an allergy (family history?)ask for testing. Good luck.

Congestion is also a sign of an allergy. I have a 15 month old and he was congested for an ureasonably long time but not due to a cold or anything. I could not figure out why he was congested and why the congestion would not go away. He was mostly breastfed but occassionally received milk based infant formula. He also started breaking out into rashes from time to time. I took him to an allergist and did an allergy profile. The results were that he was allergic to milk, soy, corn and wheat (milk being what he is most allergic to out of the four). I stopped giving him the milk based formula and the congestion went away. The allergist said that congestions is a sign of a possible allergy. Now my son takes a formula for kids over the age of one who are allergic to milk (EleCare) . He has not broken out since and no longer has congestion. Elecare is by prescription so ask your doctor if he can prescribe it, but I would suggest going to an allergist and getting the allergy profile done.

I know you don't want to give your son juice but have you tried 100% pure OJ? My kids don't drink "juice" - you know, the ones that are 5% juice and 95% sugar - but they love OJ and have both drank it since they were 12m or younger. Other than that I'd say maybe try 1% milk or even skim and see if that helps any with the congestion since there is less fat. Good luck!

K. - SAHM of 2 boys, 5 and 2

I was wondering why are you holding on the juice? They have so many good vitamins for the baby, come in a great variety so he can get used to tastes and accept them easier for the future? I would advise you to start giving him apple juice - my 8 months old just loves it - when he doesn't want it - he doesn't drink it. Many times he won't drink water but juice and in these warm days and walks I want him to stay hydrated. Hope I was helpful!

I am a mother of 5 wonderful kid's age from 13 to 3. We have two kid's that we tired milk on when they where 12 month's that did the same thing,serve congestion.So at first we tired 2% not as thick as vitamin D milk one it worked with the other it didnt. We kept her on next step formula until she was 2 tired again, she did ok but to this day she still does not drink allot of milk. Try to give vitamins though. Some people will also use goat's milk that I never tired though.

Hi Julia,

Cow's milk has fat that is necessary for brain development.
Maybe your baby needs to have the lactose free milk.

If 2 doctors told you that the baby is not having congestion from the cow's milk, hang in there and pursue the reason with them why the symptoms aren't milk related.

Talk to a nutritionist at the local Children's Hospital.

Give the baby lots of filtered water.

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.

Have you thought about trying goat's milk? It is much easier on the system than cow's milk. You can find it at health food stores or possibly Ukrop's. Does he eat cheese or yogurt?

I have a 15 month old and all he drinks his milk, water, and occasional juice. i dilute his juice in water so it's only about a 1/2 cup, and there are a ton of options out there for pure juice w/ no high fructose or other added sugars. If you still want to wait on the juice, I don't see why you would need anything else other than the formula and water. I have a nearly 3 year old and he still only gets water, milk and daily natural juice box. As long as you compensate and remove a fruit serving for their juice, they won't get too much sugar, if that's your concern. I would encourage the water (you said "a little"), since it's good for them and that will be a great habit for them to have when your child gets older. Both my boys have water cups all day and milk and juice is only served in turn with each of their between meals snacks. I hope that helps!

Hi Julia!

I have a son with asthma who is 5 1/2, he only drinks soy milk. My 3 1/2 yr old has eczema, he only drinks a rice/soy milk mix. That being said, as my daughter turns 1 on Friday, we have only given her rice milk and soy milk - she's never had cow milk and our ped says that she doesn't need it. There are waaaaay too many "things" in our cow milk these days and your doctor should be more "in tune" with your concerns. You may consider finding a doctor who has more of a naturalist approach and may consider helping you with healthier living than just treating symptoms caused by the lifestyle of today. I would research the rice milk and see what you find, my son loves it and my daughter too. My oldest doesn't like it. How about organic cow milk? Do that make him all congested too? That might be something to try. DO you think that he is allergic to soy? Do you eat anything else that is soy. And as long as your little one is eating enough fresh fruits, he doesn't need any juice - good call! Give him water though, he will get used to it and drink it. It took about 2 weeks before my daughter finally started to drink it and now she asks for it. It sounds like you are making great choices for your family. Hang in there! Oh, and for those brain fats, use the DHA cod liver oils. ARtic Cod liver is THE BEST. Check out Dr. Sears website for more info, but you can buy it and just put a little of the oil in his milk or water or mix it into his foods. Of course, getting all his veggies will help too! There are ways to get in all the nutrition without the milk!

My daughter had a problem with dairy and we used Lactaid milk. She eventually outgrew the problem and now drinks regular milk by the gallon. We even used the lactaid pills when traveling. (chewable vanilla)

It's funny to hear about your son getting congestion from milk, because of that very same reason my mom stopped giving my siblings and I milk 25 years ago. Sometimes I wonder aboutt he "nutritional" value of milk....you can get more calcium from broccoli. Anyhow there are 6 kids in my family and the only time we drank milk was on our cereal in the morning, we never just drank a glas of milk, and we never drank any other milk substitutes. We drank a lot of water. And now all 6 of us are grown and quite healthy. Now that I have children of my own I wondered about giving them milk. So far my daughter (just turned 2) is fine with it, but I still don't give her a lot. She drinks VERY watered down juice and water. I just make sure she is eating cheese and yogurt and other good things...I hope this helps....good luck!

I would not worry about giving diluted juice. It is really no worse than formula.

They have the formula for toddlers. I can't see why you couldn't leave him on formula, besides price. However, it provides the vitamins and he doesn't have a problem with it. Maybe do trials every 6-8 weeks with the milk and see how he does. His body might not be ready for it or it might just take some adjusting. Maybe add a little of the milk with the formula because most formula is dairy based. It could be the strength of milk: skim, 2%, or whole. Maybe see how he does on a lighter milk.
God Luck.

No juice?! Why not!? That might help with the congestion. Juicy Juice, for instance, has nothing but fruit juice in it. If you're worried about too much sugar, even natural sugar, cut it 50/50 with water. Your kid will love juice! And it's good for them. Kids need water, too, at this age, but they don't really like it. If you cut juice with water they get both the good from the juice and stay hydrated, which will definitely help with congestion no matter what the cause! Just out of curiosity, what makes you not want to give him juice?

I thought lactose intolerance came in the form of nasty diarrhea and abdominal discomfort, not congestion. Granted, I'm not a doctor, but we have a couple of lactose intolerant friends, and they've never mentioned excessive congestion.

[Later] But now after reading some of the other responses, I'm a little more educated! I had no idea that could cause that. I'm lucky enough to be from a family that's not allergic to anything. My daughter tolerates everything. [Except carrots. Weird.]

I have a friend who would suggest goats milk. I'm not sure where you get it, but that's only because I've never looked for it! Probably Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. If you'd like, I'll ask her.

-S

Have you tried the cow's milk with acidophilis in it? Sometimes that helps or even Lactaid. Lactaid contains no lactose. My daughter had a similar issue as your son with cow milk and the mucous. We switched her to Lactaid and she has been fine, she is even able to drink skim or 1% cow's milk now without having the mucous issue.

Look into Goodstart by Carnation. Here's the link. They will also send "checks" (coupons) if you sign up on their email list.

http://www.verybestbaby.com/GoodStart/Default.aspx

We had the SAME problem with my son! We tried lactaid, rice milk (i thought was too watery), and soy milk. Soy milk had the same reaction (weird!). We ended up with lactose free milk, but not lactaid! It was only ONE brand he could work with. Keep trying different brands. I wouldn't resort to goats milk just yet... that's majorly expensive. My son also could handle the formula with cow's milk in it, but just not the cow's milk itself. It's not bad to keep them on the toddler formula since it DOES offer more nutrients than the milk alone. Cows milk isn't designed to give toddlers the vitamins that they need. Don't feel bad about keeping him on formula, it's just expensive.

Good luck, it's a wait and see and try and dump game.
~ B. ~

One of the little guys I watch (I run an in home daycare) can't drink the Lactaid, Soy, Milk, etc.... His allergist told mom to boil the milk - it breaks down the component he is having trouble with. I put about 16 oz in a measuring cup and boil in Microwave for 4 minutes, take the skim off the top and boil again for another 4 minutes, take skim off again and let cool. Once it's cool you can take the skim off the top again and it will be ready to drink. My guy hasn't had any issues doing it this way. We'll probably try Lactaid again but when he's closer to 2. He turned a year end of April.

I've heard the same things, that babies need the fats from milk for brain development and such, however my first son never drank milk. He went from breastmilk to water. He knew if I put milk in a cup and absolutely refused to drink it. Instead I gave him tons of whole milk yogurt (yo baby) and cheese (real cheese, not processed slices). He more than made up for the lack of milk. I love the idea of adding the DHA (you can get it in packets) or fish oils but I never did. He's doing great now at 3 and still does not drink milk. He does eat it in cereal, and occasionally with chocolate, but with his other allergies (nuts, eggs and pork) I think he limits himself and knows that too much milk bothers him. Not surprising. I've also heard that with milk allergy/intolerance that up to about 8 oz. a day doesn't seem to bother people, but more than that seems to have an effect. As well as yogurt and cheese having less issues than whole milk. Try to give him as nutrient dense diet as you can, but go with your gut. Mom's know when our kids are affected by things. Stay off the milk for a while and maybe try and introduce it again when his body may be able to handle it better. Meanwhile, the formula is good, and I'm not sure what the studies say about giving almond milk before 2 but that may be an option as well. Good luck!

You could give him pediasure or keep him on formula or a next step formula. Pediasure is actually more expensive and lots more calories which could prevent him from eating regular food well. He can stay on formula until age 2 at least. My twins also had trouble switching to milk at the 12 month mark - lots of fussyness and diaper rash here but no congestion. The congestion could be due to lactose intolerance or just because the body makes more mucus everywhere when the stomach lining is irritated. I think it is likely that your baby's system just isnt ready yet. He just needs more time to make the right enzymes and enough of them to fully digest the milk without it bothering the rest of his body.

The reason that Drs tell you that it can't be the milk is that formula is cows milk based too so if it was an allergy or lactose intollerance they should have also been intollerant to the formula. I found the same advise from my Doctor and also on the internet.

However, after talking to lots of other moms about this it seems like other people had the same experience when they first tried milk. Some people go extreme and assume that thier kids cant have milk. This probably isn't true and wasn't true in the experience of my other friends(also I seem to remember Lactose is a use or lose type system - if you always give your child lactose free products when he's not intollerant the body will make less lactase enzyme which is why cats shouldnt have milk).

What they did and I am now doing is to go back to formula foa a month or two and try again very slowly - say one ounce in each 8 ounce bottle for two days and then two ounces for a couple days until you are done with the formula. We are doing this now and it is working great - we had diaper rash for a day, I took the milk out for a day and then went back. We are now up to half milk and half formula and progressing well.

I read an article in the magazine Living Without recently. In fact, one of the mother's featured in this article is from
the area.

Here is the link:

http://www.livingwithout.com/2008/2008spring.html

Other alternatives suggested to me by my doc were sheep's milk and goat's milk. The first one leaves the least aftertaste. The good news is that more types are available now. Try going to Whole Foods, or a local natural food store. It's worth it for your child's health.

Good luck!

Oh my goodness, there is so much misinformation out there!!! Please be wary of all the advice about re-trying cow's milk. Cow's milk was made for baby cows. Not humans. Some of us just can't digest it. Please respect your son's reaction to it. There's no reason to force the issue - you might cause him to have an even stronger reaction like anaphylactic shock where he would stop breathing. I strongly recommend you do some research about food allergies and arm yourself with information. Some of the ladies below, while well-meaning, probably do not know much about food allergies.

For example, many children with food allergies have reactions to soy as well. Not because they're allergic to it, but because soy is an irritant. If your body is already reacting to something, then soy is not going to help. That's probably why your son threw up the soy.

As for the suggestion to give your son gatorade: do you know how much sugar in the form of corn syrup is in those types of drinks? If you're avoiding juice because of sugar, then please don't give your child gatorade!

I just had to weigh in. Good luck!
~J.

Hi Julie,

I would suggest Spring Water and making home made juices with fresh fruit! If you buy store bought 100% juice give hime 2 oz of water with 2oz of juice to water down the juice so it;s not that strong of a taste for his little taste buds. Clearly it almost seems like he may possibly be allergic to cow's milk.I would speak with a Pediatric Allergist. I recommend Dr. Wood at Johns Hopkins. He wrote allergies for dummies book. He's great!! Water is always the best thing especially in the summer.
Annie R
Good Luck!!

Cow's milk if very healthy for baby cows. It is processed "pasteurized" until it is no longer such a healthy alternative. Soy milk is also very processed and there have been questions raised on how healthy it is. The best bets I have been offered are raw cows milk or goat milk. Raw cow milk is hard to find but most whole food stores carry goat milk. Hope this helps.
-S.

You can always give him the advanced formula. I think some call it Step 2, for toddlers. I have a friend that gave her daughter that formula until she turned two. My daughter's doctor said that 20% of all babies have an allergy to the protein in cow's milk, and my daughter happened to be one of them. She had to be on soy formula as a baby, but she changed over to cow's milk without a problem when she turned 1. Maybe you should slowly re-introduce milk to him in a few months; like a 4 oz serving a day and go up from there. Good luck!

Hello Julia,
Enafamil has the next step products you may be interested in, I believe they are for use through 24 months. My little one is now 22 months and drinks whole milk exclusively. However from 12 months to 18 months I mixed the next step to milk 50/50 ratio. For two reasons first to slowly let her system get used to cows milk. Also b/c she was not eating a well rounded variety of food and wanted her to continue to get the added minerals and DHA. Hope this helps~ Best of Luck.

if you're in maryland it's illegal (which is insane and makes me want to punch all those people who want to 'keep me safe' right in the snooker, but that's another rant), but if you're somewhere sensible that allows you to purchase raw milk you might try that. many of the problems people have with commercial milk is the boiling, additives, preservatives, hormones, and the crazy unnatural diet most dairy cows are fed. REAL milk poses far fewer problems.
and the advent of refrigeration has eliminated most of the issues of Days of Yore.
and it's delicious.
khairete
S.

My son drinks lots of water and a sippy cup full of juice every now and then. Apart from then he'll be getting formula until he refuses it. Oh, and I also give him a smoothie (storebought) every now and then.
Even though he is almost a year old, I do not want to introduce cow's milk for a while. You wouldn't give breastmilk to a calf, would you?? He can get all the nutrients he needs from formula and frankly, the milk is watered down so much in the US that it's pitiful!!

My pediatrician and allergist both suggested organic original rice milk. There is also no American Pediatric Association warning against it. It is a suitable alternative for those who can't have milk or soy. They also told us to give him Stonyfield Farms Yo Baby yogurt to reintroduce dairy (only have the congestion has cleared up for at least 2 wks). This yogurt has extra enzymes to help break down the dairy so it's an easier way form them to handle it. We've tired going more dairy before, but we have the same problem, but many kids will get better and can go back onto cow's milk.

Children need the protein, calcium, and fat in milk not just because of their bones and physical growth but for their brain development too. So, if you aren't going to give milk please be sure to continue the formula (it won't hurt him). I don't know what type of formula you are using but Enfamil has NEXT STEP which is for over 9 months through either 24 or 36 months.

The congestion could be a coincidence. If he was starting to develop the congestion (maybe due to a cold or allergies) anyway, the milk would not have helped. I know that if I have a cold or something, milk products intensifies the congestion. You may want to try him again...maybe one bottle/cup a day for a few days. Maybe he just had too much too soon.

Besides milk (regardless of the type), you son should drink water and some juice (not the sugary stuff which is what I am assuming you don't want him to have). The best kind would be V8 (and they do have many variations now...my daughter loves them) or 100% juices like Juicy Juice. You could/should water the juices down some which give them more water intake which is great especially in the summer. Another option is the Gatorades, Powerades, and Propels. I get the single serving mixes and mix them in a bottle of water.

Hope this helps you in some way.

Have you tried goats milk?

If he's eating cheese and yogurt, then not getting milk right now should be okay. We give our girls about 2 tbs of lemonade with 8-10 oz of water (just enough lemonade to give it a little flavor, but not enough to do any harm). They do take milk very well though so they get milk with all meals and the lemon water in between.