Can you give Rice milk to under 5's?

I was planning on trying to get DS off dairy - mostly milk, cheese and yoghurt, because he has always been a little brat, doesn't hardly sleep, doesn't really eat, complains that his belly hurts - and OMG - the poos. Its enough to make me vomit really.

I was looking at getting him some rice milk - but it said on the packages I looked at that it is not recommended for under 5 year olds?

So what do you use instead?? I thought soy was bad for boys? So I'm a little clueless...

(I thought I would try it cos his sister is actually doing a lot better now she is on soy formula)

Hi there,

Just checked my packet - it says not for under 2 years.

DS#1 has been having it since he was 2 because he is not great on a lot of dairy either - still has natural biodynamic yogurt though.

I know another mums who gave it to her son from 2 years of age because he couldn't have dairy or soy. I believe it was on the advice of a paed. Not sure what other advice she was given.

A lot of kids who can't tolerate cow's milk can't tolerate soy.

Good luck,
TICKLISH

Mel, what's the issues with his poos? Could it be this?

Sare-bear :p

Nah they aren't watery - they aren't formed - just a whole lot of crap!!! Got the bits of food in them though - but there is just so much of it!! and it not like a nice little lump you just roll off the nappy - its clumpy and just gross - and the smell...:o :sick:

Yep, rice milk is OK after 12 months I think. My DS has a suspected dairy intolerance and we tried him on it but he hated it so we switched him to soy which he loves.

**ETA: Sorry, made a typo, we actually gave it to DS after 12 months and his paed said that was fine :dunno: In any event, he didn't like it so only had it once or twice (and didn't drink it on those occasions anyway).

I gave rice milk from about 1.5 years :)

I too have heard it's ok after 2. I wouldn't give it to them if they're under 2 though. My friends' DS is dairy intolerant, and that's the advice she got from her dr.

Yeah I thought it was ok over 2 - thats why I was surprised when all the labels said not under 5!!!

it says not under 5??? Gees my dr and then the specialist told me to change over when Jaidan was 16 months old!! He was getting a shocking rash and he said it was the healthier switch between soy and rice.

Someone told me that when they say 'not suitable as a whole milk food under 2 years' means that it's OK on cereal, in cooking, in a cup here and there but not if that's their only food ie like breastmilk or formula - she was a pead nurse so I'd assume she'd know what she was talking about :dunno:

My paed did tell us not to give DS soy until he was over 12 months. He's 14 months now, has been having it on cereal since about 13 months and drinking it from a cup once or twice a day for probably 2 weeks and we haven't had any issues.

Hopefully someone can pop in and give us a straight answer!

FAR OUT I've tried to reply 3 times!! ARGH!

Okay start over....

The issue is that babies are unable to absorb the calcium that the rice milk says it has. So you can't count on 1 cup rice milk = 1 cup cows milk in the calcium stakes. It also is low fat, and children need more fat in their diets. If they aren't getting it from other sources, they generally get it in the milk.

Jovie has been on rice milk since 18 months. She is intolerant to soy and goats milk and is allergic to dairy. So our options are limited. I was on an elimination diet while breastfeeding, and then when she weaned... we gave her rice milk. She has 2 large cups of rice milk a day, and has other foods to increase her calcium and other foods to increase her fat intake. Things like avocado and hummous, etc etc.... We got help from a dietician when planning her solids diet & her weaning diet.

Thanks Christy.

Maybe I should take both kids to a paed then?

Hun every paediatrician I've seen have been more work than its worth!!! If you have a good paed already, go for it!

We saw 4 paeds with Matilda before I saw the allergist (who the paed told me not to see :rolleyes:) and found out she was seriously allergic to cows milk. They gave me diagnosis like :difficult child, problem behaviour, "reflux", and the last one was failure to thrive... but none were willing to do anything about it. I went to an allergist and dietician who helped me figure things out with her.

I checked the rice milk out at the supermarket today - there were 4 brands - 3 brands said not under 2 and 1 brand said not under 5.

Are you serious? I checked my local coles - about 5 brands - all said 5 yrs.... its a nambour conspiracy!!

Bad mummy moment warning ahead :

I never even checked whether I could or couldn't give the boys rice milk - both have been on it since they were just on 12 months (and lactose free formula after I finished BF). I think the issue is that it is not a "complete milk food for infants". But if you are not giving them lactose free milk (some bubs are alergic to the protein in milk) and don't want to give boys soy milk because of the oestrogen issues, then rice milk is the go. Really though, if a 12 month old is having a full, balanced diet, then calcium enriched rice milk should surely be ok.

Okay, feeling bad here, I have recently switched DS over to calcium enriched rice milk - I didn't know it was a problem before two! Maybe we should see a dietician.......can anyone recommend a good one in Melbourne? ;)

Arimeh- We have very similar sounding poo issues here. As well as tummy pains from cows milk. Before switching to rice milk the Dr suggested i try a lactose free milk. So i did and poo is a much better consistency and no more screaming from tummy pains.

From what i have read kids can have an intolerance to the lactose or to the milk protein. If it is just the lactose then lactose free milk is great. I can only get UHT though, but she seems to like it ok. If the intolerance is to the protein then obvioucly you need a non-dairy alternative.

You already suggested soy wasn't the best alternative so i thought i'd be controversial and state my opinion, but it is just that, my opinion after doing some research. ;) I wouldn't give anyone soy milk, particularly not my kids. I think soy products are ok in small amounts, but not as the main milk drink in anyones diet. I know alot of the reasearch is not all that valid and a bit controversial, but there is enough evidence for me to steer clear of the stuff. I used to be the soy chai queen, but no longer! Before giving your kids Soy make sure you do a bit of reading and are happy to do so. ;)

Ange - does that include soy formulas as well?

Yep- Goats milk formula would be a better one to try.

Ahhhh shyte!

*Goes off to find info about the evils of soy milk, particulary for boys??!!*

Seriously?!?! Damn.. she is doing so well on soy too...

Same here Mel, DS hated the rice milk, wouldn't even drink a small cup of it.

We are still breastfeeding but I can't see myself tandem feeding (you never know, still early days) and have had to drop him back to 2 feeds a day because my supply dropped with early prg.

I'm going shopping tomorrow, will buy some lactose free stuff. My paed did recommend this as an option but soy was just more readily available. Hope he tolerates it ok!

Ange - can you give me a brief run down on why soy might be a problem?

Don't stop it on my say so, do a bit of googling and see what you think...... Some people are very happy with their soy products. I guess i'm a bit cautious, if there are questions surrounding the safety of something i would rather avoid it. Guilty unless proven innocent i say! ;)

Going to go google it in a minute, but I'm the same, especially when it comes to the kids and if there is an alternative ;)

Now this is off the top of my head, not a paper i would submit to uni for assesment! ;)

- a high % of soy crops are GM modified. I read 2/3 but not sure on the figure....
- A soy bean is a hard bean, there is alot of processing that goes on to make it into 'milk'
- Soy crops love heavy metals and absorb them readily.
- There are high levels of phyto-estrogens (hormone) in soy milk. The high levels of this hormone is what gives soy its benefits such as reducing the incidence of cancer in adults, but it has also been shown to mess with the estrogen levels in our bodies, it has been linked to fertiliy issues as well as Thyroid cancer in a few studies. The levels of the hormone are a concern particularly when it comes to infants.

The problem is that it is hard to find a balanced perspective on Soy, or a good scientific study. There are many articles shouting the opposite opinions, but like i said, guilty until proven innnocent at my house! :lol:

Ange is definitely a woman on the ball, so I'd trust her ;)

Willow, when I changed DS over to rice milk, he wouldn't have a bar of it. I mixed a small amount of it into his cows milk, increasing the rice milk ratio a little each day, until he was having all rice milk. Recently, we were away, and I couldn't get any rice milk for a day and a half, and he was really funny about having cows milk!!!!!! :dunno: Maybe a very gradual approach would work?

Janie - I was just talking to DH about it. We're going to try the lactose free stuff first and see how he goes with that. We haven't actually tried him on cow's milk, I have been too scared to after seeing his reaction to yoghurt and cheese etc. But if he doesn't take to that either, I guess rice milk is our only option.

Hun, totally don't blame you for being scared to try cows milk. I wouldn't either in your situation! I hope you have some luck with the LF stuff.

ETA Just realised that maybe you think I was suggesting mixing it with cows mil for L?! I meant to do it with whatever you're currently giving him (ie soy milk).

EEkk I'm reading. and its a little scary. maybe i should just stop googling and put my head in the sand..

I would go OAT milk instead of rice milk - much more nutritional if you weigh up whats actually IN the stuff. The rice milk is very empty calories, unless its fortified with calcium or protein which we used to buy until we discovered oat milk. Check the labels.

Also soy isn't evil, if you google choice report on soy milk for babies.

Except that oats is high on the intolerance list as well.... sorry, but both my girls are allergic to oats as well.... I do buy the calcium enriched rice milk in the hope that something is absorbed. Our allergist/nutritionist suggested that magnesium is much more important because that is what helps the body absorb calcium, so we have a multivitamin with magnesium with the rice milk.

Someone asked something I had an answer too... damn....

Soy, the other day Matilda (who is not allergic to soy) spilled soy sauce all over herself. She came out in a HUGE rash and its still pink and welty now..... scary stuff..

Thanks for that B.

Christy - wow thats scary.. hope she's ok?

Yeah, the gluten, bummer.

Just that DS1 drank rice milk for about 9 months from age 1 until i discovered Oat milk and realised rice milk is very mostly just carbs.

I actually drink powdered magnesium every day mixed with water, good to know it helps with something else!

I think soy is okay where you have no other real options, but also highly allergic.

as for my kids i gave them all rice and soy and cow milk after 12 months and one of them skim milk he went fully on at about 8 months (pead instructed me to) due to being OVER weight but he was a lovely wrinkly chubby bubba hehehe.

Am I right in thinking that all the "warnings" about not giving kids rice milk the the fear that someone will give it to their bub instead of formula or breastmilk when under one? I mean, once a child is 12 months old and on a full diet (assuming they are not BF like my poor boys :redface:) then rice milk is a good alternative if cows milk is a prob and you aren't keen on soy?

Roryrory I think the main issue is when they are getting more rice milk than anything else yes? Maybe that parents are giving it as a milk substitute for calcium and fat intake as well.

Ah yes, the fat intake would be an issue too. Lucky for us the boys love sardines!

Oh god I am really stressing now, Quinn is allergic to milk and has a major intolerance to soy so rice was my only option. He is only 13 months but weaned himself just before 12 months because I am pregnant.

The problem is he won't eat at the moment, no vegetables at all, a little meat, the occasional fruit, he will have dry cereals and corn/rice cakes with nutlex and vegemite but he is not getting enough nutrients and now to find that rice milk may not be good for him either is really worrying me.

I don't know where else I can turn though. The dietition was fine with the rice milk when he was eating really well but since the fussiness set in I am worried

How interesting to see this thread pop up!

DS is still having rice milk. We have recently seen a Naturopath in relation to possible intolerances, and he was more than happy with DS having rice milk as a replacement. I explained that we had tried goat's milk, but that DS wouldn't have a bar of it (can't blame him :lol:), so rice milk was the next option. I expressed some concern, but he was totally unfussed. Which is good, as the blood test results are back and they show a fairly strong dairy intolerance!

Eternalbear, if you are really concerned then contact your dietician again and mention that he's being fussy with his food. I hope he decides eating is cool again soon!