Dr. Sears,

My niece is living in Ecuador and cannot find the formula she was using in the U.S. Her 8 1/2 month old son seems to be allergic to milk. She did buy a milk-based formula in Ecuador to try, but he has begun to have blood in his stool. She brought him to the doctor and they ruled out any parasitic or bacterial cause and said that it was likely a food allergy. Since he hasn't had any new foods recently and had had problems with milk-based formula in the states, she believes that it is likely a milk allergy.

Could she wean him completely off of the formula even though he is under 1 year, or is there a substitute she could use. She is considering oat milk, but realizes that it won't have the fats, calcium and other nutrients that the formula supplies.

I suggested trying goat milk, although I know that 60% of children allergic to cow's milk are also allergic to goat's milk.

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thank You,
KTmomof12

Thank you for the question,

I am sorry your neice is having these problems with her son. It is good that she took him to the doctors to rule out infectious causes. It certainly could be a possibility of a milk allergy. I do NOT recommend stopping formula before the age of one year. I would suggest switching to a soy-based formula such as Isomil until he is one year old. If the problems persist, then she should take him back to his doctor.

After he is a year of age, she could consider weening off formula, but not before that time. I hope this helps!

Thank you for your reply.

They live in Ecuador, and have not been able to find a soy-based formula there. This is why we're looking for alternatives. If you have any suggestions, we'd surely appreciate them.

I am very surprised that they have had a hard time finding soy-based formulas there. I would suggest that they speak to their child's Pediatrician. They may be able to suggest a location where they can buy it. They can also speak to their Pediatrician about other hypoallergenic formulas which may be available in Ecuador.