KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

Hi all:

Recently, my baby boy of 18 months had some flu 3 weeks ago and since after recovered 1 week later, he start rejecting all types of formula milk.

We not sure of what happens, althought in the past his intake of milk is not that good, of avergae 150ml per feed for 3 feeds per day, but now he is not drinking any!!!

The approach of the milk and the smell immediately make him use his hand to either make a "no no" or he closed his mouth very tight.

We had tried a few brands of the forumal milk, Mami gold, gain and even Pediasure, but still can not get him to drink.

We visited the baby doc or specialist last week
and she recommended feeding more tou fu or cheese products or soy bean with less sugar.

We currently feeding more tou fu, soy bean and bread with cheese. But our boy don't seen to take much.

our boy does take the 2 feed of lucn and dinner well.

But we afraid of our boy upgrowth without the other benefits of the formula milk.

Can anyone advise what can we do? For a 18 months not wanting to drink milk? Any other foods or milk to recommend

Without the intake of froumal milk, will it still affect the boy growth, especially IQ and learning?

Thanks for all the kind souls and people out there for reading the post.

Any feedback or repsonse is appreaciated.

Thanks

Father and Mother of baby sim

Not worry too much about not incorporating formula milk in your child's dietary pattern. Getting nutrients from natural sources will ensure proper growth.

If you are concerned about the EPA, DHA, probiotics that are added into formula milk, there are other sources you can get these from.

For eg, Efalex has fish oil drops for little children.

IQ development is not dependent on food intake alone.

Adequate sleep and sensory experiences should be more helpful than formula milk nutrients.

Have you tried fresh milk? Actually if you go to the supermarket in ang moh countries, they have very limited choices for formula for >1 year old. For them its breast feed till 1 year old, then fresh milk after that. They don't believe in formula milk cos that's unnatural food.
At 18 months, your child should be able to eat a wide variety of food. DHA, EPA etc can be found in oily fish such as salmon, cod. Besides, if you read up studies, there is really no need to have such high DHA and EPA levels in take EVERYDAY like what we are having in formula.
Fresh milk can provide the calcium and vitamin D. The protein can be obtained from other sources such as meat.
FYI, my girl had cow's milk allergy from young. She refused to drink her soy formula and I was forced to continue breastfeeding her till 2 even though my supply was really low. After 2 years old, she drank minimal of the soy milk. Throughout, KKH dietician advised to include lots of green veg such as broccoli and kailan, grinded ikan bilis and tofu. Eat more protein rich food.
FYI, my girl is now in P1. She outgrew her milk allergy at 4 and have been on fresh milk since. But she was on minimal milk for about 2 years. I would think it hasn't impacted her, since her height is 85th percentile. But she is very skinny (but that's because of her pickiness in food)
So dun worry abt not drinking formula. It's the easiest way out, but not necessary the only way out.

Agree with Dora. Both my kids grew up without formula because of allergy/food intolerance and were breastfed instead. It is really easy to do without milk if that is all you have to avoid. For calcium, you can try tofu, tahini, silverfish (with bones but less salt compared to ikan bilis), almond butter etc. For EFAs, you can use a fish source, or flaxseed oil and avocados. Introduce the food slowly in small quantities in case of allergies. My DC2 cannot take many of the above.

If your child doesn't eat much, consider the following:
1) enough exercise? More exercise, more appetite.
2) enough variety? Kids get bored with the same dish too.
3)any particular sensitivities? Sometimes they avoid food of a certain texture or smell. If you can figure out what it is, they will eat more.
4) Any lingering colds? it affects the sense of smell and taste and hence depresses appetite.

hope that helps!

My boy currently 19 mths old. I think he is a fussy eater. He eat very very less everyday. Sometime he don't like the food, he can even don't want to eat. But if he like the food, he also eat not much.

Sometimes I even don't give him milk let him hungry. He also don't want to eat or eat only 2 to 3 tea spoon.

Any mummy have same problem with me. Please help.

Hi, thsim & hnghng

Could be due to stomach winds or gripe. We tend to associate stomach wind with infant only, but it affect many toddlers too. My boy had this problem of not wanting to eat or drink at 2 years old, and it lasted for quite a long while till a elderly neighbor advised me to let him take Woodward's Gripe Water. Then the problem solved fairly quickly.

There are a few other brands available in the pharmacy that's equally effective, but my boy liked the taste of Woodward's. First few days of taking may not see much improvement, but about a week you should see your toddlers start to feel hungry again.

Continue with the gripe water for another month or two even after he start to eat well, then the problem will solve permanently. Or else it might rebound.

Hope you find it helpful.