Feeding Baby : Soy Beverages, Vitamins: Part 2

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 3 of 3)

Sunlight is important for the formation of vitamin D, but probably as little as a few minutes exposure a day is all the baby needs, say Schanler, and exposure to the whole body isn't necessary — just the arms and face is enough.

FLUORIDE — No one knows for sure if giving fluoride during the first six months of life will result in fewer cavities. Reflecting the uncertainty surrounding fluoride supplements, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting fluoride supplements shortly after birth in breast-fed infants, but also says that waiting up to six months is acceptable. Because there is no fluoride in infant formula, the twofold recommendation also applies when ready-to-feed formula is used or when the water used for powdered or concentrated formula has less than 0.3 parts per million of fluoride.

Solid Evidence

Sometime between a baby's 4-month and 6-month birthdays solid food can be introduced. Exactly when depends on several factors.

One factor involves the disappearance of the involuntary action called the extrusion reflex. Before this reflex disappears, feeding solids usually involves putting a spoonful in the mouth and scraping most of it off the baby's face as he or she spits it back out.

Also, babies should be able to sit up and turn their heads away. That way, Schanler explains, they can communicate that they're not ready for the next spoonful or just not hungry anymore.

Usually, the first food recommended is a single-grain, iron-fortified infant cereal. Starting with single-grain cereals makes it easier to pinpoint any allergic reactions. (For more information on introducing solids see "Good Nutrition for the Highchair Set" in the September 1985 FDA Consumer.)

The biggest concern with feeding solids too early is that the solids will replace breast milk or formula in the baby's diet. "Solids vary nutritionally depending on the food," says Schanler. "None of them is a complete as formula or breast milk. You don't want to rob the baby of milk."

Feeding babies exclusively with breast milk or formula during the first few months is not only the best thing for the babies' health, it can also be a blessing for busy, overtired parents. Now if only the baby would sleep through the night.

Soy Beverages Not Complete Formulas

A severely malnourished 5-month old infant was admitted to Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas, in February 1990 with symptoms including heart failure, rickets, vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation), and possible neurological damage. According to the hospital, the baby girl had been fed nothing but Soy Moo since she was 3 days old. Soy Moo is a soy beverage sold in health food stores.

This kind of soy beverage, sometimes improperly called "soy milk," should not be confused with soy based infant formulas. Unlike true infant formulas, which are nutritionally complete and appropriate for infants, soy beverages are lacking some of the nutrients infants need. Analysis of Soy Moo by the Arkansas Children's Hospital revealed deficiencies in calcium, niacin, and vitamins D, E, and C.

Labels on Soy Moo cartons and literature about the drink do not suggest that Soy Moo be used as an infant formula. In addition, an FDA investigation found no evidence that infant's parents were explicitly told the Soy Moo could be used as a baby's sole nourishment. Nevertheless, Soy Moo's distributor, Health Valley Foods, Irwindale, California, has voluntarily stopped distribution until the new labels stating "Do Not Use As Infant Formula" can be printed.

FDA learned of a similar incident that occurred in April 1990 when a California couple questioned a physician about their 2-month old daughter's failure to gain weight. The physician discovered that the baby had been exclusively fed Edensoy, another brand of soy beverage. A midwife had recommended Edensoy to the parents, according to the FDA investigator assigned to the case.

In response to this incident, Edensoy's manufacturer, Eden Foods, Clinton, Michigan, wrote all its retailers in the United States and Canada to remind them that Edensoy is not an infant formula. In addition, the letter said, "Please make sure that no store personnel suggest or imply that Edensoy or other soy beverages are suitable for use as an infant formula."

In an effort to prevent this problem with similar soy beverage, FDA asked all 68 known manufacturers, importers, and private label distributors of these products to include a warning against using beverages as infant formula. The agency does not, however, have the regulatory authority to require this warning.

About the Author

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FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.