Toxic lead/arsenic in formulas

I posted about this here a couple days ago. It’s been so stressful trying to figure out alternatives. My son (4 months) has been thriving on nutramigen for weeks now. Like you said, all the hypoallergenic formulas are on the bad list. I’m afraid to try soy because there is some research to suggest it can increase epilepsy risk in children and soy can negatively affect hormones. And I don’t know enough about the one amino acid based formula on the “good” list. We’ve switched to Bobbie gentle and he’s been having diarrhea. So I’m left asking myself what’s worse, a continuous inflammatory response OR daily arsenic, BPA, and lead. Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other

My baby has been drinking Neosure from the very beginning. She is 8 months and healthy but was a NICU baby. That was the formula they told us to give her. Now I am freaking out because that is listed as one of the worse formulas. I guess I am thinking about switching her to a different one but I am nervous to switch to one of the formulas that is listed on the good list.

@Dev 🇺🇸🇮🇪 was it the neocate you saw on the good list?

@Morgan Shelton ugh trust me mama I’m right there with you. Today we started the nestle extensive HA formula to see how she does. My only complaint so far is that the formula separates from the water and it’s hella annoying. I’m going to monitor her stool and see how she does through the next couple days. Another thing that sucks is I’m not sure they will give me this formula through wic if she does do well on it. I was getting the nutramigen through wic because it was a listed formula with prescription

@Jamela it is so stressful when you see these things come out I pulled up the consumer report I am going to try to list it so mamas can find their formula

https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/baby-formula/baby-formula-contaminants-test-results-a7140095293/

@Jamela yes the Neocate. It’s amino acid based and I just don’t know enough about it. Not saying it’s a bad option.

Has anyone tried pepticate? Is by the same people who make Neocate (good list) but it wasn’t included in the consumer report

@Morgan Shelton thanks for sharing! And yes very stressful, especially when your baby has been consuming these things since birth

@Dev 🇺🇸🇮🇪 my friend who is the nurse at a gastro peds clinic says that some of their patients have been switched from nutramigen to neocate. I’m not too familiar with the nutritional value of neocate though.

We use Neocate and I can always find it at Walgreens or Walmart!

@Madeline has your baby always been on neocate? I’m hoping that she will be ok with the taste of the formula because I know the hypoallergenic tend to be more bitter and I hear the neocate tastes worse than nutramigen. I pray that she takes it

@Jamela no we went through a whole process to discover she has a severe cows milk protein allergy. I heard Nutramigen was worse than Neocate for taste! I found it to be true with my daughter too she loves Neocate but was not a fan of Nutramigen

also Neocate smells way better in my opinion

Hey guys I was researching Neocate last night and came across a number of lawsuits and studies linking it to bone disorders and rickets. I’ll share a link for you to review. I think it’s known to cause these problems because it’s not nutritionally complete and you have to use it under the supervision of a doctor.

https://www.goldenberglaw.com/dangerous-drugs-and-supplements/neocate/

@Dev 🇺🇸🇮🇪 I saw this and did more digging and they updated their formula in 2018 to have more absorbable phosphate which helps with better bone density

Okay that’s great news! Thank you for the update.

So, I don't have the time to fully read / research into this, but I hope I can alleviate some of y'all's worries. When this happens, typically it has more to do with our testing methods than with the product itself - our tests are getting better and better and able to detect more miniscule traces of compounds that we weren't able to before. The "heavy metals" have always been there, we're just able to detect more of it due to advancing science and methods. There are heavy metals in everything. Whole foods contain them. Breast milk contains them. Formula can be a contentious topic because no one wants to willingly be feeding their child anything that might harm them, but the amounts we're talking about here are likely on par with what's already found naturally in the environment. The far bigger problem when it comes to heavy metals is what we're leaking into the environment by scrapping things like phones, computers, and tvs, instead of building them to last or repairing them.

Thank you @Melissa. I appreciate your perspective!

@Dev 🇺🇸🇮🇪 thanks! I was just looking at your comment above and that one seems like more of an issue tbh. There is a reason formulas are under such strict requirements to be nutritionally complete and it's a shame when one of them turns out to be lacking. *Edit: however, it does look as though they resolved it and that's good! That's exactly what food regulations and product quality checks are supposed to be there for.

yeah, I saw that too and it's super concerning, I totally get why you’re worried about switching formulas, but maybe just keep an eye on how your baby reacts to the new one and talk to your doc if anything seems off... it’s such a tough spot to be in! this is what the 'Heal Baby Care App' mentioned… hope it helps! "I understand your concerns about the safety of baby formulas, especially with the recent news regarding contaminants. It's wise to be cautious, and switching to a different formula like Nestlé Hypoallergenic can be a reasonable temporary measure. However, since you mentioned that Neocate is currently unavailable, you might also consider consulting with a nutritionist or a pediatric dietitian who can provide tailored advice based on your baby's specific needs and sensitivities.

@Madeline hi how did you know your baby has a cows milk allergy?

@Michelle she had hives all over her body, her eyes were swollen, she threw up every bottle, her stools were mucus filled. It got worse when we tried Kendamil which is made with whole milk. After a short time on Neocate all those symptoms faded. We also saw a GI specialist

@Madeline oh ok thank you!