Infant nutrition/milk allergy?

[brittj at ext.missouri.edu]

     Good morning . . .
     
     I am looking for assistance with a rather puzzling infant (3.5 
     months).  This child has had rather difficult time drinking formula.  
     She began on Similac, then moved to low-iron Similac as it seemed that 
     the high iron content was a problem.  She still was not tolerating the 
     low-iron formula, so the mother tired Lacto-Free formula with very 
     little change.  The child was then introduced to Alimentenum which 
     worked for approximately two weeks.  Then child began to have gi 
     distress again.  The mother mixed the Alimentenum with rice cereal and 
     the infant would eat for the next two weeks and began to take 
     increasingly more at a feeding (up to 8 oz).  with formula alone, the 
     infant could not take more than 4 oz at a time.
     
     Soy formula was tried at one point, however, the child refused to 
     nurse and simply screamed.
     
     The mother has also started to introduce solid foods--both fruits and 
     vegetables as well as juice.  The child is tolerating the solids quite 
     well.
     
     In the last week, this child will only take 4 oz of the cereal/formula 
     mix per day.  
     
     The child was 6 lb 13 oz when born.  She now weighs 11-12 lbs, so is 
     growing well.  She is very content and sleeps 8-10 hours during the 
     night.  She is very happy most of the day and is making normal 
     physical development, however, the mother is obviously worried about 
     the decrease in formula consumption.  The physician felt it was 
     lactose intolerance, however, Alimentenum is lactose free! 
     
     I would appreciate any assistance or expertise someone could offer as 
     the client is my own 3.5 month old daughter.  As a nutritionist, I 
     feel I must be over looking or missing something, so any help would be 
     appreciated.
     
     They say all children are different and she definitely is different 
     than my other three.
     
Jo Britt-Rankin
Food Science & Human Nutrition Specialist
County Program Director
Schuyler County Extension
P. O. Box 310
Lancaster, MO 63548
PHONE:  816 457 3469
FAX:        816 457 2254 
E-MAIL:  brittj at ext.missouri.edu