Question
Is rice milk good for a 1-year-old?
Answer
Does your child have a true milk allergy, with hives, wheezing, swollen eyes or lips, and difficulty breathing? Or does he just have gas or looser stools? If the latter is the case, you may be dealing with an intolerance rather than allergy. Children with an intolerance can handle milk products and may be able to drink a little cow's milk. Sometimes adding lactase, an enzyme available in supermarkets and pharmacies as a chewable tablet or granules, to cow's milk can improve symptoms.
If your child has a true milk allergyand children with this condition often cannot tolerate soy milk eitherrice milk certainly is better for him than cow's milk. The problem is that rice milk can be deficient in some nutrients, particularly calcium and vitamins A and D. Make sure the brand you use is enriched. Check the label information to see that the nutrients are equivalent to those in regular milk.
Other foods, while not as good as milk, can supply the calcium necessary to develop strong bones and teeth. Calcium-fortified orange juice is a good choice. Tofu, cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese also have high calcium content and can be offered to children who can take soy and some milk products.
