Gf Store Brand Formula?

[rattaway]

We know a couple with a two month old son who has been chronically throwing up his breastmilk since birth. The doctor diagnosed him with reflux, but the meds(zantac syrup and metoclopramide-hcl) the dr. prescribed, have not lessened the vomiting. He vomits after every feeding. His mom recently quit breastfeeding, due to lack of sleep and exhaustion of feeding him herself with only crying fits from the baby as a reward and the vomiting, but the formula has not helped to stop the vomiting either. I told her that our four yr. old daughter did the same thing and I wasn't open to the idea of gluten-free at the time. I explained that we later discovered that she was gluten intolerant and that was why she was always sick as a baby. They reached a point of desparation tonight and called and read the ingredients to me from their formula and one of the ingredients was maltodextrin. They asked me to help them find a gluten-free formula so they could give that a try, but I was wondering if any of you gluten-free parents know of any that I can buy at a regular store like Wal Mart? Please help. Thanks, Rian

[celiac3270]

Being a thirteen-year-old boy, I don't know where to buy gluten-free formulas , but I did have one thing about the ingredients: maltodextrin doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't gluten-free. Malt is a bad ingredient, obviously, and dextrin can be if it's not made from corn, but the ingredient maltodextrin doesn't necessarily contain gluten...in fact, unless on vitamins, it DOES NOT contain gluten:

From celiac.com:

8) Maltodextrin is prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of corn starch or potato starch with safe and suitable acids and enzymes. (1) Maltodextrin, when listed on food sold in the USA, must be (per FDA regulation) made from corn or potato. This rule does NOT apply to vitamin or mineral supplements and medications. (2) Donald Kasarda Ph.D., a research chemist specializing on grain proteins, of the United States Department of Agriculture, found that all maltodextrins in the USA are made from corn starch, using enzymes that are NOT derived from wheat, rye, barley, or oats. On that basis he believes that celiacs need not be too concerned about maltodextrins, though he cautions that there is no guarantee that a manufacturer won't change their process to use wheat starch or a gluten-based enzyme in the future.

[rattaway]

Hmmm...Could her breastfeeding until a couple of weeks ago caused damage if he is gluten intolerant? Maybe that is why he is still throwing up? There were a couple of hydrogenated things on the label too. I know that that is a process that the celiac community has deemed as ok, but our family has majoy sensitivities to hydrogenated oils. Any info. is helpful. Thanks celiac3270, Rian

[celiac3270]

Although the maltodextrin shouldn't be the problem, there could be other ingredients in the forumla that contain gluten (flavors?). I had forgotten about that, but you're correct; he was definitely getting gluten from breastfeeding

[rattaway]

Thanks celiac3270, I hadn't really thought about flavors, but the list on the back of her formula container was as long as my arm, and there was a hundred scientific names rather than pronouncable names. I will check again and see if I missed something. I haven't bought formula since my youngest was a baby four yrs. ago. I was twenty then, and a whole lot less informed than I am now about gluten-free products, but still have miles to go on learning. Thanks, Rian

[tarnalberry]

If she's still producing milk, she can try going gluten-free (and possibly avoiding/reducing the rest of the potential allergens in her diet), and try breastfeeding again.

[rgeelan]

I would also suggest that the baby might be allergic to Dairy... I had that problem with my daughter and son. Both reacted strongly to any dairy that I ate... Of course they both reacted to soy also and my son was never diagnosed as a baby, but my daughter had problems like bloody diarhea and apnea and they finally pinpointed it to dairywith a mild allergy to soy. Then when we removed it from her diet and my sons (he is 26 months older) both of them got better at first then my son got sick again and now we are finding out for him it is a wheat allergy also. But I would suggest dairy also might be a problem for the baby. My daughter still reacts to dairy and my son still can't have a lot of dairy even after removing the wheat we dont' give him regular milk, he drinks rice milk and stuff like that.

The ONLY formula my daughter could tollerate was Enfamil Nutramagin... They are gluten free and the dairy is so broken down it doesn't cause a reaction. She however would not take formula except in cereal and I am just finally weening her at almost 14 months. lol! I had to take dairy and soy out of my diet for a long time though because she would have rather starved than taken a bottle! LMAO!!!

[rattaway]

Thanks rgeelan and everyone else who posted. Can you buy Emfamil Nutramagin in WalMart or Target or similar stores?? Let me know please. I am going shopping with my friend tomorrow to help her find a formula. Thanks, Rian

[celiac3270]

As a baby I never breastfed, but I had problems with my first formula, too; projectile vomiting. I had to have some special formula like the one above.....just thought I'd share