Concern over soya baby milk

Bet to follow doctor's advice

Parents have been advised that it is safe to feed soya infant formula to their babies despite evidence suggesting it may affect the ability to fight off infection and disease.

In the UK, soya milk is used by parents for whom breast feeding or use of cow's milk is not an option. In the US, it is more widely used by parents who do have other options.

The research, from the US, shows that chemicals contained in soya can suppress the immune system of rats.

There is enough concern in this area that you would tend to shy away from it if you were a parent

Dr Paul Cook

The US scientists say that those parents who have no medical reason for feeding their infants soya formula should consider changing to cow milk or breast feeding.

However, the UK Food Standards Agency has said that parents should continue to give their children the soya product if advised to do so by their doctor.

Soya based baby milk has been used for more than 25 years in the UK.

Some scientists argue that if it had any significant effect on the health of babies, it would have been picked up by now.

However, the US researchers have been investigating the possibility that it may have some subtle effects.

Sex hormone

This, they argue, is because soya infant formulae contain very low levels of a chemical similar to the female sex hormone oestrogen - which is known to affect human development in high doses.

Soya milk has been used for decades, and if there had been a problem I think it would have come to light by now

Heather Payne

Previous experiments have also shown that the oestrogen in soya can reduce the immune system of rats.

However, this work was criticised for overdosing the animals.

The latest research was done much more carefully to avoid the same criticism.

Researcher Professor Paul Cook, of the University of Illinois, said parents should not assume that using soya milk was a bad thing until more research was done.

But he added: "Although there is nothing definitive, there is enough concern in this area that you would tend to shy away from it if you were a parent.

"But it is important not to be alarmist, or to jump to conclusions."

The new work will form part of a government scientific review of the use of soy infant feed which will report at the end of the year.

Dose problems

In the meantime, the Food Standards Agency advice is that breast and cows milk are the best sources of nutrition for infants.

But in cases where women have been advised by health professionals to use soya feed they should continue to do so.

An FSA spokesperson said: "Whilst this study does seem to show adverse effects in mice that were given phytoestrogen, the chemical was injected and this is likely to have a more potent effect than would be the case when a baby consumes infant formula.

"There is a wide body of evidence being considered, with different approaches and differing conclusions.

"This is why an expert review is needed before the Food Standards Agency considers changing its advice to consumers."

Heather Payne, of the Infant and Dietetic Food Association, said only a small percentage of UK mothers used soya milk.

"Soya milk has been used for decades, and if there had been a problem I think it really would have come to light by now."

She said a study carried out last year had found no difference between soya milk and cow's milk.