PHE5010 Environmental and Occupational Health (final paper)

The Effects Soy Milk Has on The Health of Infants

Daysha Snipes

South University

Parents and Guardians often trust that formulas that they purchase as a supplement for breast milk are safe for their infant children unless they are advised otherwise. In Recent studies soy milk has been found to be harmful in many ways. It contains harmful chemicals such as phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, and phytoestrogens or isoflavones. Are consumers adequately protected from hazardous chemicals when they purchase soy milk formulas?

If soy formula was snatched off the shelf today it would affect not only parents of infants fed this supplemental formula it would also affect a long list of individuals. Of course, there would be financial affects for companies yet it would also take a great deal of research and amend regulations made by state officials or agencies. The 20-25% of children that have soy formula- based diets would also be greatly affected by this change.

Parents who decide to feed their infants soy formula would have to budget and change the child’s dietary meal plan. Many parents who chose this supplement for their children do it for religious, moral, vegan, and or allergy purposes. So, this may require

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for the parent to consult with their current pediatrician to see what their next option for milk would be for the child. This is not an easy decision for parents and the transition for the child could be ruff physically as well. The other alternatives for soy formula would be breast milk, animal-based formula, or amino acid-based formulas.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SCAN) which is an independent advisory board has found evidence that there is no health-based reason that children should be introduced to soy formula. This committee’s opinion is based off of research done within the last five years. They even indicate that there are more appropriate hydrogenised protein formulas on the market that can be prescribed to children who have cow’s milk sensitivity, lactose intolerance, and galactokinase deficiency. Not only does their research provide why soy formula negatively impacts an infant’s health they also give a solution to the problem.

The former director of the Food and Drug Administration’s for Toxicological Research, Dr. Daniel Sheehan spoke in a very negative tone towards soy formula. She stated that it is, “a large, uncontrolled and basically unmonitored human infant experiment.” Her comment was backed by the growing evidence that parents who feed their infants the formula daily may be unknowingly be preparing toxic substance that could have long term irreversible damage on their growing children.

Soybean production is one of the largest agricultural crops in the United States behind corn. The plants are planted in May and June and are harvested in late September and

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October. More than 80% of the product ae cultivated in the Midwest. In 2016 it was said that Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota were the leading producing stated in the US. Although

the soybean largest use is in the production of animal feed it is still used for human consumption in things such as formula, tofu, soy flour, and soy milk. With snatching soy formula, off of the shelves for infant use this would send a shock on the industries sales and production.

If the production soy formula was to cease companies who only supply soy formula would not exist and companies who have the option of soy formula sells would go down. These companies are Similac Soy Isomil, Earth’s Best Soy, Best Parents Enfagrow Soy, Gerber Good Start Soy, Enfamil Soy, and Simliac soy. This would also affect the companies who sale these products such as target, Walmart, Sam’s club, Walgreens, and other drug stores.

During my research, I found that the FDA has no regulations on formula sold to the public. With great surprise there is no government agency with the responsibility of setting regulations. The regulations and proof of safety on what is sold is solely based on the company that sales it. If the company that sells the formula product does not do a thorough investigation on the long term and short-term effects of the products on infant than there will be no way for consumers to make sound decisions on what should be given to their infant child.

I feel as if there should be a rise in efforts to combat this important controversial topic. In my opinion the children drinking this formula on a daily have more to lose than

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the other stakeholders. I believe the FDA should crack down on regulations and companies should invest more money into research done on the harmful effects.

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References

Michaelis, K., Michaelis, A., K., J., N., V., . . . Facebook. (n.d.). Soy Infant Formula: A Formula For Disaster. Retrieved July 11, 2018, from https://www.foodrenegade.com/soy-infant-formula-formula-for-disaster/

Onusic, S., & Onusic, S. O. (2015, December 09). The Scandal of Infant Formula. Retrieved July 11, 2018, from https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/childrens-health/the-scandal-of-infant-formula/

Top soybean producing U.S. states 2017. (n.d.). Retrieved July 11, 2018, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/192076/top-10-soybean-producing-us-states/

Toxic Love: Soy Baby Formula. 2011. (n.d.) Retrieved July 11, 2018, from