Milk Soy Protein Intolerance: A Mothers Perspective

I first learned of Milk Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI) in the office of a pediatric gastroenterologist's office with my seven-week-old son, Max. After the first week of his life Max lost weight and was labeled "failure to thrive." As an educated mother and nurse I was devastated that this could happen.

That day in the GI specialist's office, he performed a proctosigmoidoscopy and biopsy on Max. He sat me where I could see him perform the test and told me what I would see. He said that the lining of the bowel would be red, swollen and bleeding, and it was. I just sat there and cried. After the test was over and I could hold Max, Dr. Mack told me that MSPI was indeed what Max had and that I should stop breastfeeding right away and put him on a special formula. He told me that there was a diet I could follow if I wanted to continue breastfeeding, but that it was very stringent and difficult.

Wanting to make the best choice for my son, I stopped breastfeeding that day and started him on Alimentum. The results were dramatic. After one bottle of Alimentum he slept for 2 and 1/2 hours straight; the longest he had ever slept.

After learning all about MSPI with my first son, I was more determined that ever that I would 'master' the MSPI diet and breastfeed my second child. So, I set out to the grocery store with a list of forbidden ingredients in my hand. Gradually, after many hours spent standing in the aisles of the grocery store reading labels, I began to find dairy-free, soy-free substitutes for the foods I might normally eat. All the information I collected and recipes I tried, with my husband's encouragement, were compiled into a book: The Milk Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI) Guidebook /Cookbook which was published in the fall of 2001. We also have an informational website for MSPI: http://www.MSPIGuide.org.

Milk Soy Protein Intolerance is diagnosed by pediatricians, family physicians and specialists in pediatric gastroenterology. It seems to be more highly prevalent in the midwest, but throughout the country it is given different names, such as: protein intolerance, food protein-induced colitis or eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

MSPI is diagnosed through the history of an irritable infant, or colic-like behavior, poor growth and abnormal (blood streaked) stools. Some infants will exhibit frank blood in their stools. Confirmation of the diagnosis is often made with a biopsy of the intestinal lining which would show an increased amount of eosinophilic cells, eroded intestinal villi and the presence of hemorrhagic tissue.

It is thought that the intestinal lining cannot properly digest the proteins (milk and soy) therefore they are taken up into the blood stream where the body treats them like an antigen and produces antibodies mimicking an allergic response. The intestinal tract then recognizes the ingested proteins as it would an allergen and the intestinal lining reacts by becoming inflamed, often shedding blood into the stool. Some blood may be visible in stools and other blood detected by occult blood testing. The lining of the intestine, then, becomes further damaged as it is continuously exposed to these proteins.

No one really knows why the occurrence of MSPI is prevalent in the United States and especially more prevalent in the midwest region, but one of the theories has to do with our more 'sterile environment.' We, in the United States are so preoccupied with keeping our environment clean and free of germs. In other countries, especially those of the third world, infants and children are exposed to so many other more serious bacteria, toxins and allergens that their tolerance may become greater due to increased exposure. It also seems that the occurrence of MSPI is congenital; if one child has it, the chances are very high that the subsequent children will have MSPI and that it may be more severe.

Infants diagnosed with MSPI can still be breastfed if the mother adheres to a milk and soy protein-free diet. Many mothers, as I did the first time, choose to stop breastfeeding and place the infant on a specialized formula right away to help them heal faster. Then, if there are subsequent children the mother can start a milk and soy protein-free diet the third trimester of her pregnancy and continue it for as long as she wishes to breastfeed. Though there are many benefits of breastfeeding, with MSPI the avoidance of high formula cost can be the greatest benefit.

The formulas you can buy at most supermarkets or pharmacies are: Alimentum, Progestamil and Nutramigen. These formulas cost $7 to $8 per can which is a 1-2 day supply. Other more specialized formulas, such as Neocate, can be obtained from the pharmacy, or from the doctor prescribing the formula, or at a hospital. These formulas cost anywhere from $31 - $40 per day and up. Of primary issue is cost;can the parents can afford to feed their infant?

I met Chuck Stepanek in Lincoln at a legislative hearing which brought forth the issue of insurance coverage of specialized formulas in the treatment of MSPI. After I testified, he tapped me on the shoulder and handed me his card asking me if I would be willing to write an article for NNA. In the legislative hearing for LB 1047, other families testified that they were finacially devastated by the high cost of formula for their infants. Insurance would pay for the formula only if the infant was hospitalized and fed through a nasogastric tube. Unfortunately, many of these families had to experience this before their infants started thriving. The bill is still alive, but we will probably need to reintroduce it several more times, and get even more support for our cause.

Our sons are now fine; they are happy, healthy little boys. Within one year they outgrew the intolerance and could be started on whole milk. Normally that is the case, but there are a small percentage of infants that continue the intolerance into childhood. I am grateful to the care of our pediatrician who refused to call my sons screaming 'colic' and preferred to look for a cause to his pain. I feel so deeply for other parents that go through this. We were very fortunate, in retrospect, fortunate that we could afford the formula that our infant needed, that we could get him the best medical care, that he case was not more severe, that we found our what was wrong early in his life. Others are not that fortunate; it is for those that we will keep working to get information on MSPI to the public and insurance benefits to cover the cost of formula for these infants.

About The Author

Tamara Field is a Registered Nurse and works as the Coordinator for Critical Care and Short Stay at Alegent Midlands Hospital in Papillion, NE. She is also a singer, performing and teaching in the metro area. She holds a Doctorate in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Nursing has afforded the opportunity to have a flexible work schedule and have great variety in her career choices.

Author of The Milk Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI) Guidebook / Cookbook

For More Information: http://www.mspiguide.org

---

The Importance of Nutrition and Lifestyle

Eating healthy and taking care of yourself is essential to obtain optimal wellness. Most people roll their eyes or moan when confronted with these ideas, but, in... Read More

Is Eating a Raw Food Diet Actually Healthy for You?

Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you eat has to provide your body with the nourishment to properly balance your body's chemistry. If you... Read More

What Would You Do For a Klondike Bar?

Unfortunately, the words "diet" and "cheating" go hand in hand. When you say, "I'm on a DIET", it usually means you are depriving yourself of something. Diets... Read More

Health and Nutrition

The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples awareness of the damage they have done to their bodies over the years becomes more apparent, both... Read More

The Non-Diet Diet

Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each... Read More

How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?

I'm always amazed at how many people seem to know the answer to this question yet in practice they fail. Everybody I've talked to seems to know... Read More

A Diet Deficiency Today is a Clinical Event Tomorrow

For those of us that understand nutrition and it's importance in our lives, this statement makes all too much sense doesn't it?Today, six out of the top... Read More

Learn About Food Nutrition Facts

Food nutrition factsFinding food nutrition facts and dietary nutrition used to be almost impossible because of the mountains of facts scattered all about in libraries and books.... Read More

Five Steps to a Healthier Heart

Step 1: Eat five to ten servings per day of fresh fruits and vegetables.Studies have shown that populations that eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables have... Read More

Gift of Health

People want to get the very best they can when purchasing anything.They research all of the alternatives and select what they feel is the best suited for... Read More

Turning an Addictive Snack into a Complete Meal

The proliferation of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and vending machines in virtually every corner of residential America has created a serious nutritional problem. "Snacking" ? a... Read More

The Role of Nutrition in Martial Arts, Police, Military Personnel

For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played a prominent role in the life of many martial artists, police, and military personnel as a means... Read More

You are Closer to Being Vitamin C Deficient Than You Think

Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with your diet. You prepare most of your meals at home, don't eat much junk food and aren't... Read More

Inactive Alert: Essential Proteins for Sedentary People

The importance of protein in diet has been clearly established by nutritional scientists, and widely accepted by athletes. Among other vital functions, protein is indispensable for creating... Read More

What You Should Know About

I don't understand people sometimes. You know, there is a huge problem with our health care. When it comes to trauma we are the best in the... Read More

Calcium Absorption and Information

Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What do they all mean? And what about true calcium absorption?A large segment of the mineral industry includes... Read More

Whats Missing Could Be Making You Sick

Here's something you probably don't know. The fruit and vegetables you eat today are not as nutritious as the food from fifty years ago.Who says so? The... Read More

Face Check Up

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them all? Here is your handy-dandy checklist for a healthy you. Discover how your face reveals your health.____1.... Read More

5 Secrets of Reading Food Labels Revealed

Whether you're concerned about cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or simply losing weight, you want to eat a healthy diet and focus on foods that are high in... Read More

Protein Wont Make You Fat: Myth #1

How many magazines have you read where they tell you to take in X grams of protein? How many times have you see .75g of protein per... Read More

Not all Fats are Bad

Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad for too long. Fat doesn't necessarily cause disease, and can actually cause a role in its prevention.... Read More

Understanding Glyconutrients

You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are not alone. Perhaps you have heard a bit about glyconutrients but you don't really know what they... Read More

Avoiding Nutritionally Deficient Foods After Gastric Bypass

After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food. Nutritionally void foods cannot be part of the regular diet after surgery because they can cause dumping,... Read More

Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 1)

I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible and how to approach it? This is just my own opinion about possible procedures. I used certain... Read More

The Five Keys to Healthy Eating

1. Enjoy what you eatWhether someone is following the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, the advice contained in Tom Venuto's e-Book, "Burn the Fat, Feed the... Read More

Is Your Food Aging You?

Did you know that the food you eat could be prematurely ageing you? Science has made some amazing discoveries in the last decade in nutrition. We really... Read More