Ideally, mothers breastfeed their babies. Breast milk is the superior choice nutritionally; however, there are many mothers cannot breastfeed. I am one of them.

What’s a mom to do?

Commercial formula? Homemade formula? Cow’s milk, Goat’s milk, or casein-free formula?

Particularly for babies that are sensitive to dairy, formula choice can be a difficult one.

As a nutritionist specializing in autism, I have a lot of clients looking for dairy-free (and soy-free) infant formula for their babies.

For a mother that has experience with an older child on a casein-free diet, the signs that their current baby is not tolerating dairy are often clear.

For GFCF families, I highly encourage breastfeeding. And it’s important for nursing mothers to avoid dairy and any other foods she finds her infant is sensitive to.

The most common alternative on the market is soy formula. However, there are a number of studies showing poor outcomes with soy formula for infants, so I do not recommend soy formula.

There are a few choices to consider and discuss with your child’s pediatrician.

Neocate is an elemental formula that contains vitamins, minerals, and individual amino acids. Elemental formulas do not contain whole food proteins that sensitive and allergic babies and children may react to. For children with multiple food allergies and live threatening conditions, these formulas are a lifesaver. However, a main ingredient is corn. Neocate is made with corn syrup solids; however, it’s non-GMO and they do not contain any corn protein therefore considered safe for children with corn allergies.

Elecare is another elemental formula, similar to Neocate. Some babies do better with one vs. the other so often parents will try both. While a lifesaver for some, many moms don’t want to give corn or corn syrup solids to their baby. Fair enough.

While not a formula, Metagenics has a powdered supplement called UltraCare For Kids made with rice protein powder that some mothers make into an infant formula.

On the other hand, many mothers prefer homemade formula made from fresh real ingredients (This is what I chose). Weston A. Price has created several infant formula recipes: a raw cow or goat milk formula, and one that is milk-free (the Liver-Based Formula). While not casein-free, the Liver-Based Formula can be adapted with the help of a nutritionist to be casein-free.

The goat milk contains casein, but the form A2 beta-casein is often better tolerated, so it may be an option for some children that need to avoid conventional milk but can handle goat milk. This recipe can adapted to be free of cow milk containing ingredients.

What I love about their recipes is that they have calculated the nutrition in breast milk and in their formulas and have a comparison chart. If you adjust the recipes to be casein-free, you will want to make sure to recalculate nutrient levels so ensure the new formula has a similar nutrition profile. I often help clients with this.

Many new babies (with a sibling with autism) are perfectly healthy and thriving and do not need a special formula. However, some new mothers with family members that are intolerant to casein may want to explore whether a casein-free formula is the right choice for their infant.

Work with a holistically oriented pediatrician that can think outside of the box and advise you on the best formula option for your infant.

Photo credit: by Enokson, Flickr, Creative Commons, July 20, 2011

A study on prenatal vitamins and autism was conducted emphasizing the importance of proper nutrient intake before and during the early stages of pregnancy. This study in Epidemiology, lead by Rebecca Schmidt, found that women who did not take a prenatal vitamin 3 months prior and with the first month of pregnancy were twice as likely to have a child with autism. Of particular note was that certain maternal and child genetics put the child at much more significant risk of autism—a 7 fold increase in the risk of autism when women with particular gene variants did not supplement with a prenatal vitamin.

Of course it is important to first point out that I am not placing any blame on mothers. Since this supplementation is important before a woman knows she’s pregnant, unless someone was planning ahead, they would not have known to add a prenatal. Also, this discussion is to help support mothers and children. As we study more, we continue to learn what effects the risk of autism and what people can do to reduce that risk.

However, it does underscore the importance and benefit of preparing for pregnancy and conception through properly supplementation a minimum of 3 months ahead of trying conceive.

All women studied were at a greater autism risk in the child if no periconceptional prenatal vitamin supplementation was taken. However, mothers with the MTHFR and CBS genes were at significantly increased risk – 4.5 times and 7.2 times respectively, and children with the COMT gene were more likely to have increased risk of autism regardless of supplementation. The study highlighted that in order to reduce the risk, the prenatal needed to be taken 3 months prior and within the first month of pregnancy (before a woman is aware she’s pregnant).

Mothers with the MTHFR and CBS gene variant were more likely to have children with autism if they did not supplement with a prenatal vitamin. With MTHFR, women are less able to make the active form of folate (5 methyl tetrahydrafolate). Folate, as we know helps prevent spina bifida, a condition caused during development associated with folic acid deficiency during gestation. Folate is important for DNA methylation, an important process for regulating gene expression, so you can see how important this nutrient is for fetal/child development. While these women would benefit most from 5MTHF supplementation, it appears a prenatal with any form of folate was important for reducing the risk of autism.

CBS gene governs the production of cystathionine beta-synthase, an enzyme that uses vitamin B6 to convert homocysteine to a molecule called cystathionine a step toward the production of glutathione. The gene COMT affects the amount of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain. Children with the COMT gene variant were more likely to have autism, with or without maternal supplementations—however, the risk was greater without supplementation.

This study is a huge step forward. It offers many clues to directions we should study further, and reinforces what we already know—that genetic and environmental factors both play a role in the development of autism.

We are beginning to understand the genetic and environmental components of autism more and more. This study showed us several genes (in the mother and child) that are factors in the risk for autism, and how maternal supplementation can support the development and health of the child and reduce the risk of autism. This study opens the door to understanding what children might be at greatest risk for developing autism, the benefits of proper and timely supplementation, even which children might be at greatest risk for harm from toxins and possibly vaccines.

For now we can say that prenatal and preconception nutrition is important for the health of babies in many areas of development and overall health, including reducing the risk of autism.

Source:

Schmidt RJ, Hansen RL, Hartiala J, Allayee H, Schmidt LC, Tancredi DJ, Tassone F, Hertz-Picciotto I. Prenatal Vitamins, One-carbon Metabolism Gene Variants, and Risk for Autism. Epidemiology. 2011; 22:476-485. [2011 May 23. Epub ahead of print]

Julie interviews Amy Day, Naturopathic Doctor, who talks about women health, stress, adrenal support, and more.  Great information for those women planning for pregnancy.

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Pastured meats, eggs, and dairy are some of the most nutritious foods to eat when you are pregnant, as well as when you are trying to conceive. There is no more important time to eat quality food than during pregnancy: pasture-raised animal foods are one of the keys to eating nutrient-dense during pregnancy.

With all the recent food-borne illness breakouts among factory farming, this is a good enough reason alone to eat pastured animal foods.

There are many more nutrients in pastured foods.  Here are some nutrition facts about why pastured animal foods are good for pregnancy and fertility:

• Grass-fed whole milk supplies needed calcium, fatty acids, and vitamins for pregnant women. In the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study whole fat dairy consumption is associated with an increase in fertility.
• Eggs from free-range hens have 70% more vitamin B12 and 50% more folic acid, important nutrients for gene expression.
• Eggs from pastured hens had 10 times the omega 3 for healthy brain fats for babies.
• Grass-fed beef is 4 times higher in vitamin E.

For more information on saturated fat and why it is good (not bad) for health and pregnancy, see:

http://nutritionforpregnancy.com/2011/02/saturated-fat-and-animal-fat%E2%80%94further-vindication/

One of the best things you can do for fertility is eat organic.  This is because besides being loaded with nutrients that are essential for conception, organic food does not contain pesticides.

Organic, local vegetables and fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients.  The vitamins and minerals are higher in locally grown produce. Since it does not need to travel as far, the food is fresher and more nutrients are intact.  They are most often ripened on the vine for optimum nutrient content. These added nutrients optimize nutritional status essential to conception and help build reserves to support pregnancy.

Grass-fed/pastured animals are far more nutritious than their counterparts as well.  Since “organic” livestock may not get out to pasture for sunlight or to eat grass, grass-fed and pastured are the more nutritious option.  In either case, they are free of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides.  Read about grass-fed and pastured animals: http://nutritionforpregnancy.com/2011/02/pastured-animal-foods-for-pregnancy/

Organic/pastured animals are free of hormones used in raising conventional livestock that can decrease fertility dramatically.  Pesticides in produce (both for human consumption as well as animal feed) also has estrogen-like compounds that cause hormone imbalance and infertility in some women.

Eat organic produce and pastured animal foods to boost fertility.

One of my favorite vegetable recipes.

1 – 1½  lb Brussels sprouts
½ onion
½ cup pecans or other nuts
Salt

Wash Brussels sprouts and cut off bottom and peel off a leaf or two if needed.   Dump sprouts in food processor and pulse briefly into a confetti texture, not too minced.  Dump out finished sprouts and hand chop or repulse remaining sprouts.

Dice onions and sauté in pan for 2-5 minutes and begin to caramelize onions.  Add salt.  Before onions are caramelized, add chopped Brussels sprouts and nuts to onions.  Cook for 5 minutes or until Brussels sprouts and onion are ready.

If you’re like me and consume (gasp!) saturated fat and animal fat, you most likely spend a lot of time explaining to friends and family that think you are crazy that these fats are good for you.  With decades of incorrect nutrition information on fats fed to the public by almost all mainstream nutrition sources, it be difficult if not virtually impossible to have people listen to you without really knowing your facts.  Here’s some support.

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health by Gary Taubes is a must read!  Taubes is an award-winning science writer and in his book he lays out over 450 pages of scientifically referenced information to support why fat and saturated fat are not bad nor the main cause of heart disease, and how refined carbohydrates are actually the culprit in heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

He does an amazing job presenting the evidence behind how once the world of science “concludes” something as fact, “rational” scientists lose all objectivity from peer pressure that they will be marginalized and ridiculed for challenging the status quo.  Facts from scientific study that contradict the theory of the day are completely dismissed-it’s like the scientists can not even see them.  This is the tragedy of current science and how the mainstream nutrition information of today could be so wrong about all fat, but particularly saturated fat, and refined carbohydrates.

At your next social event or conversation when you are defending butter, eggs, and even bacon in your diet, here’s some information (which Taubes lays out) that might help until you read his book. Besides your own experience of how good you feel when you consume saturated fat (the best barometer and argument that exist), let’s discuss some misinformation about saturated fat, cholesterol, and heart disease to start.

Firstly, “total cholesterol” is not the best indicator of heart disease.  Many things influence cholesterol: exercise, weight loss/gain, stress, hormones, medications and alcohol.  We now know HDL, LDL, and triglycerides are better warning signs (but even so LDL is very misleading).  However, when studies were conducted on fat in the diet and heart disease, the only thing measured was total cholesterol, and consequently incorrect assumptions were made-that had consequences for decades.

He explains that while any diet that causes you to lose weight will lower total cholesterol some what, it does not lower the rates of heart disease and can even increase it when starchy carbs and sugars are chosen over good fats.  When studies were done in the 1940s and 1950s the subjects lost weight and had a minor drop in cholesterol, but lower cholesterol levels were never shown to be associated with a reduction in heart disease risk (in fact many studies showed the opposite).

While saturated fats can raise LDL that carry cholesterol, it is carbohydrates that elevate VLDL. This VLDL carries triglycerides (and some cholesterol).  Drs. Albrink, Man, and Meigs found that elevated triglycerides were far more common than high cholesterol in coronary-heart-disease. When a patient is put on a low fat diet, it might lower
LDL a little but it will raise VLDL disproportionately, the much more significant risk factor for heart disease.

Even though there is still some question on LDL being “bad”as there are many different densities of LDL that are not measured and is controversial today, let’s assume for this discussion that some LDL is bad.  And what we do know is that
high HDL is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.  Carbohydrates lower HDL (and raise triglycerides). Monounsaturated fat (the most commonly known source is olive oil) increases HDL and lowers LDL cholesterol.  Taube states, “The observation that monounsaturated fats both lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL also came with an ironic twist: the principle fat in red meat, eggs, and bacon is not saturated fat, but the very same monounsaturated fat as in olive oil. The implications are almost impossible to believe after three decades of public-health recommendations suggesting that any red meat consumed should at least be lean, with any excess fat removed.

“Consider a porterhouse steak with a quarter-inch layer of fat.  After broiling, this steak will reduce to almost equal parts fat and protein.  Fifty-one percent of the fat is monounsaturated, of which 90 percent is oleic acid.  Saturated fat constitutes 45 percent of the total fat, but a third of that is stearic acid, which will increase HDL cholesterol while having no effect on LDL. (Stearic acid is metabolized in the body to oleic acid, according to Grundy’s research).  The remaining 4 percent of the fat is polyunsaturated, which lowers LDL cholesterol but has no meaningful effect on HDL.  In sum,
perhaps as much as 70 percent of the fat content of a porterhouse steak will improve the relative levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol, compared with what they would be if carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, or pasta were consumed.  The remaining 30 percent will raise LDL cholesterol but will also raise HDL cholesterol, and will have an insignificant
effect, if any, on the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL.  All of this suggests that eating a porterhouse steak in lieu of bread or potatoes would actually reduce heart-disease risk, although virtually no nutritional authority will say so publicly.  The same is true for lard and bacon.”

Next Taubes goes on to describe in detail how carbohydrates, particularly high starchy foods, refined flour products, sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup are the main cause of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.  He explains how some of
these foods raise glucose but others such as high-fructose corn syrup raises triglycerides and well as increases the oxidation of LDL particles—leading to increased risk of atherolsclerosis and heart disease.

I highly suggest reading Good Calories, Bad Calories.  Taube spent 5 years on the research for this book, and his conclusions were due to the information he uncovered not preconceived notions.  The science and history of nutrition is fascinating and enlightening.