Monthly News: October/November 2011

Neocate Baby Formula: Blessing or Curse?

When I first started sharing my story about 5 years ago, Neocate was not fully subsidised by the government. Back then, costing approximately $150 a fortnight, I knew this rather expensive hypoallergenic baby formula had to be pretty special stuff! As babies had to be prescribed this formula by a paediatrician, it was even more expensive.

We may not mind paying such high costs if our children are healthy and happy but most children who are prescribed Neocate, are those reacting to protein foods, especially 'dairy' and further they could be children with allergies and eczema or they could be failing to thrive. So, to many parents, if even some and hopefully all of these symptoms, disappear, Neocate might appear a miracle answer.

I have met and heard from many parents who have had children on this formula. They tell me that it has been very difficult introducing solids and in some cases they say it has been completely impossible, as their allergy list has increased to the point where almost all food has become a poison to them. In some cases, it seems that the only food they can tolerate is Neocate.

Some of these children I have come across are over 3years of age and they cannot tolerate any real foods. It seems that their wee bodies have become so reliant on synthetic food that when real food arrives, their bodies treat it as a complete stranger and therefore reject it.

The ingredient list of Neocate Junior is incredible. It can be 'Unflavored', 'Chocolate' or as described in the list below, 'Tropical Fruit Flavour'.

Tropical Fruit Flavor :
Corn Syrup Solids, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, L-Arginine, L-Glutamine, L-Lysine-L-Aspartate, Tripotassium Citrate, L-Leucine, L-Phenylalanine, Dicalcium Phosphate, L-Proline, L-Valine, Glycine, L-Isoleucine, N-Acetyl L-Methionine, Tricalcium Phosphate, L-Threonine, Mono and Diglycerides, L-Histidine, L-Serine, Sodium Chloride, L-Alanine, Magnesium Acetate, Choline Bitartrate, L-Tryptophan, L-Tyrosine, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono and Diglycerides, M-Inositol, L-Ascorbic Acid, Artificial Sweetener: Acesulfame Potassium, L-Cystine, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Zinc Sulfate, DL-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate, Niacinamide, Calcium-D-Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Cupric Sulfate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Chromium Chloride, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Phylloquinone, D-Biotin, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin.

As you can see the list of ingredients is huge and rather technical. There are however, many basic amino acids (synthetic of course) and these the body needs for growth. Natural amino acid sources include in particular, animal proteins. Mother's milk, as long as she is nourished correctly would provide this. Otherwise healthy raw cow's or goat's milk, has all 22 amino acids present. The problem arises when the baby reacts to what nature has provided so perfectly in firstly mothers milk and secondly, once they are older, raw animals milk. However todays world is more fearful of what comes naturally rather than the above ingredient list in Neocate.

Because there has been a deterioration in every generation, it is now claimed that there is a need to fully subsidise Neocate. In general, the more exposure the mother has had to goo during pregnancy, the greater the deterioration in the baby's health. It is amazing how many mothers I have talked to over the past years who tell me that they have either had to resort to Neocate or have found multiple food allergies have arisen and this in spite of the supplementation of fish oil capsules and probiotics during pregnancy. When we replace fresh fish with highly processed capsules of hydrolysed gelatin (a major goo form) we pay a lot of money for the goo! This is just one issue, not to mention all the other goo related foods, medications, vaccines, that are completely overloading poor babies' immune systems to breaking point.

However when we do not ask why our children are reacting to everyday food, we tend to get further away from the truth. Its all too easy to find a baby diagnosed with a protein allergy (especially a dairy allergy) and the mother given a prescription for a hypoallergenic formula, the content of which she does not even question.

Are our babies becoming so soaked in synthetic goo forms that their bodies are now 'recognising' foods such as: Corn Syrup Solids, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Artificial Sweetener and Propylene Glycol? If so, why not google these ingredients and find out more about their origin and effects?

Goo makes us react to the protein in foods. Until these trigger/s are removed, the allergy can often get worse (anaphylaxis) or the allergy list can grow to real food. It seems that today, even good food can be portrayed as bad food and bad synthetic food can be portrayed as good food or even miracle wonder food!

Some parents I have encountered are seeing what I believe is the truth and realising that it is the Neocate that seems to be the problem/trigger. They are slowly getting back to real foods but believe me, it is far easier to prevent this situation rather than going through this process that I see time and time again.


Blessings come to those who seek the truth................WHOO HOO.

Rachel Tomkinson x