ZT: Some experts contend that the anti-soy campaigns have gone too far. Kenneth D.R. Setchell, PhD, a researcher and professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, believes the fears about soy milk causing developmental problems are unfounded. He points out that the studies that sparked the New Zealand outcry were done in animals, not people. And while soy can cause some endocrine disruptions in animals, humans metabolize soy very differently, he says.
If soy formulas caused problems, Setchell says, physicians would have noticed it by now. Soy milk has been given to infants for centuries in Asian countries, according to the AAP, and in this country since 1909.
Setchell's views are supported by British pediatrician Charles Essex, MD, who wrote in the Aug. 31, 1996, British Medical Journal that there is virtually no data on the effects of phytoestrogens on children. He also noted that pediatricians have not reported large numbers of male infants developing breasts or other female traits because of soy formula. Still, he acknowledged that the long-term effects of soy are not known.
The Hormone Issue
For most parents, the hormone issue is the sticking point in giving their children soy milk. The chemical makeup of soy milk is different than that of cow's milk. Some of these chemicals have the potential to mimic the effects of estrogen on the body. However, it is uncertain whether this is good or bad in the long run. Pediatrician Brown says that while some studies have shown adverse effects from the chemicals in soy milk, these studies generally involve excessive amounts of soy, and have only been performed on lab animals. Currently, there is little evidence of harmful effects to children who drink soy milk regularly. If you are uncertain about the hormones in soy milk, talk to your child's pediatrician, who can guide you.
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