Benefits of soy in infancy and childhood

Soy formulas meet the nutritional recommendations of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as well as other advisory bodies, for newborn and infant formulas. All soy formulas are fortified with iodine, iron, methionine, carnitine and taurine, and to counter act their phytate content typically carry 20% more calcium and phosphorus than formulas based on cow's milk. Current medical indications for soy formulas are limited to treatment of galactosemia cow's milk protein allergy without sensitization to soy protein, in addition to those situations where is included as part of vegetarian diets due to philosophical or religious reasons. The ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition, the AAP and the European Society for Paediatric Allergology and Clinical Immunology advise against its use in children younger than 6 months. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee 2010 recalls the importance of the consumption of high quality protein in children and recommended diet based on vegetable protein sources to reduce the risk of chronic disease and achieve good nutritional status. The soy protein can be considered as unique in its composition within the plant, with the widespread availability and capacity. Soy is a source of high biological value proteins free of saturated fats.