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Should I worry about soy in my infant’s diet?

Parenting Perspective

Soy in the diet of an infant, particularly in formula, is usually safe barring a particular medical condition or allergy. Soy formulas are frequently employed for lactose intolerant infants or those with cow’s milk allergy, and clinical trials confirm their safety. Theoretical concerns regarding phytoestrogens in soy imitating hormones have not been definitively proven, with no solid evidence demonstrating harm at dietary levels. Parents should seek advice from medical professionals prior to adding soy, particularly where there is a history of food allergy in the family. Balance is again the key with all foods. Provided that soy is not used as the main source of nutrition and is taken moderately as part of an abundant diet, it has no reason to be a problem.

Spiritual Insight

Allah Almighty says in the noble Quran at Surah Al Baqarah (2), Verse 233: ‘And the (divorced) mothers may breastfeed their children for two complete years, for whoever wishes to complete the (period of) breastfeeding (for the baby)…’ It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5152, that holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: ‘There is no disease that Allah Almighty has created, except that He also has created its treatment.’ It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2204, that holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: ‘There is a remedy for every malady, and when the remedy is applied to the disease it is cured with the permission of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.’ The noble Quran and Hadith affirm the permissibility of alternatives in feeding, if health and Halal standards are preserved. Soy-based formulas, when medically appropriate, fall within the mercy and flexibility that Allah Almighty has granted.

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