DD #2 is 12 months old and I am considering a toddler formula...Baby's organic dairy toddler formula because I want her to have DHA and ARA still. I did not do this with DD 1, I just switched to whole milk. What other options are there for toddler formula or DHA supplements for a 12 month old. Also, I am considering switching her to casein free like her big sister but I don't want her to have soy products yet. What have others done differently with there second child/third child? I wish I would have given DD 1 DHA after 12 months...she was breastfed til 18 months but after 12 months she would only breastfeed at night before bed so I offered whole milk, yogurt, and chese during the day.
I also have 2 daughters and it looks like the age range is almost the same: DD1 is 4 years old (diagnosed with ASD at age 3) and DD 2 just turned one (I think she may be NT, but I won't relax 'til her 4th birthday). Like you, I debated and researched and debated some more about whether to use one of the toddler formulas. I knew I wasn't going to give DD2 milk, because she had =very= bad reactions to dairy and wheat (lots of throwing up, gas, bloating, etc.). We were starting DD1 on GFCF right around the time of DD2's first birthday, so I put her on GFCF, too. (Our pediatrician had no problem with it.)
Anyway, after much research, I decided against the toddler formula. I'm convinced that both my kids have a problem (probably genetic) digesting dairy and wheat. My poor DD1 practically lived on yogurt, cheese, and Goldfish Crackers for 3 years, and her digestive and immune systems were just wrecked as a result. After reading "Children with Starving Brains," I won't let that happen again.
If you decide to skip milk, cheese, and yogurt (and IMHO this is a good idea for any one-year-old who has an ASD sibling), you'll need to give her other sources of protein, calcium, probiotics, and fat. Here's what I decided to do for DD2...
I give her calcium-fortified rice milk instead of cow's milk (she loved it from her first sip and drinks about 12 oz. a day now), increased her protein (beef, pork, turkey -- we don't do chicken or soy, on the advice of our naturopathic doctor), give her plenty of healthy fats (olive oil and flax oil, mixed in with her veggies), a daily children's chewable vitamin (Puritan's Pride Pre-Vites, one tablet crushed and mixed into her morning cereal), daily probiotics (1/2 tsp. of Nature's Way for children), and 1/2 tsp. of cod liver oil at bedtime (Barlean's brand). She also LOVES the Happy Baby frozen organic baby veggies, which you can find at local health-food stores or SuperTarget (website is www.happybabyfood.com).
The whole reason we decided to start the GFCF diet was because DD2 had a very scary setback after her 12-month vaccinations in mid-September. Up until that point, she hit every milestone right on time and seemed totally NT. After those shots, she lost her language skills, stopped responding to her name, turned very pale-gray with dark circles under her eyes, and became withdrawn -- all within 10 days after those shots. She was disappearing right in front of our eyes, and it was just terrifying. That was what finally made me look into the bio-medical approach to autism treatment, which I never took seriously before.
Both DDs have been on this nutritional program for 6 weeks now, and they're doing amazingly well. DD1 (ASD) is relaxed for the first time in her entire life, her tantrums are 95% gone, and her social skills and speech have taken off like a rocket. DD2 started responding to her name again yesterday (I almost cried!!), is now saying "Mama" and "Dada" again, and has regained much of her energy and interest in other people. She's not 100% back to where she was before those 12-month vaccinations, but she's getting there.
Needless to say, in addition to this nutritional program, we're DONE with vaccinations...but that's another story for another forum. ;)
Best of luck with both your DDs,
Shelly