Some worrying research has just been released showing that autistic infants who are fed a soy based formula are more likely to suffer seizures related to fever and also epileptic seizures than autistic infants who are not given soy. Autism is a complex disorder and there is currently great debate in the medical world over what exactly causes it and which treatments are best. Autistic children are more likely to suffer with several nervous system disorders, including Fragile X syndrome (causes mental retardation), epilepsy, Tourette’s syndrome (causes involuntary body movements) and tuberous sclerosis (causes tumors to grow in the brain). In a recent study, scientists evaluated data from medical records of 1,949 autistic children. Information about infant formula use, seizures and types of seizures was evaluated. Among the infants who were fed soy based formula, there was 2.6 times the rate of seizures triggered by a fever, 2.1 times the incidence of epilepsy, and a 4 fold greater rate of simple partial seizures. Soy is not an appropriate food for infants. The risks of soy based formulas have not been properly evaluated. Breast milk is always best, but many women cannot breast feed for several reasons. In those cases we recommend a hydrolysed (pre-digested) cow milk formula or goat milk formula. Reference: Westmark CJ. Soy infant formula and seizures in children with autism: a retrospective study. PLoS One. 2014 Mar 12;9(3):e80488