Baby with Dairy Intolerance/allergy

Hello D.,

My 4 year old daughter was tested for dairy allergies, among others when she was 2 years old and my son at age 1 year. My daughter came back positive for all dairy and soy products. It was very challenging for me to read labels and keep her away from products that didn't contain dairy/soy...especially since my son was not allergic to this. She could only have rice milk to drink and anything that I cooked that required dairy...I used the rice milk. My daughter was retested at age 4 (skin tested for allergies with 16 different allergens) and she came back negative for both dairy and soy. I still keep her on the rice milk because it's all she nows, plus it's healthier for her, but I have incorporated some dairy products into her diet slowly. She sees Dr. James Thompson in Flossmoor, Illinois.

Hi D. - my dd has a dairy allergy, not an intolerance. The best website out there to connect with other parents of food allergic kids (over 10,000 parents) is www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

Fantastic support, info, resources, recipes etc

I also love the book by Dr Scott Sicherer -- "Understanding and Managing Your Child's Food Allergies"
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Managing-Childs-Aller...

My daughter was diagnosed with an allergy to the protein in cow's milk. After trying Infamil Nutramigin, we had to switch to Neocate Infant Formula. The pediatrician diagnosed her through testing her stool and finding traces of blood, indicating the allergy. She had (what we considered) cronic diarrhea for over a week. The Neocate has improved everything, but is $40/can. Well worth the happy baby, though!

I was also lactose intolerant starting at 2 months old. It was extremely serious for the first 10 years of my life. I couldn't have any dairy products without breaking out in hives. It wasn't until I turned 16 that I started noticing a change for the better. I was able to eat small amounts of dairy. I still couldn't drink whole milk though. I had to drink soy. I am now 28 years old and still have a slight issue with it. I just need to watch how much dairy I intake on a daily basis. Some days are better than others. I still drink soy milk as I'm nervous to see what would happen if I drank whole milk. If I take in too much dairy I usually end up with really bad stomach cramps that last anywhere from 30-60 minutes a piece. Very painful!! So in my experience I've never really gotten over the allergy. But I know that every child is different.

Good luck and if you need any suggestions or extra feedback in this area I would be happy to try and help you out :)

Take care,
A.

Hi D.,

All four of my children had dairy intolerances and all of them outgrew it by their second birthdays and two by their first birthdays. We stuck to soy milk until an allergist confirmed that the intolerance was over. There is so much soy on the market these days that you should have no problem finding soy milk and cheeses. A few of my friends have been through this as well and their children also outgrew it. Hang in there and stick with soy. This will work itself out!
K.
Mother of 3 boys (11,9 and 6 and one girl 2.5) and married to the nicest guy in the world!

D., first of all, i need to know who decided it was an allergy or intolerance..Was it an MD? The reason i ask is, i have two children with food allergies and an allergy is much different than an intolerance. Allergy can cause hives, swelling, stooling changes, belly pain, etc. It can be LIFE THREATENING if people aren't careful. Food intolerance means more like it gives him gas or makes his poop a little funny-more subtle things like that. Typically if a child has an allergy it develops over time, but usually isnt something that is seen in newborns or kids that are little like yours. Sometimes i have seen mommies switch from powdered formula to ready to feed and have problems labeled allergy when it really was just the change in formula style that caused some discord. Give me some more details i might be able to help more..

C.- Pediatric RN and mom to three (two with food allergies)

The only thing I would suggest is changing his diet to eat more like a vegan/vegetarian. There are many other milk and cheese options such as rice and almond. You will have to do more label reading now since so many things are made with dairy. But there are vegan options you can purhcase at stores such as WHole Foods.

Hope this helps...K.

I have a son with food allergies. When he was 6 monts old he was diagnosed by an Allergist at Children's Hospital(using the scratch test) and tested positive for 7 food items. He is 5 now and is now only allergic to dairy. I agree with the prior post about intolerance VS. allergies. They are very differnt, yet many mistakenly interchange the terminology. You need to find out if it's an allergy or not. Most children do outgrow this though- usually by age 3. There are different formulas you can switch him to that do not contain dairy. There's soy-based, corn-based, and Ross (similac) makes a hypo-allergenic type called Alluminium. It's expensive and should be a last resort. I BF my son and then he went on soy milk. Most children do out grow this. If it's an intollerance, there's OTC drops you can add to the food which will help in digestion (please talk to your doctor first). Remember that an allergy is something you should not take lightly. Keep an eye on all food labels- dairy, milk solids, whey, lactose, cream, etc - they could all trigger a reaction. Keep your Benedryl and Epi-pen if available handy at all times. Think outside the box too. My son can not eat frosting, cookies, cream soup, doritos and many other chips, carmel, hard creamed candy, tootsie-rolls or anything that contains chocolate. Good luck.

Hi D.,

Both my sons had this when they were babies. They are 2 & 4 now and are completely fine with all dairy products. I put my youngest on soy formula when he was a few days old because he couldn't digest the milk based formula and it helped a lot. At 6 months, I switched him to back to the milk based formula and he did fine. Most children under the age of 1 will grow out of this.

I hope that helps!

My brother had a problem with dairy when he was born. By the time he was weaned from the bottle (that was back in the 60's) he was able to drink milk. I don't believe he drinks much but he can handle most dairy okay.

My son just turned 1 and was diagnosed with a dairy allergy at 6 months (he developed hives after eating cereal mixed with cow's milk formula). He is allergic to egg as well. As the other mom's who responded indicated, there is a difference between intolerance and allergy. Has your pediatrician referred you to an allergist? Mary Tobin at Rush is who we see. Although the percentages are on your side as far as outgrowing the allergy (I think they say around 70% of kids outgrow by 5 years old),I have taken a proactive approach to give my son the best chance of outgrowing his allergies. What this means is that we also see a homeopathic physician (Tom Bayne in Glenview)and give him probiotics, digestive enzymes and other things to help heal his gut. If you google leaky gut syndrome you will find a lot of information on food allergies, possible causes, and ways to treat. There is also a very good book by Scott Sicherer -- "Understanding Your Child's Food Allergies" -- that I have found to be very helpful. This may all be too much information for you if your son is just intolerant, but thought I'd put it out there in case he is not.

My daughter was allergic to dairy not an intolaerance and she has finally out grown it at 16 years old. Our allergist told us it is usually by 10 they out grow it.

My younger brother was allergic to milk. My Mom breastfed him and then switched to goats milk which she was able to get from a local farm. He did eventually grow out of it...I don't remember the exact age but I do remember him drinking milk in his late grade school years

My son has the same problem. He has grown out of it for the most part, but I still only give him soy milk and soy yogurt. He likes it and it's good for him. I also try to get goat cheese and sheeps milk cheeses. He gets the occasional pizza if we are out at friends or family. It upsets him, but not horribly and he loves pizza so I let him have it. Occasionally he will also have a little mac and cheese once in a while. Again his reaction is not as dramatic as it once was so I let him have a little bit now and then. I think it helps too that I am an organic mom. I try to have mostly organic product especially with dairy.

I am soo looking forward to spring also. I think me and my son are ready to explode if we don't get to go play outside soon.

Hi D.!

My son was diagnosed with allergy induced asthma from dairy around the age of 3 months. At first he was exclusively breast fed, but we began adding supplemental formula around 1 1/2 months when I was preparing to go back to work. He started having many colds and ear infections, but never seemed to get better. My doctor suggested taking him off all dairy and switching to a soy based formula. His "cold" cleared up. Then my doc had us see an alergy specialist who diagnosed him (without tests because tests are too severe for young children unless necessary). He had a nebulizer and inhalers for a few months to clear everything up, but he did great. At nine months I tried introducing ONE dairy product, but his symptoms began returning. Every six months I tried until he eventually had no reaction around his second birthday. My friend also has a 9 year old son who has a severe intollerance to dairy. Different reactions, but same resolution. You need to find the right foods for their diet.

At first finding things he could eat was extremely difficult when he started table foods. Lots and lots of reading labels! Fruits, vegetables, and straight meats were easy. Watch out because even Spaghettios has whey in it! Duncan Hines cake mixes do not contain dairy, eggs, or wheat if your looking for a cake mix as well as most canned frostings are safe. I found soy based margarines and now smart balance are also great baking/cooking options. There are soy and rice milk cheese lines (though they don't melt very well). Great stores for these products are Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Dominick's Organic section. You would be amazed at the wide variety of substitutes available to you.

In the beginning shopping will take much longer, but as you begin to learn the options for your daughter, life will be simpler. You will feel like a pro at this allergy stuff! Also if you begin eating many of the things you feed your daughter you might find your health changing too. Many dairy free items are organic and/or healthier options!

Good luck and I hope she will eventually grow out of it!

J.

Hi D.,

All of my children, plus most all of my nieces and nephews had the same problem. By my 3rd child, I had it all RIGHT! LOL. Allimentum...nothing else! Dr. Brown bottles, gas drops...we had no spitting up issues, she was hardly gassy and I went from having tubes in my first 2 children's ears to no ear infections, colds or rashes with my last. Yes, it does get better. The most important advice that I can offer you...don't push any other formula or milk too soon. Some people think that they can switch at exactly 1 year or even less. Don't rush it! Give your baby time to develop their digestive system and to get over the allergy/sensitivity. You will have a much happier child and a healthier child. Also, it takes a few days to notice how they react to their diet. Sometimes sooner. We tried to change over to Similac 2 times with my youngest at 18 months and within 12 hours she was in so much gas pain that my husband and I were mad at ourselves for trying. We called the Dr in the middle of the night and she agreed that it was not necessary to change. I kept her on the expensive formula until she was almost 2. I had a friend that took her baby off formula on her first birthday, was 15 pounds and ended up having acid reflux. I told her that I thought she needed to wait longer, not only because of her new symptoms but because her daughter was so underweight. Some mothers refuse to listen to advice and I think it's a shame. This child became sick with colds, ended up with ear infections, then tubes and was medicated for relux. In my opinion, none of that would have ever happened if she would have given her daughter more time on the correct diet. Oh well. What do I know? I have just taken care of kids almost my entire adult life and have had a great deal of experience with this;)

Anyway, good luck. Yes, your child should get over it. Just be careful to not introduce too many new foods into their diet too soon. Be watchful of symptoms with new foods. Most babies do overcome this, but please don't push a change in diet too soon. If a runny nose begins and you see redness around the eyes or anal area....you know. Aside from the gas and other symptoms.

I hope I am helpful. Have a good day.
M.

D.,

My son was also diagnosed with an allergy to the protein in cow's milk at two months old. I was surprised to see how many responses said that soy worked. My ped said that the protein in soy is very similar to that in regular milk, and therefore causes a similar reaction for many babies. Anyhow, if you're nursing, you can cut all dairy. If not, then cut all dairy for your baby. As mentioned below, you have to be a devout label-reader looking for the not-so-obvious dairy: whey, lactose, chocolate, butter, etc. I try every month or so to introduce a little and see how he reacts. If he starts pooping green and/or and spitting up/throwing up, then I stop and try again the next month. I've heard from many people that they usually outgrow this around one year of age. Let's hope so!!!!

Good luck,

Denise

D.-

I have 2 children, one has an intolerance to dairy and the other one is actually allergic. My ped also said there was a strong correlation to milk protein allergies and soy. We use Nutramigen for our 9 mo.old as well which has helped a lot. At one point, we tried switching to Prosobee (a soy formula) because we were frustrated with the high prices of Nutramigen...NEVER again!!! I firmly believe that children with dairy allergies should also stay away from soy. My ped also just told me that he recommends that we should not even attempt any dairy until she is at least 18 mo. Good Luck!

Here's more info that might be helpful....

http://askdrsears.com/html/3/t032100.asp#T032103

http://askdrsears.com/faq/bf7.asp

This one also explains the differences between being allergic to milk and having a lactose intolerance....

http://askdrsears.com/html/4/t041800.asp#T041801

Best wishes.

D.,
My daughter also was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy when she was a few months old. Fortunately, it wasn't a concern immediately following the determination, as she was breastfed and never took formula (though I did always have soy formula on hand just in case).

Over the months, we learned to be devout label readers when purchasing food and sharing it with our daughter. Our house became a soy milk home, as we no longer purchased cow's milk. We never had a problem introducing soy milk to our daughter, as it was the only milk she had ever known (with the exception of breast milk, of course).

When she was six months old, her pediatrician suggested trying some cottage cheese to see if the allergy still existed...and it did. Her doctor recommended we try feeding her milk-based items every so often to determine if she still had the allergy.

A couple of months after that (I think she was around nine months old then), we tested some cheese, and it was a success (and finally something my daughter really enjoyed eating!). And she ate that cheese like it was going out of style, but we never had a sign of an allergy. Then she tried some yogurt, which she also loved. And again, we were safe from allergy. However, around that same time, I had made Macaroni & Cheese and used cow's milk--she had a small reaction to that. My mother-in-law, who is a dietician, informed me that because the cow's milk is aged in things like cheese and yogurt it wouldn't have the same effect on my daughter as "straight" cow's milk. For that reason, they don't seem to cause any problems.

My daughter is now 15-months-old and loves her soy milk, cheese and yogurt. Every once in a while, I can see the sign of a very, very small reaction to milk used in a meal here and there, but there is no concern. I can see that, over time, the allergy has diminished either as a result of time or as a result of minimal exposure over time.

The only big change that I see this allergy having had on our lives is the switch from cow's milk to soy milk. I should mention that if you decide to offer soy milk to your son, my pediatrician advised me to find a soy milk with a fat content similar to that of cow's milk; the fat content is important for little people's brain development! My "research" has found the most comparable brand to be Silk Soy Milk with Omega 3s added to it.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
R.

Hi D.,
Welcome to the group! :)

I completely understand your situation all too well! Both of my children had/have an adversion to milk and soy products! My oldest is now almost 3 years old...he outgrew the adversion at 16 months old. I breastfed him until this time, but it was tough!! I had to give up everything containing dairy. After he turned 1 year old, I tried Rice Milk, Goat's Milk and Soy Milk....but he wanted nothing to do with any of it! He now will drink cows milk occassionally, but I have to put chocolate in it...and he doesn't prefer it. I just give him Vitamin D and calcium supplement gummy bears (vita bears) and I give him lots of meat fats....things you wouldn't think are healthy like hot dogs, chicken nuggets, bologna, etc...he needs the extra fat for brain development.
My other child is 9 months old. He also has the adversion and has not yet outgrown it. I am breastfeeding him as well.

Enfamil Nutramigen formula does not contain the milk protein associated with the allergy, maybe ask your doctor for a free sample and see how that goes!?

Also, yogurt in small amounts should be the first dairy introduced between 7 and 9 months of age. For some reason unbeknownst to me....my boys could eat yogurt...despite their adversion to milk!? But it's a good way to start building up their tollerance for it earlier!

Good luck, I hope our scenario has helped you in some way!?
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to send me a note...I'll do my best to help if I can!

Take care!! :)

Hi D.:

My son, Ethan, is now almost 3-years old. He too was diagnosed with Dairy allergy when he was about 6-months old. I have two older kids so the toughest part has been keeping him away from the older kids food (cereal with milk left out on the kitchen counter was always a problem). By about 2-years old he was surprisingly good at asking if it was okay for him to eat something, and he had a pretty good idea of what foods to stay away from. When something has dairy in it we tell him he can't have it because it will make him itchy. He understands this because he doesn't like the feeling he has when he breaks out in hives, so he (for the most part) chooses to stay away from foods if he knows they will make him feel itchy. Now at almost 3-years old he doesn't often get into foods he isn't allowed to have (although last week he drank some protien shake that was out on the counter at my sister's house, we were so surprised that he didn't ask first until we realized it was in a soda-like can...at home he knows soda won't make him sick, but he usually isn't allowed to have it because it's normally dad's Coke, so of course he was sneaking a sip of what he though was soda).

During the 10-months - 2-years stage it was very hard to keep Ethan safe from the foods that caused a reaction. It seemed he got into something once or twice a week (he was/is a very busy and curious kid who can climb well and get into high cabinets if he so chooses). Thankfully we never had to use the Epi-Pen, Benedryl always did the trick. However, one time in the begining we did have to take him to the ER--my son and his friend were having cheese quesadillas for lunch and I didn't realize that my son's friend didn't want the rest of his lunch so he put it on Ethan's high chair tray. A few hours later Ethan was red and swollen from his torso all the way up to his eyes. It was really scary, and I didn't feel like the Benedryl was kicking in fast enough, and I hadn't yet filled the prescription for the Epi-Pen. The doctor told us to call an ambulance and get him to the ER just in case his airway became swollen. Thankfully he was just fine, and after that experience I learned to give him Benedryl at even just the slightest evidence of a reaction (I'd seen a single hive on him earlier that day but dismissed it as a skin irritation not knowing he'd eaten the quesadilla until later).

My best advice is to focus on what foods your child CAN have, rather than focus on what she can't. My child is also allergic to eggs, so sometimes it seems our choices are really limited. But when we focus on what he CAN have, we realize there are a lot of options.

He is fine with Smart Balance margarine which has a small amount of whey, but he's been okay with it. Most margarine I've found does have small amounts of whey. Finding a margarine was great so that he could have some backed goods. For your daughter's 1-year old birthday cake you can try a Cherrybrook Farms cake mix or you can make a Whacky Cake from scratch (I can send you the recipe or you can find the recipe on Recipes.com or cooks.com). Neither have eggs or dairy. Some store bought frostings don't have dairy either, read ingredients because they vary.

As of last year Ethan was still allergic, I haven't had him re-tested this year to see if his RAST levels have come down. I'd ask your child's allergist to do RAST test (requires a blood draw) so you can compare the levels year to year. This will give you an idea if your child is growing out of the allergy.

My child is now in 1-day a week preschool and is in the nursery at church on Sundays. They don't allow snacks with dairy or egg in either classroom (except for birthday treats). This makes it easier on the teachers. I could bring Ethan his own snacks, but then the other kids may want what he has or he may want what the other kids have. It's just easier on everyone if all the kids have the same snack. I'm sure other parents might find it a hassel to have to consider the allergies in the class when bringing snacks, but I think it's much easier on the teachers. I've provided a list of dairy-free egg-free snacks for both classes so the parents have ideas of what works. I'd be happy to email you my list.

The first year and a half is the most difficult, once your child starts to understand that they need to stay away from certain foods the allergy becomes much easier to manage.

I'm still hoping Ethan will grow out of it. Originally my allergist said about 80% of kids grow out of it by 5-years old, but recently I read an article saying the numbers were getting lower and only about 50% were growing out of the allergy! We're keeping our fingers crossed. And if not, then I'll just continue to count my blessings that we don't have a scary peanut allergy!

Good luck to you,
Michelle