Milk Allergy - Mobile,AL

Since he has eczema, I would say that even if it is lactose-free, it will still cause eczema. Try removing everything with milk ingredients from his diet for two weeks. This includes anything with milk, whey, casien, butterfat, etc. If his eczema improves then, you're on the right track. You can start to add things back in and see if his eczema comes back. Good luck!

I discovered my baby girl has a milk intolerance or sensitivity when she was about 1 month old (she's 4 months old now). I am breastfeeding and wanted to continue to breastfeed so I put myself on a rigid dairy free diet to help her. It took a couple of weeks for it to clear out of both our systems but she's much much better now. She'd been having terrible eczema, diarrhea, diaper rashes, and gas that would rival a football player. When I say terrible eczema, her face and eyelids were swollen with it. All of it cleared up now.

I would recommend taking him completely off milk and see how he responds. If there is no change, then you can add it back in. Just be aware of the foods that have hidden milk in them (if you are going to do it, do it right, you know!). Read labels on everything and avoid anything with milk, casein, and whey. You don't mention if it's lactose intolerance or milk protein allergy but eczema usually points towards the milk protein allergy. Sucralose (artificial sweetener Splenda) is in a lot of stuff and has dairy in it. So that means avoid drinks, foods, or gum with sucralose. You also need to watch for sausage and deli meats. Sometimes they use milk as a binder in those foods. Same thing with instant oatmeal, there is milk in some instant oatmeals (depends on the flavor). If you give him vitamins, read the label, because milk is used as a binder in some vitamins. You also have to watch out when you go out to eat because you never know when a restaurant cooks something with butter. I just wanted to share what I learned because I was surprised about some of them. I found alternatives to all this stuff in Whole Foods or the organic section of a conventional grocery store.

I know it sounds overwhelming and a lot of work, and it is for about a week or so. But you'll find a groove for him and it will be second nature. For me, I have very mild allergies to citrus foods. So I can eat them once in awhile and be okay. But I can't eat citrus everyday because it makes the allergy stronger the more I expose myself to it. I am worried that will happen to my daughter which is why I have been so rigid until we can have her tested for actual allergies.

Good luck friend! I have a great lactation consultant/nurse in my pedi's office and she was really helpful during my quest for dairy free diet so feel free to message me with any questions.

My daughter has a milk allergy as well and I have had to take everything that has dairy in it out of her diet. It has helped out so much!! It really makes a difference when you take it out of their diet.

My granddaughter was allergic to milk protein and also has eczema and asthma. She has always been able to eat foods prepared with milk. Her eczema is aggravated by her other allergies.

I suggest that not only is the eczema caused by more than the milk but that 2 weeks is not long enough to see if the eczema will heal better.

Do you use unscented soaps, both bath and laundry? Use no fabric softener, Be careful with anything that touches the skin. Even some unscented products inflame my granddaughter's eczema.

She's now 10 and her eczema has been better for the past 5 or so years. It did get better after she had outgrown the milk and egg allergies. We don't know when that happened and so I can't tell you how long your child has to be off milk products to make a difference.

You state only milk. A milk protein allergy (not a lactose intolerance) means no cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc. Stay away from all dairy products. My granddaughter could eat baked goods made with dairy. added: butter is OK because it contains only the fat that is in milk.

Goat's milk, although tolerated by many who have a milk protein allergy, still contains milk protein and isn't tolerated by many others. It also contains lactose and so if your child is lactose intolerant (s)he may not tolerate it also.

My son was allergic to milk protein and the doctor told us that if we could keep anything with milk protein in it out of his diet, the better chance we had of him growing out of it.

You can always give him Lactose Free milk. My son cannot drink anything but lactose free.
There is also Soy, Coconut milk, And Almond Milk.

There are options then getting rid of milk altogether.

I would get him off it completely and then slowly introduce foods with it. I was told that American cheese is fine. My grandmother is lactose intolerent and she can have small amounts of ice cream and some cheese with out it upseting her stomach.

We found out about our son's allergy when he was 8 months old, and he's almost 3 years old now. I don't know if your child still has milk allergy, but I know it can be very limiting. Our son has an allergy to casein specifically, and he can tolerate at least some amounts of whey.

Here are some of his favorite foods:
--Eggo mini waffles and french toast sticks (only have whey in them)
--unfrosted Pop Tarts
--Earth's Best mini meatballs
--chicken nuggets (Earth's Best, Banquet, Perdue Simply Smart, Great Value, etc. (check labels for other brands))
--kidney beans (yep, plain kidney beans)
--honey-roasted peanuts
--popcorn
--chips
--vanilla wafers
--fish sticks (check ingredients)
--Nature's Bakery fig bars (best value is at Sam's Club)
--raisins
--Annie's graham bunnies
--fruit snacks (I usually buy Mott's Medley's (made with fruit and veggie juice))
--graham crackers
--Lance whole grain cracker and peanut butter sandwiches
--different kinds of crackers
--Veggie Sticks (the crunchy kind you can find near chips at Walmart, local grocery stores, at Sam's Club, etc.)
--Great Value honey buns (just the glazed ones)
--cereal (usually give him off-brand cheerios)
--oatmeal
--yogurt (Silk yogurt and So Delicious yogurt)
--fries
--hamburgers
--fruit (grapes and clementines especially)

I haven't bought any for him yet, but Oreos are all milk-free.

If you're struggling with veggies, try fruit and veggie smoothies (banana, frozen fruit, spinach, a spoonful of orange juice concentrate, and a nut-based milk (or rice milk))

The are two types of "milk allergies":
1. Lactose Intolerance
2. Cows milk protein allergy

You should have been told which it is in his diagnosis. People who are lactose intolerant cannot have the same diet/foods as people with a cows milk protein allergy. It's two different things.

Small children and infants are commonly allergic to cows milk protein; most outgrow it by age 3, others by age 6, and a small group when they are older. Lactose intolerance means the person's body doesnt make the enzyme can't breakdown lactose; it's a lifelong allergy.

My first daughter had a cows milk protein allergy. We had to remove all foods containing cow dairy ingredients (milk, butter, casein, whey). I chose not to feed her soy. Her diet relied on goat milk, goat yogurt, goat butter, and goat & sheep cheese; she outgrew her allergy at age 5. Our 2nd daughter is an infant and cant have regular cows milk-based formula; however she has no reaction to my breast milk; I stll eat cow dairy while nursing. However, she's eating goat yogurt.

It all depends on the child's sensitivity, on whether you have to cut it all out or not. I suggest you eliminate all and add back if there are no reactions.

Could you call back and talk with the doctor? If you need to eliminate all milk than you may also need to worry about casein (milk protein) and whey (milk sugar). You'll also have to watch for milk in odd places like breads, chicken, and French fries. It shows up everywhere.

If you need to do total elimination than you may want to cook with Fleishmann's UNSALTED margarine (salted has milk) or Earth's Balance margarine. I substitute rice milk for cow's milk in recipes as well.

I would definitely do the elimination diet to figure out his eczema triggers.

My son completely outgrew his milk allergy by 2 yo.

One more thing-sunscreen really made my younger son's eczema flareup so consider it could be that. He can only use physical sunblock.