My 11 month old son is allergic to the protein in cow's milk. He break out in hives and gets severe diaper rash, gassiness, and fussy after eating milk products, even one small goldfish cracker. He still nurses 2-3 times a day, so I watch my diet. The doctor put him on Nestle Good Start formula when I went back to work for one feeding a day, with no reaction. At his one year checkup she suggested rice milk, which he loves because it's so sweet. We've tried slowly introducing cheese and dairy products every so often to see which foods will cause a reaction and try to expand his diet. I'm wondering if you have experience with this. How long could this allergy last? If he weans, what milk should he drink? What other dairy products might be okay for him (he does not react to some cheese). What other foods might give him calcium?
Thanks!
Thanks everyone for your input. I had no idea a milk allergy could be something more than an annoying rash, and I'm grateful that we don't have the struggles many of you were expressing with multiple allergies and frightening symptoms.
That being said, I've done some more research thanks to the awesome websites you've suggested, and I've decided to go to an allergist for more information. My pediatrician seems to blow it off as something developmental, which is what I had as a baby. But it seems like this particular allergy is more common, more severe, and longer lasting than 30 years ago. I'm hoping the allergist can answer my questions better, as well as tell me how severe his allergy is and what specific foods he should avoid. You have all given me lots of "food for thought", and definitely given me the support I need so I can find more answers.
One quick question. If your kids don't drink milk, what do they drink? We don't let ours (4 and 1) have soda or sugary juice, just 100% juice, water, and milk. They don't like tea, sweetened or unsweetened. I try to limit juice and encourage milk and water, but if they don't drink milk, what's left? Thanks!
please go to www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
excellent nonprofit w/ support, medical advisory board, recipes etc. I believe rice milk needs to be fortified - not much fat either, which they need. my DD's still on (organic) soy. I wouldn't intro dairy w/o a doc's recommendation
kirkman labs has a great hypoallergenic calcium powder
good luck
do some research there is rice almond hemp and soy...stay AWAY from soy! it is over sprayed with pesticides among many many other problems with it. please do research on sot before you flood childs diet with it!
this may be a lifetime allergy if it is so young. Here are some options for you:
So Delicious coconut milk products includes ice cream, yogurt, and milks (even coffee creamers, which is great!)
When you use rice milk, I add 1/2 tsp of flax oil per 8oz of milk for the good fat. I mix the coconut milk/rice milk for the coconut milks good fat. I also add a tsp of Nutribiotics rice protein powder since rice milk has little protein in it. I do this daily, it has become routine.
Add frozen spinach to everything you make, casseroles, marinara sauce, scramble eggs, pasta. Spinach is high in calcium, 1/4c per day will give your little man the calcium boost he needs.
Good Luck,
J. W. MPH
Maternal and Child Health Educator
Chicago Examiner Family Health Expert
http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...
Speaking on January 6 at Giggle located on 2116 N. Halsted on Infant/Toddler Nutrition
Hi M., It's interesting how well milk is marketed. My daughter, now 17 has had a dairy issue all her life. Unfortunately I did not understand it or believe something as "wholesome" & "pure" as milk could cause so many issues. The truth I discovered is cows have 4 stomachs, we have 1. The ability to digest milk can be seen in everyone. Do some research for yourself, you will be shocked at your discoveries, as I was. I now know that it is not needed or healthy for anyone and milk is not a staple in our home, it is used in cooking only... never for drinking. There are so many foods available to get calicium.
It is the yummy cheese, & ice cream products we all struggle with and that we all love but when you only consume milk in such lesser doses the body tolerates it so much better. My daughter "sneeks" and pays for it later.. but she now understands what milk does to her body and my entire family has benefited from her extreme reactions..BTW I nursed her until she was 4 yrs old and had I paid attention it started then, I could not drink milk and so my journey of discovery began. Good luck.
All 3 of my kids were sensitive to milk protein. My oldest had severe (oozing) eczyma. My 2 youngest would get extremely colicky. I nursed all 3. I (regretfully) switched my oldest to soy formula (Prosobee) at 5 months. I nursed my 2nd child until 1 and she had formula just a few times. Now my 3rd is 10 mos old and he is exclusively breastfed. I have had to eliminate all dairy from my diet, even all cheese and yogurt. My oldest son eventually could tolerate dairy-about 2 or 3 yrs old. But, in very small quantities. Now when he has dairy (he is 8) he gets horribly gassy!!! My daughter seems okay but never drinks milk or eats plain cheese. She like parmesan cheese on pasta and has milk in cereal (sometimes). She started tolerating dairy by about 15 months old. My baby just this last month has been able to tolerate if I put a little butter on toast or eat a small piece of chocolate. Otherwise he is totally dairy free.
In my house we usually drink Almond Milk and try to push veggies to provide calcium.
It just depends on your child. BUT, all in all, milk is not necessary or very healthy! It is better to avoid it in general.
Good Luck
PS-be sure to read labels. It seems like dairy/milk is in EVERYTHING (pastries/breads/treats/sweets)
Please see an allergist, many peditricians are not qualified to give you the information you need to deal with this. I have a child with a severe allergy to the milk proteins. You need to read the labels on food you buy, every time you shop to see if it has changed. I have to carry epi-pens and Benadryl when we leave home, introducing products on your own can have bad results. One goldfish does cause a reaction to my child as well, I learned the hard way. If your child gets hives from one cracker, think what a bowl of mac and cheese may do to him. Please make an appt. with an allergist, and begin keeping a food diary so you can present the doctor with foods he ate, if there was a reaction and what it was.
My daughter was much the same way. She was on Alimentum by Similac for her entire first year. The following link is to a website that lists foods with high Calcium Sources that can be found on the market.
Good Luck!
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/calcium_non_dair...
There are MANY calcium foods out there, with soy foods being top of the list. Most juices and cereals are also calcium fortified. Other good food sources are flaxseeds, tahini, some beans (Great Northern, Navy), broccoli, and kale. Rice milk is also good, and you can continue to give that or soy or almond milk. My 2 3/4 yr old dd is anaphylactic to ALL dairy, even the smallest traces, but her calcium intake is extremely adequate. I would totally avoid the formula if you have any hopes of him outgrowing his allergy. My allergist just told me it takes 1-3 years of NO EXPOSURE to an allergen for a child to possibly outgrow it. Trust me, I know how difficult that is with milk. Just watch your diet and keep nursing him as long as you can (dd still nurses twice a day). That will also help him outgrow the allergy. A few good references are www.godairyfree.org, ____@____.com, and www.foodallergy.org. Feel free to ask me if you have any more questions or if you need ideas on dairy free cooking. Best of luck to you! :), J.
Both my son and my daughter had several allergies. It was overwhelming - eggs, corn, wheat, gluten, dairy, sugars - etc. After some frustrating visits to an allergist and several pediatricians who kept given my kids more and more prescriptions, we found out about and ALLERGY ELIMINATION technique called NAET. (naet.com)
Instead of doing inconclusive blood and scratch tests which will only test for 2 different antibodies at most (usually histamine and a delayed response) while NAET tests for 8 different antibodies, and tests to see what organs react to the different antibodies, and then it treats the allergen by putting it against the body (in a container so it does not touch the skin) and use a combination of kinesiology, allopathy, western physiology, chiropractic (and more) techniques.
They use neuroscensory muscle testing to test for many more - but non invasive, and very comprehensive, and immediate results. My son who tested for allergies with 12 things at the allergist, tested for 25 things with NAET, and then one by one was able to eliminate them.
My daughter had - now 19 months - had similar problems with Milk and Wheat. We found out later they were celiac symptoms. But the pediatrician encouraged us to still give her milk based formula from the time she was 10 mo. She did not thrive - she had RUNS all the time, mucus in her stools,terrible diaper rashes and she hardly gained any weight. Well, she has since been treated for dairy and wheat - and is on a strong probiotic and D3 for absorption - and is doing SOOOOOO much better. For the first time in her life, she had solid stools about 3 weeks ago. The food looks digested in her diapers, whereas not much was looking digested at all, and the feces were acidic to her skin. But not anymore. It truly has changed our lives. She has started gaining weight again, and no more mucus in her diapers.
We go to Dr. Tam in Lombard who is FANTASTIC. I can't recommend him enough - he is so great. We found him through the NAET website (naet.com) you type in your zip and they tell you who is closest to you.
Good luck - its VERY great to know there IS something you can do about the sensitivies or allergies with your kids, instead of always wondering and feeling frustrated!
My husband is 36 years old and is still allergic to milk. My 8 month old son is also allergic. I don't know if your doctor suggested the low introduction of cheese and dairy products, but if not, I would highly reccomend that you stop. My husband has to carry around an epipen in case he gets enough dairy to put him into anaphylaxis. Food allergies are dangerous because it could cause his throat to swell and cause breathing problems.
Does your son react if milk touches his skin? If so, I would try testing that way occasionally, rather than feeding him dairy products. If my son or husband get milk on their skin they almost instantly break out in hives. Perhaps it is goat cheese that he is not reacting to? If not, if the cheese he is not reacting to is from cows milk, he probably is not allergic to milk proteins, he is probably lactose intolerant.
It sounds like the next step for you is to take him to an allergist to find out exactly what the problem is.
A lot of foods have calcium added to them now, such as juices and cereals. Sardines have a lot of calcium, so do brussel sprouts, and blackberries. Here is a website with a list of foods with calcium: http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/minerals-nutrition-...
Good Luck,
D.
we have done rice milk since 10 months old. plain has less sugar than vanilla. soy milk isn't good for boys.
black molasses if i remember right has calcium in it and we used it in oatmeal for a long time.
yogurt is usually the first dairy to try, and for whatever reason dried milk, but my son reacted to that.
our son was allergic to dairy/egg/soy until he was 4.
now its just nuts. : )
most out grow by 2
we didn't do juice until 3 yrs.
otherwise just water.
you can try oat milkk too but its expensive. as well as goat milk (and many of the same allergians in goat milk)
my son and daughter will be five next month and still have it, it is definitley severly less than before. no swelling or hives but stil some instant vomiting when consumed like at a party or ?. Has she even been scoped to see how her insides are? there are a lot of other foods jut google it or ask to see a nutritionists. Broccoli, I know has the most next highest, oj can be fortified with it and the rice milk too, one of my kids can tolerate coconut milk since the other is allergic to rice we use that or potato milk. I know almond milk has it i use that and like it. good luck and watch for later reactions and mood chancges sometimes tell you more that they are reacting than a physical reaction. Do you have a GI or allergist you see besides the pedatrician?
Hi there! Well, I had this same issue with my son. We actually didn't find out he was allergic to dairy until they did allergy testing at 2 years of age (he is now 2 1/2). Ended up he was allergic to cow's milk, peanuts, and egg whites! I had noticed that he broke out in hives, too, especially after eating icecream or when milk touched his face. I sensed the allergy long before it was confirmed, and we put him on soy milk around one year of age. He was still nursing as well, but I still had milk and he seemed to be fine with it. I have always given him cheese and used to give him yogurt (though the yogurt seemed to break him out sometimes and other times not.) He loves the soy milk and we still give cheese and the occasional icecream (if it's natural/organic it seems to not bother him as much). I hope this helps and good luck! (Please feel free to message me with any specific questions!)
Hi M. Ask his peditrican and he/she will be able to give you the best professional answer.
Hi - My son is almost 2 and is still allergic. It was really hard, but we found he can actually drink lactaid whole milk w/ no trouble. If he eats any dairy, he gets a runny nose and seems actually sick. As a newborn it caused him to be very fussy and gassy - he also would get a rash. He was exclusively breast fed until a year so I never had to deal with formula. I did give him soy formula a few times which I would never do again. I would not really stress about calcium. Your child will get calcium from other food sources, and due to the pasteurization process of milk, our milk really doesn't have much calcium anyway.
Good luck!
M.;
He does not "need" milk - other than your milk. He needs fluids for hydration and food for caloric intake.
Google for a list of foods with calcium... there are plenty without drinking cows,rice or soy milk.
warmly,
P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions
