My Daughter Has Had a Terrible Rash Since We've Switched Her to Milk Drinks...

Updated on November 12, 2016
M.T. asks from Carson, CA
19 answers

We switched our little girl to whole milk recently and she has had a terrible reaction. Noticing this, and reading similar stories online, I switched her to soy milk. But now she has terrible diahrrea! Because of the diahrrea being there so often she has been unable to get past this rash. We even tried lactose free milk just in case, even though we know she's not lactose intolerant. Same effect as the soy. I am really at a loss here... it seems that no matter what I do there is no winning. Does anybody know what to do here?

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

Why have you not asked the pedi? Why are you still giving her something that makes her sick?

Why continue giving her anything that you well know is making her sick or uncomfortable?

If I were giving my daughter something that made her sick or had a bad reaction I would stop giving my daughter the product in question!!

Go to the Dr and ask. A Dr is far more knowledable that Dr Google and random parenting websites.

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M.G.

answers from Portland on

This is a question for her pediatrician.

You've already read stories online and tried to diagnose her. And she's had diarrhea.

I'd go back to what you were giving her (with no problems) and book an appointment. Just better to get this sorted out than guess what it could be on the internet.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

What does your pediatrician say?
Some people do better on goats milk than cows milk.
Or maybe coconut or almond milk might be worth a try.
Until the diarrhea and rash are cleared up - just hold off on all dairy and milk substitute products.
Once a gut is irritated it can stay irritated for a long time - our pediatrician told me that when our son went through 8 weeks of diarrhea as a baby - keeping him hydrated with water and Pedialyte was more important than trying to give him any milk at the time.
Try to air out the bottom as much as possible - put a towel down in a dry bathtub and have her play there (supervised) bare bottomed for as long as you can.
You can also put some colloidal oatmeal into her bath water - it's very soothing on the skin.
When you are ready to try dairy again - take it very slowly and do not rapidly switch back and forth on products.
You try one - in small amounts - and if there's a reaction - you stop, make note of it - and clear it up (no dairy or substitutes again) - before you try anything else.
Work with your doctor in finding out what will work best for your child.

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D.D.

answers from Boston on

I'd have her drink water and make sure her diet is varied so she's getting what she needs to grow. Add a multi vitamin just to be sure. Having a milk allergy doesn't equal lactose intolerant. There are other things in milk that can cause issue. Grandson #2 had a really bad milk allergy which he outgrew for the most part around age 6. Now he can have some dairy but they keep the quantity low.

All my grandkids never were big milk drinkers and they've all done great. I think we were sold on the fact that milk was needed but really it isn't.

And read all labels. You'll be shocked to see what products contain milk and soy. Shocked.

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

She doesn't need to drink milk at all. It really isn't a necessary food, despite what the diary industry would like to have you believe. Stop giving her these products for a while and switch back to whatever she was using before (formula or breastmilk?), give her body time to heal, and then explore options with your pediatrician. How old is she? I'm assuming around age 1? If she's younger than that, she should be getting her nutrition from breastmilk or formula. If she's older than that, she can get her nutrition from food and drink water to stay hydrated.

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E.J.

answers from Chicago on

How old is your child?

What other ways is she getting nutrients?
Sounds like you should cut out dairy all together, and slowly reintroduce.

At this point she probably needs to see her Pediatrician to at least check on the rash. She may need medication for it.

Call the office and talk to the nurse to see what they recommend.

If she is still in diapers please stop using wipes (if you are) and just use a wash cloth with warm water to clean her up.

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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

First, switch to just water. You need to allow her GI system to heal, and water is the best way to do that. Even juice should be very minimal until her system has recovered.

Once she's healthy, you can try other milks if you want to. There is rice milk, almond milk, etc. But really, you can also just stay with water. I have 1 who was cow's milk protein intolerant (not lactose intolerant, but intolerant of milk proteins). But, interestingly, he can handle yogurt, because the proteins are partially broken down in yogurt. So he only drinks water, and gets calcium, protein, and healthy fats by eating full-fat organic yogurt almost every day. But you can't try anything new until her GI system is healed, so concentrate on that before you try any kind of milk or dairy product.

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S.S.

answers from Atlanta on

you need to start keeping a food log for your daughter. EVERYTHING she eats and drinks.

It might not be the milk. It might be something else that you have introduced to her and her body is not reacting well to it.

Why have you NOT gone to the pediatrician yet?
How do you know she's NOT lactose intolerant?

Have your daughter start drinking water. Ensure that she is getting her nutrients in what she eats. Log everything she eats and drinks and monitor for reactions.

Get her to the pediatrician!

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

I think you are giving her too much of too many things. She reacted to milk products, but you have to give her digestive system (which is the root of the rash, actually) time to heal. Soy is healthy but it has to be properly handled - most soy in the US is alcohol washed, for example, which can cause a problem. The process also throws out many of the beneficial properties of the soybean.

And like beans, chickpeas and other foods, soy is a gassy legume. So moderation would make sense at the moment. Take her off other things that can cause diarrhea, just until her system calms down - that means beans, most fruits & veggies, all juice, high fiber foods except in small doses spread out through the day. Increase water drastically to replace what she's losing through diarrhea and to help rid the body of everything else that's bothering her.

I'm a big soy advocate but I'm very careful about my sources of it and how it's processed. Look at the label of soy milk and see how many ingredients are listed. When I do my educational sessions, I really start people off slowly with soy if they've had any problems with other foods that have caused inflammation. The beneficial properties of soy actually reduce inflammation over time.

I'm curious why you say she's not lactose intolerant - she's reacted to milk big time. Perhaps this has been building for some time? Something to consider. Give her system a break.

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W.W.

answers from Washington DC on

M.,

Welcome to mamapedia. How old is your daughter?

Stop giving your daughter dairy. Stop the soy. Stop the whole milk. STOP. Give her body a chance to heal. then SLOWLY introduce ONE product to her. Whether it be almond milk, soy, whole. but ONLY ONE and small amounts.

Take her to the pediatrician for a prescription diaper rash ointment - had to do that with my daughter and my son. She didn't handle new additions to her diet easily. She loved grape juice and it would cause problems for her. My son would get really bad diaper rash after drinking grape juice as well. Now? Both fine. No issues.

When you go to the Pediatrician? Ask for an allergy test to be done to find out what she is allergic to or even sensitive to. It might not be the milk but the lactose. It could be the soy. STOP the dairy products. Let her body heal.

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D..

answers from Miami on

How old is she? What did your ped say?

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

I would talk to her doctor. Milk is not the only way to get those nutrients and if she is having reactions I would just skip it to be honest. My son has reactions to regular milk but can drink organic milk without issue so we know for him it must be another ingredient that is added to the milk, so that could be another possibility.

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S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

i'd back off all milk products (fake and real) altogether for a while. she doesn't need milk or fake milk to live. if she's eating a good balanced diet, she'll be fine with water and occasional juice, and you can let whatever's bungling up her system work its way out. then you can try slowly introducing whatever will work best for your family- lactose free milk, or coconut milk or whatever.
i think soy tastes disgusting, but to each her own.
khairete
S.

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E.B.

answers from Honolulu on

Many of the soy and nut milks available in grocery stores contain several ingredients other than the soy, or the almonds. Carrageenan, various gums, emulsifiers, etc, all of which can wreak havoc in some people's digestive systems (SOME, not all).

Like others have said, give your daughter's digestive system a rest, for a week or two. Don't give her apple juice, give her plain unsweetened white grape juice where white grape juice is the only ingredient. Give her a little plain unsweetened organic Greek yogurt if she is eating table foods. You can add a little honey to it if she's older than 12 months (no honey for babies under 12 months) or a little pure maple syrup, or some smashed fruits like strawberries.

Then, since she's reacting to milk, take her off that. And since she's reacting to soy, take her off that.

There are a few nut milks available that don't contain any gums or carrageenan, usually in places like Whole Foods or other health food stores.

But it is easy to make your own. All you need is a blender and either cheese cloth or a nut milk draining bag (available on amazon for less than $10). Oat milk is delicious. You simply soak steel cut oats in water overnight, drain them, blend them with fresh water, and then drain that in a milk bag. Instructions are easily obtainable online. You can make your own almond milk, macadamia nut milk, oat milk, etc.

That's what I would do.

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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

First, you need to talk to her doctor about all of this as soon as possible.

That said, you need to stop giving her milk and soy milk immediately and give her rash a chance to clear up. Once the rash is gone, you can being figuring out what's causing all of her problems. It it only a diaper rash or is it on other parts of her body, too?

Was she breastfed or formula fed before starting whole milk? If she was formula fed on a dairy-based formula, it probably isn't a severe milk allergy. Ditto for a soy-based formula. She may have a milder allergy, but not a really bad one. A severe milk allergy will manifest in other ways and other parts of the body, such as hives around the mouth, vomiting, etc.

My so has a pretty severe milk allergy and must avoid all dairy products entirely. So, please be careful with things like cheese and yogurt until you figure out what is going on.

Allergic reactions can get progressively worse with each subsequent exposure. What starts as hives or a rash can progress to anaphylaxis. Please see your doctor asap.

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J.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Thank you for your question M.. Just as a reminder per Mamapedia Guidelines: Medical questions may be asked, HOWEVER, please know that the first and best source for the answers to all such questions will alway be an appropriate certified professional. Please always consult such a professional in these matters first and foremost. Simply put, Mamapedia does not offer medical advice to our members. Any medical advice you receive on the site is taken at your own risk.
-Moderator

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

How do you know she's not lactose intolerant? Did you make that.judgement based.on.her reaction to soy? (That she still has diarrhea.) Getting a rash when starting milk may just be a coincidence.

How old is she? If she's younger than one or just a couple of months older, her digestive system may not be mature enough for cows' milk. Same for soy. Other foods can cause diarrhea as well.

If she is eating solids her body may be reacting to the food. She may have one or more food intolerances or allergies. She may be allergic to the diapers or the wipes. We can become allergic to things that caused no problems before.

Are you sure it's not a common diaper rash? How often do you change her diaper? What treatment do you use? Another possibility is a yeast infection. What does the rash look like. Yeast infections spread over the whole bottom. The ones I've seen have blisters that break and cause pain.

There are several alternatives to cow's milk if milk turns out to be the cause. Check with the doctor before trying nut milks. She may be too young for them. My granddaughter thrived on rice milk. The allergist suggested using natural fruit drinks some of the time. She still prefers fruit juice over.milk, though she outgrew the milk protein allergy around 6.

Does your daughter have a medical diagnosis that excluded milk intolerance? She may actually be allergic to milk protein. If she hasn't seen the doctor for a diagnosis, I recommend doing that. There is no simple answer.

First you need to know what is causing the diaper rash? Babies do have diarrhea that causes a rash and then they don't. Unless the diarrhea lasts long term, I wouldn't consider that it was caused by milk or soy or an intolerance to food. I would limit the number of foods and drinks and keep a food diary. Perhaps only feed two things for a few days or use the BRAT diet.

A tummy bug can cause diarrhea. If that's the cause, yogurt with live cultures can help. Probiotics are good for her even if they don't help with the rash.

You may never know what caused the diarrhea. Short term diarrhea, by itself, is not cause for alarm. How long has she had diarrhea? How much of her bottom does it cover? How red/angry does it look?

I would try a BRAT diet. Banana, rice, applesauce, and toast. Those foods help reduce diarrhea. TheSE foods, banana especially, can cause constipation for some babies. Be sure to give her enough water.

My 5 month old granddaughter has diarrhea at times. She does not like it and let's us know right away. Frequent diaper changes keep the rash mostly away. Leaving the bottom open to air helps.

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

If she doesn't do well with dairy or soy then stop trying to force it. She can just drink water. I don't see why this is a problem.

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N.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Some do goat's milk, some do other kinds...I'd probably limit her milk intake to just cooking.

If you can find someone that has goats buy a container of it and just see.

If non of that works what sort of formula did you use? I assume she's a toddler since you just put her on milk. Go back to that formula for drinking a cup of milk? But if it's milk based I'm curious as to why she's reacting to regular milk.

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