My 1 year old can't drink milk, now what?

Question

When my baby turned 1 we tried milk. He broke out in red welts where the milk had splashed out of the cup and touched his skin, then he started with the cough, and then trouble breathing. At the hospital the whites of his eyes turned completely pink (looked like pink eye). Within an hour he was back to normal (just a little watery eye). The doctor suspects he might have astma (lot's of weezing). I started watching what he eats, he weezes within hours of eating things with milk in it (cereal bars, crackers, etc). Has anyone ever seen this or went through it, the doctor says he might out grow it. All milk allergy articles I've found don't show these symptoms?

He often sounded conjested with milk based formula so I switched him to soy formula shortly after he started formula. My oth 2 boys both required soy. My oldest still has lactose issues, this isn't the same. I don't beleive lactose alone is the issue, Thanks.

Answer 1

Homeopathic Treatment :-
AETHUSA 30C is used in homeopathy to treat infants allergy to milk
Take Care and God Bless

Answer 2

Clearly this child is ALLERGIC to milk, not lactose intolerant. You should see an allergist ASAP (pediatric is better) and have him tested. In the meantime, do not give him ANYTHING with any dairy in it - casein, lactose, etc.. The hives it's giving him is NOTHING compared to what it's doing to his INSIDES. He can go into anaphalactic shock and die without proper intervention. You need an epipen and benedryl on hand at all times. If he breaks out in hives again, give him benedryl immediately and call the doc. Call an ambulance if he turns pale, has trouble breathing (it's NOT asthma, it's his body shutting down) or faints. Benedryl will NOT help then - his digestive system will be shut down.

As for the asthma - most kids with food allergies eventually develop asthma, BUT the immediate reaction implicates something more serious. I'm concerned that your doc isn't freaking out a bit more...If I were you, I'd either get REALLY educated on this and educate HIM or I'd get a new doc.

Finally, unlike peanut allergies (which you rarely outgrow), dairy allergies in the very young CAN be outgrown. Continued vigilance in keeping it away from her and keeping him totally reaction free will help your odds.

See an allergist ASAP. Please.

Answer 3

Skin Reactions:
Itchy red rash
Hives
Eczema
Swelling of lips, mouth, tongue, face or throat
Allergic "Shiners" (black eyes)
Stomach and Intestinal Reactions:
Abdominal pain and bloating
Diarrhoea (usually very runny)
Vomiting
Gas/wind
Cramps
Nose, Throat and Lung Reactions:

Runny Nose
Sneezing
Watery and/or Itchy eyes
Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of Breath
The milk allergy symptoms are not only restricted to people suffering from milk allergy. Many other people can show these symptoms to basically any other immune reaction. This could be from a simple mosquito bite to a drug reaction such as penicillin. Common food allergies, all with similar symptoms include sea shells, peanuts, banana and eggs.

Answer 4

The first time I gave my daughter a little chocolate pudding when she got a rash on her neck and chest. She has developed multiple allergies since then and the kind of symptoms vary. She can get hives, her lips might swell, sometimes the inside of her cheeks and tongue swell, sometimes she wheezes, and sometimes she gets severe nausea and diarrhea.
Milk is a common allergy and it is in soo many things. My daughter has outgrown the milk allergy but still has problems with pitted fruits. When my daughter was little we gave her chewable tums as a calcium supplement. Fortunately there are some very good milk substitutes now. We love the 8th Continent Light Vanilla Soy Milk. It is very tasting and great on cereal. When your son is older, they can perform allergy testing and consider different treatments.

Answer 5

Hi Brandiwine. Your son absolutely has a real and serious milk allergy. He will not 'outgrow' it (unless a severe exposure kills him!).

This sounds like a 'true allergy' which means an immune reaction that is mediated by IgE (immunoglobulin E).

Please take this condition very seriously. You may need to see a specialist in environmental medicine for proper guidance for your son. Some 'Allergists' may be helpful, but some are too limited in their thinking to understand your son's condition.

So far, you have done an excellent job of sorting out the cause of his reactions. That takes some real intelligence and powers of observation. Kudos to you!

Until you are able to find the right professional help, continue with what you are doing, which is total avoidance of any source of milk in your son's diet. You may also want to watch for a possible 'cross reaction' with citrus fruits.

Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 6

Our 6 year old and 2 year old have/had issues with dairy. We did Rice Milk for the 6 year old and that worked well. We are doing the same with the two year old, but we use YO Baby Yogurt (it is expensive) and that gives her a good supply of calcium and good bacteria for her digestive system. The Soy milk was never a big hit taste wise and they "sugar up" some brands, but they seem to tolerate the Rice Milk much better.

Answer 7

I went through this with my son. He didn't have a milk allergy, but he has other allergies that we didn't find out til he was four and was able to have tests done, then he went on shots. We found out that every time he went into the hospital in the middle of the night wheezing, it was because he was seriously allergic to corn. We ended up reading all food sources for corn by products like corn syrup. Bread had corn syrup in it, so we had to make our own. My Grandson was allergic to milk from the very beginning, and we put him on prosoybee, but there are different name brands of soy milk out there, so you may have to try them all, to find one he likes. Doctors do not know everything, but I would consult an asthma specialist, because his problem will only get worse as he grows older unless treated properly.

Answer 8

I would check to see if your baby is gluten sensitive/gluten intollerant. Sometimes, when this allergy is present, it can do strange things to your body - rash, dairy intollerance, etc. You can research about this allergy/disease online (lots of info out there) or ask your Dr. about it. Before I was diagnosed with being gluten intollerant, I was lactose intollerant as well. Soy milk is a good alternative to dairy, but you might also look into rice milk. Just some ideas! Hope that helps!

Answer 9

Hi Brandiwine,

My son is 15 months and also has a severe milk allergy. He also breaks out in red welts if milk touches him, my daughter did too. His Doc thought he had asthma also but he does not..just milk allergy and as long as we keep it away from him then he is fine.

I have done LOTS of research over the years (since 5 yo daughter also has milk allergy) and now I am very knowledgeable about milk & peanut allergies. If you have questions you can email me at [e-mail].

Answer 10

I don't think he is lactose intolerant; it sounds like a milk allergy. You will have to stick with soy and rice milk. Some people can tolerate goat's milk that are allergic to cow's milk. Don't try lactose-free milk. He will still be allergic to it. You may also want to give him chewable calcium tablets (just make sure they are dairy free).

Answer 11

Allergies can be experienced differently by each child. It sounds like your child is lactose intollerant. Which means you might have to resort to soy based products for awhile. There is a chance that hell grow out of it, my son used to have allergies to strawberries, but now he can eat them. If you need extra help ask your doctor. Take care!