Can a milk allergy develop in one years old, who drink cow's milk for the 1st time?

Question

I breast fed my baby for the 1st year w/no problems w/dairy allergies; now she is having major skin reactions that are similar to what is described w/dairy allergies now that I have introduced cow's milk. I drank a ton a milk while breasfeeding & she was always fine. Is there a difference in the effect of the allergic reaction between traces of cow's milk in breastmilk vs. straight whole cow's milk???

Answer 1

Yes

Answer 2

Then she in not being exposed to cows milk for the first time, some of the proteins will have been present in your breast milk. That said, they may have been present enough to trigger her immune system to react to the proteins, but at insufficient levels to cause a full blow skin flare up. Now she is having it straight it is in much higher quantities and this may explain why she is reacting.
Interesting thing about allergies, it is impossible to have a reaction on first exposure, that is when the immune system first encounters it and works out what to do next time. On the second exposure however it is possible to react.
Speak to your GP about alternatives, I wouldn't suggest soya because 30% of the proteins in cows milk and soya milk are identical, so it does not help for a significant number of patients, also it is very low in calcium. A hydrolysate milk may be a better alternative and can be prescribed.
Also be aware that cows milk allergy and lactose intolerance are two completely different conditions, some people will insist they are the same thing but they have no link. Lactose intolerant people cannot break down milk sugars and get severe gut reactions due to fermentation, Milk allergy is an immune response to milk proteins.

Answer 3

You can try a rice milk, but remember that rice is very binding and can make her constipated. Make sure she is getting plenty of other liquids, fruits and veggies to help compensate. I don't know much about rice milk and what vitamins and minerals it has, but that might be something to think about. It might be a matter of giving her a pediatric vitamin. My son was on formula until he was 15 months because he was small and lactose and soy intolerant. I did give him goats milk which he tolerated. One day I ran out and gave him cows milk and he was fine. However it sounds like your daughter has an allergy to milk rather than being lactose intolerant. I would be very careful about giving her the cows milk again. If you do try it, do it very slowly by maybe adding a tablespoon to whatever she's drinking at the time. Okay, now that I've written a book, I'll stop! Take care and good luck!

Answer 4

A child has a different immunity to allergies and diseases while breast feeding.
If she's having skin reactions like that, TAKE HER OFF DAIRY, it's NOT WORTH IT!! So many people are allergic to dairy and don't realize it. This country is so controlled by capitalism that it'll tell you anything's good for you. Dairy isn't good for you. It causes mucus production, which increases the risk of catching colds. Its calcium is bound with casein, and unless you have the same huge amounts of lactase enzyme in your system like a cow, you're not going to be able to use much of the calcium.
Please, please use a soy-based alternative. Or almond milk, or rice milk. There are so many healthier options.
Also, cow's milk is made for cows. Human milk is for humans. Calves would do horribly on a human milk diet, so why do we put ourselves on a cow milk diet? Cow milk is designed for the calf to put on weight quickly, so unless we're trying to get a 400-pound baby out of the deal, it's probably good to stick with human milk or plant-based alternatives. No lactations from other species.

Answer 5

Yes. I know of many women, myself included, that have breastfed a child that has ended up with a dairy allergy. When looking back at it my son had symptoms that I didn't associate with an allergy until I moved him to soy formula and they cleared up. Has your baby had a constant stuffy, or runny nose? Do they spit up a lot, what about being really fussy? Skin rash? These are just some of the many symptoms of a food allergy.

Remove the cow's milk (and ALL things that contain dairy) from baby's diet and then take him/her to get allergy tested. 12 months old is NOT to young to be successfully tested.

I also recommend not trying any of animal milk until talking with your child's doctor. Many kids that are allergic to cow's milk can not handle goat, sheep, buffalo, etc... either.

Answer 6

Infantile cow's milk allergy is not uncommon. Maternal cow's milk intake normally does not affect the baby when breastfeeding unless the baby is extremely sensitive to the partially digested milk proteins. Mild milk allergy or intolerance involves non life-threatening symptoms such as reflux, skin rashes, constipation/diarrhoea, wind and abdominal pain and the baby can be unsettled after feeding.

Milk allergy can be confirmed by a skin prick test and or a specific IgE test (blood test) at an allergy clinic which is located in most large NHS Hospitals, your GP should be able to refer.

Temporary cow's milk allergy can be set off by a gastro bug or a cold, in which situation the baby will recover in 3-6 weeks.

Soy milk or modified cow's milk formula can be used: Nutramigen or Neocate depending on the severity. (GP can prescribe or you can buy them in Drug Store but they are over 8 pounds each tin)

If you baby only suffers wind and diarrhoea, it can be just the sugar in the milk that they are unable to digest. You can buy lactose free milk from large supermarket or health food shop. Lactose intolerance can be confirmed by a stool test which you GP can arrange.

Many infants grow out of infantile milk allergy/intolerance by the age of 18 months. Ask your GP to refer you to a Paediatric Dietitian so your baby's condition can be followed up regularly.

Answer 7

Yes , your baby could have an allrgy to cow's milk as i had a friend who was the only one in her family who had an allergy to all dairy products , she had to have soya milk etc but she did find an ice cream in sainsburys , it was a swedish glace but was dairy free and tasted fab , just thought if you found your baby did have an allergy it might be a nice treat . good luck .

Answer 8

Yes my daughter was allergiec to cows milk,as well as soy milk.. She a level 5 on the charts....She drinks rice milk and has since infancy..We realized because she was always crying, projectile vomiting and not gaining weight, so we had her tested. By this time her intestines were so inflamed they had to put her meds to calm them..She is now 4 and tiny for her size and is still allergic to milk, soy milk, eggs, peanuts, and shelllfish.. She also still has eczema break outs when she eats certain foods like ketchup. So it is very possible..

Answer 9

you need to take her to the doctor, so he can do some allergy tests. Sometimes babies can develop eczema and it could just be a coincidence that it came about the same time she went on to cows milk.

It seems to be the in thing to take kids off cows milk these days. If she is allergic then fine, but my nephew had the same thing. it was simply eczema.

Answer 10

Humans dont digest cows milk as efficiently as breastmilk. The fact that you digested the cows milk before it went through your system is why she never showed a reaction. try soy and ask your doctor if it is best to take her off the milk completely. she might be lactose intolerant. Soy is better for girls than for boys anyways.