Is it possible for a baby to be allergic to breast milk?

Question

I nursed my daughter for a year, and for ten months of it, she spit up after EVERY feeding. She was a little bit early and had bad jaundice. Was her digestive system slow? Or do some babies just spit up that much? Could she have been allergic to my milk, or had another problem? I eat a very mild diet.

Answer 1

Yes, if she has a severe lacostse allergy. But it will not be spit up rather projectile jomit Please read this link to fully understand

Answer 2

Well, it could have been reflux causing the spitting up. Changing to formula would not have improved the reaction.

Or it could have been something you ate, regardless of how "mild" your diet is. The biggest offending food in a breastfeeding mother's diet that the child could be sensitive to is dairy. Dairy is found in nearly every processed food and needs to be eliminated from the diet for at least a week for the dairy to be out of your system.

Answer 3

Both of my daughters had grade 3 or grade 4 reflux, and they both outgrew it at 9-10 months. And some kids are "happy spitters"--they have reflux, and it happens at every feeding, but they continue to gain weight and they don't seem to experience discomfort with it. Sounds to me like that's what your daughter had?

Allergies in young children tend to show up on the skin. I doubt that was her problem.

Jaundice is EXTREMELY common, and more common in babies delivered via C-section or preemies. (Run of the mill newborn aundice is caused by their immature livers' inability to break down all the bilirubin in their systems. It's easily treatable with superhydration and light therapy, and, unless the level is super high, it's not associated with any lasting problems. And it is not a sign of things not developing properly in the womb. There are, however, other forms and causes of jaundice, and you don't say what sort of jaundice your daughter had?) I have never heard of ANY form of jaundice contributing to any sort of feeding problem, especially a problem with symptoms similar to reflux. So you likely don't need to worry about that.

It IS possible for a baby to be allergic to breastmilk, but it's incredibly rare, and it usually shows up with a whole host of other symptoms and problems, plus allergies to a bunch of other things.

Incidentally, the medicines commonly given to babies with reflux, like Zantac, Prevacid, and Pepcid, are lifesavers for parents whose children are NOT happy spitters. My oldest cried inconsolably for 14 hours a day every day for 4 months, until we got her diagnosed and treated. But the drugs do NOT eliminate the spitting up. They just reduce the pain associated with it. Reglan, which is sometimes prescribed along with Prevacid, Zantac, or Pepcid, helps the stomach contents empty into the small intestine faster, so it MAY help with the spitting. But it's also associated with significant side effects and cannot be used for long periods of time.

Answer 4

I don't think they can be allergic to their mother's milk. Some babies do just spit up after every feeding--it's as if they overflow. I've seen it again and again. I would have only worried about it if she acted otherwise uncomfortable or wasn't gaining weight.
Also, protein from cow's milk goes through breast milk and some babies are allergic to that. I had to quit eating everything with milk in it until my baby could digest cows milk protein (around 3 months).

Answer 5

Yes, but in my case it show up immediately. I was allergic to my mother's milk and broke out in eczema. So I grow fat and happy on canned milk. I have often wondered if the RH factor came into play because my mother is RH- and I'm RH+.

However, with your baby perhaps she's just plain lactose intolerant. Are there any milk or dairy allergies in your or your husband's family? Perhaps it's time to switch her to juices and water. Also you could try yogurt. Though it's dairy, because of the enzymes in it, it helps digestion and the formation of enzymes in the digestive tract. I found it very useful when my son stopped nursing.

Answer 6

No Your baby cannot be allergic to your breast milk. She may be allergic to something that you eat however. Some babies just spit up a lot. My Niece Spit up all the time and the doctor switched her formula 3 times until they decided that she had G.U.R.D. It is like heartburn for babies. Once she was given Pepcid her spitting up dropped to occasional instances.

Answer 7

Possibly, or the baby could've been allergic to something either you were eating or just didnt agree with it.
Some babies dont spit up and some babies spit up like the girl from the exorcist.
She also may have had some form of reflux.
dont doubt yourself and your breastfeeding abilities. Shes healthy now and thats what makes it all worth while

Answer 8

No, babies can't be allergic to breast milk - at least that's what medical experts say. Some babies do spit up a lot, though. Perhaps she had a form of GERD or some other digestive problem. If you are that concerned, I would talk to her pediatrician about it.

Answer 9

If she is still gaining weight, and showing no signs of allergies (like rashes hives swelling) I don't think she could be allergic.

My friends baby spits up after every feeding, but my children never have. I think every baby is different. Jaundice is a sign of things not developing properly in the womb, and may slow things down for your baby.

Answer 10

She might have had reflux. It's not very likely a baby would be allergic to mother's milk, although she could have a sensitivity to something in mom's diet that is passed to her through the milk.

Answer 11

NO IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. It is possible for her to be allergic to something in your diet, but it is not possible for her to be allergic to your milk. Most likely she was just one of those babies who spit up a lot. All babies are different after all. Maybe she just sucked it down too fast, or ate too much at one feeding. Who knows? I wouldn't worry about it, unless she was actually vomiting.