son has milk allergy?

Question

Hi, At two weeks old my son was diagnosed with milk allergy. He was switched to soy formula but two days ago his dr said the diaper still tested positive for blood so she switched him to Nutramigen.
My1st question, is it possible he was misdiagnosed? I've been reading up on milk allergy symptoms and he doesn't seem to be exhibiting all of them. He's never vomitted and never had diarrhea while on cow's milk and soy milk. He's also been gaining weight. He was born 5lbs 14ozs and now at 5wks he's 9lbs 3ozs.The only concern i have really is his grunting (even while asleep) makes him all red and most of the time ends up with him crying. What else could be causing this?
My 2nd question is, with how fast did you see improvements when you switched to hypoallergenic formula.
Should i be consulting a GI specialist?

Answer 1

When my daughter was an infant she also was diagnosed with an allergy to milk. She was not lactose intolerant, but allergic to milk and milk byproducts. Many people do not realize there is a difference. She was always crying, had a lot of gas and displayed signs of being colicky. She also vomitted a lot, and had diarhea. Once we switched her over to soy, within a few days she was feeling much better. However, there are many foods you will need to be wary of as your son ages. For example, some fast food restaurants fry their french fries in a milk based fat - Dairy Queen - this would make my daughter vomit every time. Some soups are milk based, etc. So if your son is truly allergic, make sure you read labels and do your homework. If you are unsure of your diagnosis, don't think twice about getting a second opinion. It is your job to be his protector and voice. If your doctor is offended then get a new one. I wish you luck. P.S. One of the things that used to help calm my daughters stomach was I bought a hot water bottle and I would feel it with warm water and lay it on her stomach and wrap her up in blankets and hold her. This always seemed to comfort her. Good Luck.

Answer 2

I had the exact same problem with my son, regardless of what the Dr diagnosed, keep little on of the Nutramigen, it is the best formula on the market for baby's who have been breast feed them switched to soy then became allergic to cow's milk.

My son slept better, eat well and is so much happier now then before, improvement in his eating behavior changed within two day....he was also 8 months old at the time

Answer 3

I would get a second opinion. How long after switching to Soy did his bowel movement test for blood? Did he at least have enough time in between formula switching to have a normal bowel movement?
With my 1st daughter they told me she was allergic to milk so the put her on Soy. It was a nightmare she was projectile vomiting always had tummy pains and cried for hours at a time before i could get her to calm down. Even thou she was on the Soy she still got ill but not nearly as bad. Go figure after a year of age she can now drink whole milk and she has no problem.

Baby's born premature or under weight as in your case being 5lbs their little bodies can not digest food as well as a full term or a greater weight.
I would try to at least give it a month then if not you need to go get your second opinion.
As far as his face turning red or him grunting that is just a baby's way of trying to use the bathroom or it could be like my sons every time they stretched his little face would turn fire engine red and he would grunt. But if he is crying after him doing that i would assume he is trying to have a bowel movement and may be a little constipated.
I hope this helps you good luck to you and your little one!

Answer 4

It could just be colic.
I would get a 2nd opinion if you're not seeing any improvement and you are really concerned about it.

I would think you would see an improvement within a day or two.