How do you know if your baby is lactose intolerant? Which Gripe water is best?

Question

I have a 5 week old boy that we started on soy when only 5 days old. My husband believed in soy so I went with it....He began to get fussy so I switched to Enfamil gentlease. Well, this made him spit up like 3 times every feeding. It was crazy...So now I switched yet again to Enfamil AR Lipil which is supposed to be for spit up. The good news is that the spit up is way better!! He still seems fussy though...I've tried gripe water, mylacom, and little tummies. Not sure if any of them work?? Also tried colic calm w/ charcoal. This seemed to work okay but it is really hard to administer...It's like black charcoal and he spit it up everywhere everytime....NOT using it anymore! I have read about one called Colic Ease....Has anyone used this?

Please help....desperate new mommy!!!

Answer 1

Lactose intolerance is actually quite rare in infants, although some premature babies have it due to their system being too immature to produce lactase yet. Common lactose intolerance symptoms include nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea, which begin about 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking foods containing lactose. You have introduced a lot of substances to your son's little tummy in a short time. If breast feeding is definitely out of the question than you should make an appointment with your son's pediatrician to discuss his feeding issues. Stick with the Enfamil AR Lipil until you can at least speak to the nurse. I would stay away from the gripe water for now. Some babies are just fussy babies and don't need a change in their formula or any kind of medication, it is just their way of adjusting to this new world they find themselves in. Try burping him more often, after he drinks one ounce. When you feed him, be sure to hold him as upright as you can. Soy has mixed reviews and is generally not recommended with out a clear reason by many pediatricians. Here is a link to a website that has some good information. http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/formulafeed/formulafeed_concerns.html

Answer 2

acutally you should NEVER just put a baby on soy--that is something the doctor has to decide.
a lot of babies who have milk allergies are also allergic to soy.
also-when you are switching a formula--you need to give the baby at least a week on it, that is how long it takes for their bodies to adjust--you keep changing formulas his system is in shock and overload.
my baby had BAD gas-she was in pain and you could tell-we tried the 'good' brand formulas and they made it much worse-the enfamil was THE worst one-then we tried the nestle good start with comfort proteins--it was the best thing we ever did.
we noticed a difference in her after the very first feeding on it-
she is a SUPER happy baby now and she only cries when she is hungry--the rest of the day she's smiling, sleeping, chatting, playing or just hanging out with us.
She is 9 weeks old--we put her on the nestle when she was 4 weeks.
when she drank a new formula for a day without spitting up, I was like--woo hoo, this is the one, lol
but nope- a day or two later the spit up would start and the gas was always still there. but with the nestle-boom the gas was gone
Please give baby at least a week before switching again.
-what is the reason you believe he is colic?
(oh-the mylicon does work, lol-- definately not fast enough though, we saved a ton of money switching to the nestle as she needed the mylicon after every feeding)

Answer 3

If you are sure there is something going on such as an intollerence you should take your child to a gi speicalist. Your child might also have reflux. There are many formulas out there which are lactose free that are not soy. My son however was the happy winner of not ebing able to eat anything but the prescription formula which is 50 dollars a can. (ELLECARE).

There is an online support group and very informative site I visit frequently: www.infantrefluxdisease.com not only do they have reflux topics but all kinds of tummy ailments and advice.
My son is allergic to milk and soy and has severe respiratory problems and reflux.

Answer 4

Everything you need to know about lactose intolerance in children, and why it is very rare -though milk protein intolerance is not:

http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lactose.html
http://users.bigpond.net.au/allergydietitian/fa/inflact.html
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/lactose-intolerance.html
http://www.cryingoverspiltmilk.co.nz/Food/LactoseIntolerancevsMilkProteinAllergy.htm


What you need to know about soy formula:
http://askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp#T031004

What you need to know about thickened feeds:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html#thickenedfeed


About reflux:
"If your baby is a ‘Happy Spitter’ --gaining weight well, spitting up without discomfort and content most of the time -- spitting up is a laundry & social problem rather than a medical issue."
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html

http://askdrsears.com/html/10/t106000.asp

As for gripe water I prefer Kolik brand, which I use myself. It is quite effective for stomach pain and nausea. Not so much for spit up though.

And why it isn't too late to breastfeed, and how to start:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html

Answer 5

Lactose intolerant babies usually have diarrhea and the milk should be switch to lactose free milk.

Answer 6

try to give 'woodwards celebrated gripe water'
tq

Answer 7

lots of gas and constipation

Answer 8

if after you give him ice cream or something if he has diaria