3 Types Of Milk Allergy
There are three main kinds of milk allergy in infants. First of all there is the full blown allergy to cows milk which is relatively easy to diagnose. Secondly we have a lactose intolerance and thirdly, a milk protein intolerance. Working out which type of milk allergy or intolerance your newborn may have can be extremely tricky.
Lactose Intolerance (Common)
When your young baby cannot digest lactose, which is the sugar in cows milk, milk products (from any animal) and breast milk this is known as a lactose intolerance. The symptoms include, vomiting up whole feeds within a short time after feeding, green stools, intense stomach pain and not gaining weight. This will more often than not be idenitfied quickly by your health visitor because any infant not gaining weight will be of concern. After a few months most children can tolerate lactose, as the body starts producing more lactase.
Real Allergy to Cows Milk (Rare)
A second type of allergy, in fact a real allergy to cow’s milk, is caused when the babies body treats the substance as harmful which is what occurs in other allergies such as a peanut allergy. When a full blown allergy is present, the symptoms are unmistakable and include vomiting, hives, anaphylaxis and swelling of the lips, mouth and throat. With severe reactions, call emergency services without delay.
The types of intolerance or allergy described above tend to have immediate reactions. The food is ingested, and within minutes the body rejects it though vomiting.
Milk Protein Intolerance (Common)
What’s harder to recognise is a dairy or milk protein intolerance in babies. These tend to have delayed reactions of up to 8-72 hours after eating, which is why they are a lot harder to pick up. Also, your baby will most likely be putting on weight normally. The most common symptoms of a dairy problem include: reflux, being very unsettled, extreme wind, crying in pain, pulling knees up to chest, colic, eczema, difficulty sleeping, constipation and diarrhea.
If your newborn frequently shows signs of these symptoms it may be worth discussing it with your doctor, midwife or health visitor about trying a dairy free diet for a few weeks or, if you are breast feeding, simply cutting out dairy foods from your diet for 2 weeks. It can take up to 4 or 5 days for your baby to get all of the dairy out of their system so it really does have to be an experiment that lasts over a few weeks.
Many children grow out of milk allergies and intolerances and it’s nothing to be alarmed about. Even for children that have a long term problem with dairy there are many safe alternatives that you can experiment with such as soya or goat’s milk that will provide them with all the sustenance they need and help them to grow up to be healthy and strong.
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