Dairy intolerance

[Trudyla]

Hi all

I hope you don't mind me jumping in with a question. I just wanted to ask how dairy intolerance usually shows in babies?

My 5 months old baby is EBF. She was very sniffly and wheezy from very early on so I thought I would cut out dairy to try if that helped.

After two months + dairy free I started eating chocolate and cheese again and she was fine. But once I started to drink milk, she suddenly developed these horrible belly aches. She moans, strains, cries and arches when she's drinking and she poos much more often. The poo looks more green than normal and also like cottage cheese bits (Sorry, TMI). Her wheezing is much better and has not returned after the milk was reintroduced.

So my question is, does that sound like dairy intolerance at all? She doesn't have any symptoms like skin problems.

Now should I continue to cut out all dairy or just the milk as she seems fine with cheese and stuff? I worry that she will get more and more intolerant if she doesn't get any contact with dairy at all. (sorry, I don't know much about allergies, so not sure that this is how it works.)

Thanks in advance for any helpful tips.

T

I'd cut out the milk again and see what happens. But sounds like intolerance to me (my son has it).

If she's not reacting when you have more processed dairy then keep having it - she'll get some exposure that way.

I'd be careful when weaning her - watch for reactions, and only give a little at a time!

Agree with Iggly.

You can outgrow intolerances and allergies. I think strict avoidance is a lot better than avoiding just the worst triggers.

All my dc have been dairy intolerant to some degree. The eldest was so mild that I didn't realise he had had it until long after he had outgrown it at about 2y. So his exposure to dairy was never restricted. The others, far more severs, were not diagnosed until they were 5.5y and 18m. Their intolerance had obviously become milder with time: they no longer vomited or had stomach cramps when consuming straightforward milk, and had been having cheese and yogurt - with apparently no ill effect - since before they were 1yo. But they had rashes and eczema, and the elder had asthma.

18m of strict avoidance (including me as I breastfed the younger) and a year of very gradual re-introduction , and all the symptoms have cleared up. I still restrict their dairy intake, and have not given them straightforward milk yet, because I have noticed that, when they have a lot of dairy, the skin on dd's face gets rough and dry.

Who knows, maybe they would have outgrown it without restricting dairy, like the eldest did, but why put them through the discomfort and scarring of eczema etc? And I've no idea what repercussions being constantly exposed to a food they are intolerant to would have on their health later in life.

Thanks for your answers.

That's what I thought Iggly, to keep exposing her to more processed dairy that she seems to be able to tolerate.

Thanks for the weaning tip. I already worry about it and wonder how on earth she will get enough calcium.

Pretty, do I understand you right, that you think it would be better to avoid all dairy, even the stuff that she seems fine with? Sorry, I just want to be extra sure I understand you correctly as you said you'd agree with Iggly. I wouldn't mind cutting all dairy out if she had a bigger chance of outgrowing it. It's just that I worry I'm making it worse for the future.

I'm pleased your children are getting better. Must be such a relief.

Cheers,

T

I agree with Iggy that it sounds like a dairy intolerance. Im not sure, hiwever, that contjnued exposure is a good thing, even when there's no apparent reaction.

An intolerance is different to an allergy. With food intolerances the theory is that the gut walls are too porous and allow protein molecules to pass from the gut directly into the body, where they cause health problems. As the gut matures it becomes less porous. However, continued ill-health, or aggravation of the gut wall, can delay or prevent this process. Therefore it is probably better to strictly avoid the food that causes the problem.

But I don't know how proven all of that is.

Also, as with my dc, ecause you have identified a particular reaction, it does not mean that you have recognised all reactions IYSWIM.

If you can bear to go strictly dairy-free (checking all labels for any trace of milk-derived product) for several months, you could then 'challenge' your dd with dairy and see how she responds.

BTW there are plenty of other dietary sources of calcium, it's just that milk is so convenient and so useful in cooking. Remember also that if you continue to breastfeed she will get most of her calcium from you.

Interesting theory about the exposure. Our dietician said that there was a chance that with no exposure, DS would react worse to dairy later on. Although I wasn't that confident in what she said. I don't give him any though as he's pretty sensitive to it. I sometimes have some in processed food, rarely though. In fact since cutting it out myself, if I have milk it makes me feel sick.

For calcium I give fortified cereal, calcium enriched oat milk (DS can't tolerate soya either), veg like spinach and sweet potatoes. I also BF still.

And don't forget sardines! Any tinned fish with bones, in fact.

All dark green leafy veg are good sources of calcium, as are baked beans, peas, oranges, tahina and almonds.

She might only be lactose intolerant (processing of milk breaks down lactose so cheese and chocolate contain less) in which case you can use Lactofree milk, which is in all the supermarkets now.

I got my DD tested at 4mo via a stool sample. See you GP and explain that you've cut out, reintroduced and seen a reaction etc. They moved us straight up to testing and dietician support for weaning based on that evidence.

(she's 3.5y now and still reacts but very good about not eating anything with milk in and always checks with us first before accepting food from others)

I though breastmilk contained lactose and it's quite rare to be lactose intolerant? Happy to be corrected though!

It does. She was always quite sicky, green horrible poos 6 times a day minimum, screamed from 4pm til midnight etc until I went dairy free on advice of a HV/MW friend and she improved within 48 hours. I then had some milk and the poos etc. returned.

No idea how rare it is, but I know of 3 other kids her age who were also intolerant and I don't know that many kids! Most grow out of it by the time they are 2, but my DD hasn't. If she has any milk (we challenge her occasionally) she says her tongue "fizzes" and then complains of stomach ache.

Thanks for all your input.

I'm still not sure what I'm gonna do, but for now I will cut out all dairy completely. Once she is totally back to normal, I will try processed dairy products again and see how that goes.

trinitybleu I didn't know you could test it with a stool sample. I will definetly speak to my GP about that.

Iggly and Pretty Thanks for the tips about getting calcium into her diet. However, since I'm still EBF her, the question is, if I don't eat dairy and maybe I'm not doing so well on the foods you have mentioned (atm, I will try and up my intake from now on), will she still be getting calcium from my breast milk?

Thanks again, I am pretty clueless about it all.

The calcium content of your milk won't be affected by you cutting out dairy. You have huge stores in your bones which is used to make milk. It's a good idea for your own health to maintain a sensible intake though.

I'm no dairy too. To maintain calcium I have ovaltine with calcium enriched oat milk plus calcium enriched oat milk as a min each day.

I took a calcium tablet daily to be sure too.

The test was for reducing sugars and it had to be done at Birmikngham Childrens Hospital. We submitted the sample locally and they sent it off.

Thanks again, all.

Have got some calcium pills now. I am not in the UK so can't find calcium enriched oat milk, only oat milk without any extras, so will have to take the pills.

I will try and challenge her with some processed dairy soon. Wish me luck.