1st baby=dairy allergy, do I restrict my dairy during 2nd pregnancy??

[SLC1972]

My son,now 3 has a mild/moderate intolerance to dairy so we avoid cheese, milk, yoghurt etc for him. My partner has this too, but I don't. Im now pregnant a 2nd time, is there any evidence that my consumption of dairy during my pregnancy can influence if my baby will be more likely to be dairy intolerant? I ate heaps of cheese and drank lots of milk during previous pregnancy. Does this trigger it? Thanks, Steph

I think there are differing views.

DS1 has a severe dairy allergy and I was asking the same question as you when pregnant with DS2. Allergy specialist said it was possible that excluding it could make it worse when the child was eventually exposed. There didn't seem to be compelling evidence either way.

In the end I did have dairy, but in moderation (whereas I had lots of yoghurt when pregnant with DS1). Good news is that DS2 is fine - he did have eczema as a baby and it seemed to get worse when he started on cow's milk at 15 months, but we gave him special formula to 18 months and he loves milk now (and has no eczema)!

I think it is unclear what triggers an allergy or intolerance - definitely genetic predisposition, other than that who knows? DS1 was given a small amount of formula in hospital, and one doctor said that could have made a difference...

My own experience was 1st child-severe dairy and egg allergies, 2nd child-no allergies (possibly slightly intolerant in the first few months, so I gave up dairy and egg when I was breastfeeding in case, which also seemed to stop her colic, but who knows!). I didn't restrict my diet when I was pregnant in either case.

Interestingly, DD1 (the allergic one) was also given a small amount of formula when she was born (in NICU for a while), and only started to get better once she was on the breastmilk.

That's interesting about the formula, lukewarmmama! DS1 was in NICU too, wouldn't feed properly and wouldn't stop crying - hence the formula.

Hmmm, 2 case studies... must be scientific proof!

I asked this same questino of dc1's allergy consultant (allergic to dairy and eggs) and was told no need to exclude anything in second pregnancy or breastfeeding. They were v keen on breast feeding the new baby though and being careful with weaning, obviously.
DC2 has a bit of eczema and no obvious allergies so far, although I'm beginning to wonder about milk as he often gets a red rash.

I researched all this OP as DD1 is anaphylactic to dairy and generally v allergic. There isn't much evidence either way although an immunologist once told me not to go mad on dairy in the last 3 months of preg and whilst breastfeeding. There is some evidence that taking probiotics helps - I took Vinalac multivit and probiotics. DD2 was a bit refluxy and the specialist we saw said that due to our family history I should actually completely cut out dairy when bfeeding.

There is also some evidence (controversial obv) that delaying immunisations beyomd 5 months reduces the risk of childhood asthma and maybe eczema/allergies.

Anyway I did all this as was pretty desperate to avoid the same story with dd2 - maybe coincidence or maybe it worked, because she is fine. No eczema at all and fine with dairy, eggs etc. Tbh I think she is happier and more settled without dairy (but maybe that's just paranoia because it feels like poison now!) but at 18m she is certainly nothing like DD1.

Good luck.

Interesting lukewarmmama and Weta, same thing happened to my nephew. Formula when born cos sister in law in surgery. Now anaphylactic to dairy. Is there a research study here somewhere???

Would certainly be interesting to find out... I know I went to some BF classes at the hospital before DS1 was born and they talked about some kind of porous gut lining which is basically enhanced by breastmilk but destroyed by formula (sorry that's not very scientific at all, just a very hazy recollection of what was said, but it was something along those lines!). At the time I kind of dismissed it as overactive BF propaganda, but I do wonder. I think someone else wrote a thread on here once (or maybe another forum) warning people about this too.