Diary intolerance but only symptom is failure to thrive- now need weaning help?

[NotDoris]

Hello!
I'm afraid this might turn into a long introductory post- sorry!

DS was exclusively breast fed ( as was DD 8 years ago ) At 4 weeks he had finally regained his birthweight but as he had dropped almost 2 centiles we were asked to see our gp. He had had 3 nappies with the tiniest spots of blood in them so we were sent to A&E to see a paediatrician- ended up staying overnight for obs.
He was diagnosed with a dairy allergy and I was given 2 choices- continue to breastfeed and go dairy and soya free, or put him on a hypoallergenic formula. I chose the first option.
We weren't convinced by this diagnosis ( no digestive problems etc ) so went private to see someone who was recommended by several friends as a specialist in chdrens allergies- he was brilliant! He said the intolerance sounded like a mild one and to adjust my diet according to ds's symptoms. I have cut out dairy as much as possible and noticed that the weeks I was less careful were reflected in his weight gain.

Now he is 6 months old he has a breastfeed first thing and in the evening, and an 8 oz bottle of pepti-junior am, pm, and bedtime. He has been very happy on this routine and gaining weight well.

we have started to introduce solids and he has taken to food very well, but I wondered about how/when to introduce any potentially allergenic foods ( eggs etc) as the only advice at our last appointment was to "avoid dairy". Still not sure whether to avoid all hidden dairy or just the obvious, or if some dairy is worse than others? Or if once he is on a more varied diet the odd bit of cheese etc won't make any difference?

Has anyone else got a dairy intolerant child whose only symptom was not gaining weight?

Hello NotDoris! First of all, I just want to clarify the difference between an intolerance and an allergy as they are often confused and used interchangeably when in fact they are quite different. An intolerance involves the digestive system, not the immune system and is not life-threatening. It can involve lots of nasty symptoms like diarrohea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain etc that can take a long time to improve and the symptoms do not get better when given anti-histamines. An allergy involves the immune system and can be life-threatening (anaphylaxis). The symptoms vary from skin reactions such as hives (either on contact with an allergen or by consuming it), to vomiting, swelling, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, drop in blood pressure etc. Allergies don't normally cause diarrohea but babies with food allergies often suffer with prolonged reflux as the oesphagus becomes irritated and inflammed due to the allergy. So, my question is, were you told that your DS is allergic to cow's milk protein (CMP) or intolerant to dairy? This is extremely important because if he is allergic then it would be extremely dangerous to reintroduce dairy products without medical supervision. The problem with allergies is that they are very unpredictable and a 'mild' allergy can suddenly become severe with little or no warning, especially when an allergen is reintroduced. However, if he is simply intolerant then you could consider reintroduction as long as you keep a detailed food diary to monitor his symptoms. My DS is allergic to milk, wheat, eggs and nuts so yes, there is the potential to be allergic to more than one thing and it is worth being cautious when introducing new foods if your DS really is allergic to milk. Before I gave DS egg I dabbed a little on his cheek to see if there was any reaction and he immediately came out in hives so I never gave him the egg. Skin prick and blood tests in the hospital confirmed his allergies.

Thanks for your detailed reply, it is very helpful.
I have looked up his hospital notes and they say "suspicion of allergy to dairy" and the paediatrician says he "may have some symptoms of allergic gastroenteropathy with dairy as a trigger". But, he hasn't had any tests done so we dont know for sure. How old does a baby have to be for allergy testing?

DS was allergy tested at 6 months. I think it can be done even younger.

just your title made me reply.. be careful with wheat, as dairy intolerance is frequently caused by reaction to wheat (gluten), both are related to immune response and can cause buildup of reaction in quite a similar way.
When my ds was little I was advised to take him off dairy, which worked for a while and some symptoms improved, but he continued with failure to thrive plus new other symptoms. It was only when I took him off wheat he truly improved. Wheat gluten is like a glue in the gut, so it blocks digestion and absorption and can cause numerous gut and other issues.
My ds can have some dairy, as his gut has sufficiently recovered, but I wouldn't knowingly give him any amount of wheat.

Hello Not Doris.

I would just go really slowly. start eithing things like baby rice with his hypo allergenic milk for three days and see how he seems both in terms of discomfort and the statr of his nappies and bottom. the try things like carrot puree mixed into the milk and rice again for a few days and see how he does. gradually increase the carrot and makes sure he's ok. the you could try things like apple, pear and other 'safe' foods. Once you have got him used to esting a few things then you can decide whether to try anything that is a more allergenic foods. basically take it slowly. if at any point you're unsure go back a step.until he is okand the try the same thing again but with a smaller amount. my ds was the same. didnt thrive while i fed him so was put onto nutramigen. Started doing really wel. weaned him onto milk and rice and then apple. he didnt do well on that ak all, so at about 8 months gp suggested going right back to milk and rice unrtil he was better. did thst and slowly tried carrot which was ok. added apple but a ver small amount and gradually built it up.

My dd has loads of allergies and she also didnt thrive when i fed her. 2 weeks after stsrting yo wean her, i gave her a baby rusk at a friends and she hsd an anaphylactic reaction to yje wheat in it.

You're DS will probably be fine, but just take thing slowly and if you're still not convinced ask your gp to refer you to a peadiatric allergist. we were initially referrrd to our locsl hospital as yhats where we ended up in a&e after the bsby rusk. after 18 months under their care, it was clear that this was not their forte so we were then referred but i had to ask. The difference in care was really noticeable.

Good luck and i hope this helps.

Just to comment on the age at which babies can be tested. My DS was given a skin prick test at 4 months and one of the results was a false negative. The other results turned out to be accurate.

Sorry about my typos. sending this from a phone i STILL cant use.

When weaning introduce new foods slowly. Introduce one at a time. E.g mashed potato, then a few days later or a week later add perhaps some mushed carrot to it, then chicken etc... And keep a diary of foods, poo info, eczema patches, etc. It helps identify a problem.

Thankyou very much for all your replies!
We are taking weaning slowly for now, a little bit of mashed fruit for breakfast, and some mashed veg for dinner. So far he has eaten home cooked carrots, parsnips, broccoli, sweet potato, banana, pear and apple. He only started on solids a couple of weeks ago and I have been waiting 3 days before trying something new, the only difference I've noticed is a change for the better in his nappies!!
Now he is 6 months he is supposed to be able to eat lots of new foods, but I'm a bit wary of introducing the more common allergens like wheat and eggs, and it sounds like I should be wary from your posts.