Could hives and eczema on the face be a sign of dairy intolerance?

[Petcat]

Hello

My DD is 6 months and I have been feeding her dairy for the past week. She has had quite awful reflux since birth but has been exclusively bf up until recently so I've not been able to ascertain whether she has an underlying food intolerance.

She's been fine eating fruit and vegetables but a small amount of yoghurt was followed by an outbreak of hives and now a small patch of eczema on her chin. She's also congested, snuffly and her eyes seem a bit puffy all the time.

My HV was less than helpful when I went to speak to her yesterday, suggesting I feed DD dairy every day for a fortnight to see what happens.

Do you think these could be symptoms of a dairy intolerance, and if so what should I do to get it properly diagnosed? Is there some kind of test she can take?

You could ask to be referred to a pediatrician/allergy specialist for a skin prick test - they aren't always that reliable but if it's a contact allergy that reacts straight away it will be more conclusive than if it's a delayed allergy that will present as stomach upset, eczema, bad temperament etc.

If it's an immediate contact allergy I wouldn't want to be feeding my baby that substance every day for a fortnight without medical supervision - you don't know if they might have a serious reaction.

It does sound like a dairy allergy ( not intolerance) to me.

I'd see your GP and ask to be referred for allergy testing, and stay off dairy in the meantime.

We discovered my twins allergies in a very similar way at weaning. Their reactions got progressively worse on each exposure to the allergen so I definitely wouldn't just press on and hope for the best.

Thanks for your info. I took DD to see the GP this morning and she's confirmed it seems to be a milk allergy. We've been referred to a paediatrician and dietician and I will be excluding dairy from both our diets until our appointment comes through.