Reaction to lactose... Or dairy proteins?

[Nancysmum4]

I'm bf my daughter but have twice now tried her just on a small bit of formula in the evening as have been so tired with the demand! To note here, I don't eat/drink dairy as was intollerence for 6 years and don't fuss without it now. First time my daughter tried Aptimil first milk, whole bottle down, before christmas, ended up at a and e as sick and diarrhoea till nothing was left in her, they said, it sounds like she has a lactose intollerence. Then she had Brochiolitis a week and half ago in hospital, with the stress, my milk stopped! So over night she was on sma lactose free on a 'line in' for feeds. She was so sick that night and choking with it up etc. they said the choking was typical with Brochiolitis and so the sickness was because of the cough/choke etc. didn't occur to me that the lactose free milk wouldn't be ok. So I got some in. She had less that an ounce last night as I felt I needed just the night feed break as been a demanding week of feeds and an hr and half later sickness and diarrhoea again. Doctors this evening. Feel awful for her. What did Does it sound like diary intollerence to you rather than the lactose or anything else?xxxx

I wouldn't have though it was lactose intolerance as breastmilk is full of lactose. It is more likely to be cows milk protein intolerance/dairy intolerance.

You would need to try a dairy free milk rather than lactose free as lactose free will still contain cows milk proteins

get the GP to start the testing process. My DD was okish on bf (colicky but thrived and put weight on fine) but was severely lactose intolerant. I cut dairy out of my diet and she was much better. As soon as I had some, she'd be vomitting.

Testing is the only way to know for sure.

dairy in your diet would not affect the lactose content of your breastmilk so reducing dairy would only have affected the cows milk proteins in your milk. If your dd was severely lactose intolerant she would not have put on weight at all and would have failed to thrive.

I can't explain it, I can only share my experience. We were under paediatrician and dietician care, she was tested multiple times (reducing sugars tests on stool samples) and eventually grew out of it aged 5.

If I ate dairy, she had green diarrhoea and vomitted whole feeds. If I didn't, she only screamed for a couple of hours each evening and had loose stools but normal colour. Upon weaning, same reactions from direct ingestion.

She grew well and is now 138cm tall at age 7.

did the doctor prescribe you some neocate or similar? Lactose is the sugar in milk, including breastmilk, people who are intolerant to it usually develop intolerance as adults. Most babies who react to dairy (in formula or maternal diet)are reacting to the protein so lactose free formula wouldnt help. Hope your LO feels better soon! FWIW i had major dairy cravings when pregnant and my ds has a cows milk allergy so theres not necessarily a rhyme or reason to it!

Thanks everyone for your input. Doctor was baffled when he checked her over, with her history as well. Referred to paediatrician. I'm thinking its dairy too now. I just need a back up. Hate knowing that if so etching happened like my breast milk dried up suddenly then there is currently no backup formula which she can tolerate. Will keep informed!

good that youve got a referral, there is neocate which is suitable for babies with cmpa and is available on prescription only so i guess if its a while til you see the paed you could ask your gp for a script? there are some good support groups on facebook for cmpa but a lot of it is about avoiding dairy which youre already ahead of the game on

sorry.. neocate is a formula, didnt make that clear!

Thankyou Ruth!