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Allergies and intolerances

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Original poster

safe cows milk sustitute for 20 month old?

25 replies

forevermore · 12/04/2007 09:51

dd is 20 months and has excema, i suspect dairy isn't helping and now she is older i want to try to eliminate it from her diet. she can do without yogurt and cheese but what do i substitute the milk with?

i have found rice milk, but its low fat! i think i need full fat rice milk if there is such a thing. and also organic

anyone have suggestions or know where i can go to buy a good milk alternative with addedd calcium etc.

also as a little add on, do you know where i can get allergy testing done?

OP posts:

MrsBadger · 12/04/2007 09:53

Would it be worth trying switching from cows' to goats' milk before dropping dairy altogether? Widely available, full-fat and you can get goat yoghurts and cheese.

SweetyDarling · 12/04/2007 09:54

Goats milk. The flavour is odd at first, but you get used to it and then cows milk tastes weird!

chilledmama · 12/04/2007 10:01

forevermore- can't stop now to chat but will try to attach link to another thread about dairy alergy over last day...bit a newbbie so it might not work. If it doesn't, do a search on my name. allergies

LunarSea · 12/04/2007 10:13

ds1's excema cleared up when we switched him to Goat's milk. He's actually ok with normal (i.e. cow's milk) cheese and yoghurt though - something to do with the process of making it breaking down whatever it is that's hard to digest. I'd look it up for you, but right now am typing this one handed with 8 day old ds2 attached!

LunarSea · 12/04/2007 10:52

Just checked, and it's the lactose which is broken down when milk is turned into yoghurt or cheese. And apparatently goat's milk contains a different type of lactose which is easier to digest, so if it 's a lactose intolerance rather than allergy (which it quite likely is if it's manifesting itself as eczema rather than other sympoms) then you might well find that goat's milk makes a difference.

InTheHouse · 12/04/2007 10:54

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This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

twentypence · 12/04/2007 10:56

What's wrong with soy milk for a child this age - easy to get organic and normal fat.

I add flax seed oil to rice milk.

LunarSea · 12/04/2007 10:59

Soya is an even more common allergen than milk.

EllieKthePA · 12/04/2007 11:02

my ds was dairy free until age 3 and had no problems with Soya Milk

MrsBadger · 12/04/2007 11:04

InTheHouse, surely no need to use formula at 20mo, why not just use normal goats' milk?

InTheHouse · 12/04/2007 11:07

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

Original poster

forevermore · 12/04/2007 11:25

goats milk sounds like a good choice for now, i will see how it goes and add flaxseed oil to it?

OP posts:

Original poster

forevermore · 12/04/2007 11:26

BTW she no longer has formula; wheres the best supermarket to buy goats milk products?

OP posts:

LunarSea · 12/04/2007 11:31

Have a look here

MrsBadger · 12/04/2007 11:32

Waitrose has the widest range if there's one near you, but most big supermarkets carry at least goats' milk if not the yogs etc.

LunarSea · 12/04/2007 11:33

Actually you might find a lot of the stories here ring bells with regards to your own situation.

Groveregg · 12/04/2007 11:35

My ds (18 months) has had Rice Dream since he was about a year old as he was also allergic to goat's milk; yes it is low fat but when we saw a dietician she was perfectly happy with it. Get the one with added calcium (I think it is identical to the organic one but by adding calcium they aren't allowed to call it organic) - a good tip I've found is to make Ready Brek with it in the mornings as Ready Brek has loads of added calcium so you can be sure she will be getting enough. The dietician told us at this age they need 350mg calcium a day which you can easily do with a portion of Ready Brek and Rice Dream. I also give ds an Alpro Soya yoghurt every day...

amidaiwish · 12/04/2007 11:47

this is really interesting
my DD is allergic to eggs but also had terrible eczema and constipation from dairy. I tried goats milk but her poo turned to putty and was v distressing

I found babynat organic cow's milk formula is the only milk she can tolerate. I haven't tried Rice Dream though and at 18 mths am keen to get her off £11 a tub formula! Anyone else found Rice Dream ok when all other milk wasn't? Am scared of a bad dose of constipation, she has only just recovered from an anal fissure.

amidaiwish · 12/04/2007 11:54

btw i have 2 tubs of unopened soya formula (was going to try her but decided against it)

SMA Wysoy Cow & Gate Infasoy

If anyone would like them, pick up from Twickenham, CAT me. can't bear just to bin them.

sorry for hijack.

Original poster

forevermore · 12/04/2007 13:28

what are the other benefits of cows milk after 20 months (apart from fat) that rice milk doesn't have (if fortified with calcium)??

OP posts:

twentypence · 12/04/2007 20:02

Yes soya is a common allergen - but if not allergic is a good cheap lactose free organic substitute.

Groveregg · 12/04/2007 21:01

Forevermore I was really bothered about what else my ds was missing out on by having no cow's milk but when I showed a food diary to the dietician she was not concerned in the least about anything apart from calcium. it might be worth you asking your GP if they can refer you to a dietician at your local hospital - I found it really reassuring.

FirstAtForty · 18/04/2007 19:10

amadaiwish - my 9 month old DD has a cow's milk protein allergy and I've been mainly bf, but give her 5oz of Rice Dream a day just as a drink - the calcium fortified one - and adding vitamin drops. She tolerates it very well and loves drinking it!

It doesn't have much protein in it so can't be considered a milk substitute for younger babies but I would have thought at 20 months (with a diet containing other proteins and calcium) it should be fine.

Jacanne · 18/04/2007 19:14

Oat milk is supposed to be a good substitute and apparently tastes pretty good to. From a calcium point of view - you can get it from plenty of other foodstuffs so don't really need milk for that.

buttonnosebear · 05/05/2007 21:27

My DD has a milk protein allergy. The dr diagnosed her as 'weird'. She gets hives if she touches chocolate or cow's milk but is fine with everything else including formula -but refuses to drink it. I have just stopped bfing her (on her 1st birthday) and tried to give her goat's milk but she won't touch it. I have found that she eats far more now and really seems to enjoy her food (I have laced everything with cheese) she doesn't seem to miss milk at all..

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