cows milk allergy??

[Abwab]

my ds is 6 1/2 mths old. He was BF exclusivly until 5mth and since then i have been gradualy introducing formula with my final BF bering a couple of weeks ago. Last week i started to introduce cows milk in very small quanities ie with cerial and he has had a straming noes since. I realise that this could be a cold but have since read that runny noses are a sign of allergies. Also he has a few patches of dry skin develop on his legs.
Can you develope an allery to cows milk when you have been on formula? is it not cows milk based?

Sorry - first time mum panicing.
Thanks

opps have just re-read and noticed all spelling and gramatical errors!! In particular straming noes should be streaming nose!

it's probably a cold. Babies often have runny noses and dry skin and it's nothing sinister. If it doesn't clear up before too long, or if your baby seems unwell go to your GP.

sorry i thought you werent suppose too give cows milk till 12 months

Runny noses are a sign of Dairy allergy as is skin probs - take him off cows milk and see how he is. Formula is formulated to be easily digestable so would cause less probs than cows milk straight - you can get non-dairy formulas (regular formula IS cows milk based)

abwab
my ds got hives immediatly upon taking cows formula. cows milk isnt really advised until 12mths unless used in cooking - ie cooked not added to for eating

Boiling up a protein changes it's composition and makes it less likely to cause a reaction. Formulas are heavily processed and this makes them okay when milk causes a reaction.

Make the cereal with formula, or if you can be bothered try scalding the milk, then letting it cool and then using it. Milk cooked into things should be okay.

Help!

similar problem ...ds (now 7 months) face went red and blotchy with streaming eyes after formula so switched to nanny goat formula. seems ok though was told you should keep trying cows milk as the allergy can improve so recently tried some in his cereal (Had no idea you were supposed to boil it) and same reaction.. Like adwab ds now developed red dry skin patches on his arms and legs.

Have i given him eczema by trying cows milk...

Keeping trying it make things worse. Regular exposure to latex for instance makes healthcare workers much more likely to develop an allergy. If you have noticed he is sensitive and you are sure it is the milk, then avoid until 12 months. Don't keep trying it, as reactions can get bigger each time.

It takes 2-4 weeks for the protein to leave the body and so the eczema can take that long, and more to resolve. See your GP about the dry patches and treat if necessary.

thanks all, that is really helpfull. I will stop the cows milk in cereal and only use for cooking. Great advice bobbybob about protein taking 2-4 weeks to leave the body, hopefully i should see some improvment.

Thanks bobbybob too

bit of daft question coming up...
Im trying to wean DS off one of his day time breast feeds as starting with cm. replacing it with nany goat in a beaker (he wont take a bottle) but wanted to get lots of protien into his solids feeds which seems quite hard now milk is out.

can i cook with nanny goat formula i.e. in cheese sauce...etc... Think i already know the answer to that

what do other mums do feeding babys a non dairy diet...?

Ds survived his whole first year without dairy. He was a champion breastfeeder though. He has wonderful teeth, so I'm not too concerned about calcium etc.

As far as protein goes - lentils, lamb, soy. All excellent sources of protein.

bexybear if your child can take nanny he may be able to take goats milk cheese or even ordinary cheese. Processing milk into cheese changes it and means that it is less allergenic. Also live yoghurt is less likely to cause a problem than milk because the probiotics in it help deal with the lactose.

Beans are a good source of protein too and broccoli is a good source of calcium.

Abwab - our ds did just this at 11 months old. Had been on formula fine, then switched to cow's milk and he developed eczema within a couple of weeks - quite badly on his bottom and a bit on the backs of his legs. We've switched to goat's milk and it's more or less cleared up - although we've noticed it flares up again when he's tired/stressed... I think hydrocortisone cream helped - from the GP - so maybe take him to get checked out?

Hi there, my friends little boy is now two but when at six months he started refusing formula milk and his mommy thought it was ok to give him cows milk. Without saying to her HV she went ahead and the poor wee soul within 3days had streaming eyes, runny nose and patches of dry skin over his body, I mentioned to her that it really wasn't advisable to give him cows milk as there was too much protein in it for his little body to digest and to my absoulute disbelief she said my sisters all done it with there babies and they are fine and anyway its just a cold he has. Two weeks after still giving him the milk she called and said the baby was very chesty and wheasing heavily, I told her to call the doctor and the doctor confirmed he has an allergy to milk. He now has asthma and can't tolerate any dairy products, the doctors are trying to establish wether if his mum had waited till 12 months if he would have still had these problems or wether his body would have tolerated it and he would'nt have had an allergy. Has anyone else expierenced anything like this?

Kidstrack - the doctors will never know, and neither will your friend. Waiting until 1 year would have been much better, but she has done it now, and total avoidance may well pay off in time.

Have seen HV today and they have suggested the problems may be down to teething. He has nappy rash (first time in his 7 month life) and HV advised this can be a symptom of teething and eczema is brought on by the stress on the body that teething causes. Mentioned cows milk with cereal and she said thats fine as long as poos remain normal but i think i will give it a miss for a while.
I know HV's get a bad name but mine is fab!

Argh, just because something happens a lot does not mean it is normal. Just poos being affected is rubbish - that would mean a severe allergy sure. But eczema is a sign on it's own.

Nappy rash can be cause by proteins in the milk being excreted into the nappy through wee and poo and causing contact dematitis. Same as a skin prick test really.

All teething should cause is teeth, and its irresponsible to say to ignore two major symptoms of an allergy just because they happen to coincide with the age that babies get teeth.

I know you think your HV is lovely, and I'm not saying that she isn't. I am saying that she is wrong though.

abwab even the most lovely health professional has usually had only a few hours training about allergy. They really have very little idea. Formula is safer than cows milk, goats milk causes fewer problems than cows milk - although quite a few babies have problems with both. Soya milk can also cause allergies. Read some of the threads here about eczema and you wont want to risk cows milk yet.

My dd is 8 months, still b/f'ing. and I tried her on goats milk. She has just come out in hives of patchy dry skin on her back, chest and arms. Her face is blotchy too.

What are the dairy free formula's?

Anyone???

Calmriver - dairy free formula is very expensive and it would be best to get a prescription for it. It is also supposed to be harder to get an older baby interested in it because it smells horrible. But that's just something I heard.

Can you keep breastfeeding, it's free and will help long term with allergies.

calmriver
neocate & nutramigen are 2 brand names of hydrolozed formulas ie dairy free, lots of info here about them if u search or on the web too.