Originally posted this on the breastfeeding board, but, as someone there suggested, it probably fits better here! I'd be grateful for any thoughts or experience about this:
Ds (14 months) was exclusively bf til 6 months, weaning went well (no obvious reactions) and at just after a year old, he started having a bottle of cow's milk before bed (for various reasons) and has otherwise been bf on demand. There are quite a few allergies in both my and dh's family (mainly asthma type allergies in mine, plus some food sensitivities and a few food sensitivities in dh's family) and there is also a lot of excema and dry skin problems in my family.
Ds started developing dry patches on his legs (circles) a couple of months ago and I have been moisturising him in a rich cream every morning and night (have to do this for dd, age 3, as well). Recently, they have started to get much worse and last week (Mon), he developed an excema type of rash all over his body (torso, arms, legs and under the chin especially) almost looking like severe sunburn. This literally happened from one day to the next and I took him to the Dr on Tuesday morning. She said it wasn't at all an illness, and looked more like excema and referred me to a skin specialist who we are seeing next week. Friday night, ds had his bottle of milk, went to bed, then (very out of character) woke up a few hours later, wasn't interested in bf (normally if he wakes at night I bf him), fussed for a few minutes and then vomited all over himself, the bed and me. I moved him off the bed and then he vomited all over the floor. No other symptoms (no fever etc) and after everything was cleaned and I'd cautiously given him some water, and then cautiously bf him, nothing happened and he went happily back to sleep. Was fine the next day, but the next evening (Sat), exactly the same thing happened.
After speaking to a GP relative on Sunday, they mentioned the possibility of a cow's milk allergy (sensitivity?) and said I should speak with my GP, but that a common way to test for this is an exclusion diet for 2 weeks, slowly reintroduce cow's milk and see what happens in terms of symptoms disappearing, reappearing etc. He also said that sensitivities to cow's milk is actually not that uncommon (not least because it's designed for calves who have different stomachs to humans ). Rang my GP the next day who, over the phone, said that allergy to cow's milk is incredibly rare and that I should wait and see what the skin specialist says next week.
In the meantime, ds hasn't had cow's milk since Saturday, I have just bf him on demand, he hasn't vomited and to me and dh (and another friend of ours who knows ds well and sees him regularly) it seems like the excema is actually starting to clear up. Even the dry patches on his legs (which no cream has cleared up in the past couple of months).
So now I feel a little confused. Of course all of this could be coincidence, but now I don't quite know what to do. My GP made me feel a bit like an hysterical mum (which I don't feel? But then it's difficult to judge oneself of course ) and thinks the allergy / sensitivity idea is nonsense. Maybe it is, but surely doing the exclusion diet properly won't hurt and might even give us some answers one way or another? Ds has only had milk from me (for drinking) and a tiny amount of cow's milk in cooking (in porridge for breakfast twice) since Sat night. I guess he is getting enough milk-wise from me in the meantime? Or should I try another type of milk (soya or something?) I'm not even sure if I should just ignore the Dr and try the exclusion diet off my own back (and if so, then maybe run the risk of shortchanging him somewhere nutrition-wise - or am I overestimating the 'wonders' of cow's milk?), or if I should try and go back to our normal routine and bring the cow's milk back?
To be honest, I feel like I've confused myself all the more by googling the subject, confused myself by speaking to 2 different healthcare professionals with conflicting points of view and in the meantime, of course, it's important to try and get to the bottom of this for ds' sake. Hence mumsnet!