Avoiding dairy allergy

[Haliborange]

I am currently weaning DD2. I was badly allergic to cow's milk as a child and so am keen to do whatever is best to limit her chances of developing an allergy. Advice I have read suggests avoiding dairy until at least 8 months. But some of my friends with similar concerns (general eczema issues rather than specific worry re dairy allergies) were told to wean early and to introduce milk asap.

I have recently started DD2 on formula and no problems there. Does that mean it is probably fine to go ahead and give her cow's milk now? I'd quite like to - I kept DD1 without it until she was 1 and it was pretty hard work.

Any thoughts welcome. Thanks.

formula is cows milk with vitamins so she should be fine.

Fab. When I had DD1 the HV told me that formula had something done to it so the usual suspects for causing allergies had been disarmed to some extent (my words, not hers). But wasn't sure what was best for DD2. I'm sure she'll like her food a whole lot more with cheese/butter etc in it.

I'm not sure anyone knows. I'm pretty sure DD1 was born allergic to dairy (v ill in SCBU until I managed to start giving her expressed milk), so whatever caused it was probably in utero or simply just genetic.

If she's tolerating regular formula, she's almost certainly fine though (unless a mild intolerance shows itself or whatever), so .

Thanks Lukewarm. I'm sure this is an area where there are a million different opinions, but I just want to be sure I am going with the most current advice IYSWIM. Since I am no medic I figure it is the best I can do!
She snaffled some of DD1's cheese sandwich at lunchtime so we will see how that goes down!

Definitely agree that if she's having formula then any signs of allergy should have appeared by now..

Cheese.... sob. Haven't been able to have cheese for 11 months, as still BF DD2 who seems to get screamy if I eat it. I fantasise about fondue!

Yes I love cheese too. I look at DD and think of what she's missing.

Hopefully she'll grow out of it as her consultant thinks. (same as everything else she can't have really and animals)

Kidding - my dairy allergy when I was a child was pretty serious (it triggered my asthma attacks) and I grew out of it, probably by the time I was 10, so hopefully your DD's consultant is right. It is so shite when you can only have dark chocolate at easter while your siblings gobble up the good stuff!

I hope you are right Haliborange, it's getting harder as she's getting old enough to swipe food. It doesn't help when you have a nearly 3 year old DS trying to corrupt her either!

That's really good to know Haliborange - I'd assumed that because DD1's allergy is so severe (anaphylactic), she was probably stuck with it. It would be so nice if she grew out of it at some point. Did the reaction gradually get less, or was quite a sudden thing?

A ray of hope here, too lukewarm My DD1 had an anaphylactic reaction to cows' milk as a baby, and appears to be growing out of it. Her latest set of RAST tests show much lower levels than ever before - so much so that they are contemplating a food challenge in a few months.

Gradually got less. I didn't have anaphylactic reactions, though, just asthma attacks and horrendous eczema. I remember not being allowed cows' milk at all when I was 3 or 4 which my mother said made me instantly a different, less irritable child. Then when I started school I could have milk at break (but was constantly wheezy, we just put up with it and medicated the asthma) but I wasn't allowed lots of dairy. By the time I was 10 or so I would only have a reaction if I had eaten loads and that was usually just being a bit tight chested and then it went completely.

This was mostly in the 1970s though so there were less alternative products out there (no soy or whatever) and a lot less allergies generally so I think people were maybe a bit more blase and less clued up. And I guess because the reaction wasn't too severe I was able to have little bits of milk from time to time which I suppose might have helped. From what I have seen about that peanut study it sounds like little and often might not be a bad thing.

Sorry, didn't mean to post and run there, have been having lots of non sleeping fun with dd2 and didn't see your reply. Its lovely to think dd1 might be able to go and eat at a restaurant one day, thanks for that thought!