Stage one of the milk ladder - please help

[user11290]

Hi,

My DD has been on stage one of the milk ladder for a while. When we first started it she was crying and her nappies were loose.

Left it for a bit and started it again and noticed that after a week she had eczema on her neck. Again, stopped it then.

I've been trialling it again for just over a week and she's been restless in her sleep, her under eyes seem a bit darker and she's showing reflux signs again (coughing and choking on spot - not sure if I'm explaining it right)

She's been having 1/2 a malted milk biscuit and this is where we're at.

Do I stop again or keep going in the hopes it builds tolerance as her nappies are fine?

Thanks

How old is she?
DS did milk ladder but not until about 2.
We also did egg ladder. Sadly not finished yet. But at least he can have cake.

@LostMySocks she's 15 months.

That must be awful, were the symptoms with the egg allergy similar to CMPA?

We stopped and started for years but had the same reactions as you. We eventually decided to just stop, far to stressful and I think we picked it up two years later, my DS grew out of his milk allergy at 8 and egg 6 months later. It was just before covid when we decided to stop so it wasn't like we were eating out and going to birthday parties. I'm sure the hospital said to me if I see a reaction I need to give it a break for at least three months.

We had similar and gave up. Do you have any milk allergies in your family? We were told by our dietitian that, in her experience, if a child is failing the milk ladder they usually have a relative with a milk allergy. At the time we didn't think we did so we persevered for a while but it's turned out that an (adult) uncle is allergic to milk too so we have put it down to that.

@Bonnylassie thank you.

I think the dietician said to give it a break for a month then try again.

Is reflux enough of a symptom to stop again?

Also, will the longer I leave between her trying the milk ladder make it less likely to work as the body will see it as a threat and start the reaction process again?

Thanks

@UlceratedPapacy my partners cousins have had it (his uncles daughter and his aunty's son).

She's not reacting as bad as she did when she was a baby so do I keep trying through the reflux so her body gets used to it of is it enough of a reaction to stop?

The reflux isn't spitting up milk like she used to, she'd bring ip a lot of milk. it's more so her choking on her spit and bringing up small amounts of liquid.

Is quite restless in her cot though so maybe that's a sign to stop

Basing on my own experience I'd say revisit the ladder just after 2 yrs age mark. It's just too much to inflict on a young body and will fill you with dread. As they grow their gut improves so your little one will be able to handle a Malt biscuit eventually. We are still not making big progress but I'm almost not bothered. I'm letting it take time as my son has suffered enough. He doesn't need to meet expectations, his body will catch up I'm sure of it.

I would take that as a sign to stop. 2- 4 weeks has to pass if there's a reaction before you try again.

Also how long will it take for the dairy to leave her system if we were to stop giving her the biscuits?

I hope she doesn't develop a negative food association and start food refusal (she's done this previously)

@user11290 the best thing you can do is talk it through with your daughters paediatrician.

Unmanaged reflux where acid is coming up into the oesophagus can cause damage over time so I wouldn’t be happy to continue with this as a symptom unless supported by a medical professional.

That plus excema and dark under eyes are indicating a reaction and so if I we’re you, I’d stop and wait for a period of time before trying again.

I think if you are in any doubt then stop. You can always try it again later after seeking advice.

@Zanina that's a good way to put it. It is tedious going back and forth

I just feel guilty that she can't eat what we eat and the substitutes are horrible (I try to give her as similar to what we eat as possible) bur I suppose she doesn't know any different (and we do) so the substitutes aren't that bad to her.

@andthat thank you for your response. You're right. I don't find the dietician particularly helpful if I'm honest she always gives us sheets of paper to read and fibs us off because DD is following the curve in her red book. She's more concerned about the underweight babies I guess

With my son I've found that he might be a le to tolerate an allergen if its been fried or cooked off. Where as baked might still affect him. There's a lot of alternatives to dairy so it's not end all, if you can give fortified cereal amd fortified Oat/ almond milk this will help get some calcium in the mean time. You do get fobbed off, make notes of your findings and hopefully you will figure out what your child can and can't handle. She is very young so if you can fill her with foods she can eat then hopefully she will have a positive association with food rather than fear it

I was advised to leave it 6 weeks if they react. She is still very young and would agree with waiting. Maybe when she is 18months.
My son grew out if his milk allergy around 3.5 years old. I don't think we started the milk ladder until he was 2.5

So just to throw a spanner in the works, DD was crying a lot today. I opened her mouth to have a look as to if she's teething and I can see what I think is a molar cutting through.

So do I put the symptoms down to teething or a milk ladder? It's so confusing ...

I have done the milk ladder with two of my children and I didn't start either of them till after 2 years old.. I would leave it a while if your child is reacting a lot to the step. I used almond milk and dairy free spreads for cooking with and their are loads of free from.snacks in the supermarket.

It’s really tough @user11290

Maybe have a break, let the teeth come though and go from there.

Feel for you both, it can be miserable.

My daughter failed and failed until we took it extremely slow and I’m talking starting with a crumb of malted milk and spending months building up. I’d say half the malted milk is probs too much. It took us 2 years maybe longer to get through the ladder doing it this way but it worked after multiple fails. This was all under dietician advice

To add we also didn’t start it until 2. I think 15 months is quite young!

I woujxceevommend leaving for now and coming back to it after after teething and when she's a bit older.

My DD had allergies to dairy, beef, soy, rye and many fruits. By age 3 we got through the soy and then dairy ladder. She is now age 6 the most adventurous easter and will eat without reacting except pineapple, she strangely still allergic to that.