Is this lactose intolerance, reflux or normal??

[Petesmum]

Hi I'm really hoping that the collective knowledge of MNers can help me with this as my doctor & HV haven't so far...

My DD is 8 weeks old and now FF. At a week old she developed an all over rash which the hospital told us not to worry about. After that she became constipated & windy with really smelly bottom burps and cried after feeds. We changed her from SMA gold to aptamil comfort to help. It helped the constipation.

We eventually concluded the crying & gargling after feeds was silent reflux & she's now on ranitidine.

But our problems continue :-( two weeks ago she got a 2nd cold and since then her poo has been wet smelly and dark green, she's been clingy, sleeps even less than she did (she's always been a poor sleeper) and cries in pain for hours.

Could my DD have developed temporary lactose intolerance? As the crying lasts all day I'm assuming it's not colic? Is there anything else it could be?

Really sorry don't know OP, I would be tempted to go to the GP and talk through her nappies/clingyness and lack of sleep with them.

Hopefully this will bump it for you though and someone will be along who knows more .

Cow's milk intolerance maybe? The GP can prescribe you milk free formula.

I think temporary lactose intolerance usually occurs after an illness/stomach bug. You can try colief to treat lactose intolerance.

Poor wee one, does sound like she is in real discomfort :-)

Another possibility to talk to your doctor about is dairy (ie cow's milk protein) sensitivity. This is not uncommon in babies and can trigger the symptoms you describe, including lactose intolerance.

If breastfeeding is not an option, the doctor might be able to prescribe a hypoallergenic formula to see if that makes any difference. (Avoid soy formula if you can, btw - soy is also a common allergen, and most specialists advise against it as it contains high levels of phytoestrogens).

Colic just means 'crying all the time' - it's not an illness, just a description of what's happening. Put it another way, there is no 'cure' for colic, although some of the reasons why babies might cry can be addressed.

Hope that is helpful - and good luck.

Oh dear, that :-) was supposed to be a :-(

Thanks ladies. Appointment booked with doctor as I can't face too many more days like these. DD and I are both looking unhappy now

I thought all babies nappies were explosive green events before I moved my first onto lactose free formula at 10 weeks. The nappies changed within 12 hours, the crying ceased and the baby slept. It may not be the answer, but if like me you'd reached your wits ends and the HV tells you she'll only see you to refer you when you've tried every formula on the market, it maybe worth trying. I can even remember the day, the time and the weather on the day I bought the first tin, it was such a life changing event.

Do really feel for you. Haven't got any experience of ff so don't know if the green nappies are normal or not, but it doesn't sound like colic to me.

Cow's milk intolerance sounds very likely although of course only a med professional can really diagnose that. HAs the all-over-rash got better or is it still there? babies are rashy very often, but if it's an eczema-type rash then I would suspect cow's milk as an issue.