Help! FTM - possible allergy to ready made formula?

[Lexidreamer]

Hoping someone can help, I’m A FTM and I am FF my 7 week old DD, I have FF her from birth due to health problems after her birth I was not able to BF her, but that’s another issue.
I am feeding her Aptamil First Infant formula, (still on the old style powder as we had problems with the new powder). She is really thriving on this and has between 4-5oz every 3-4hrs.
The issue I’ve been having is that recently she has had a rash on her face/ trunk/back and tops of her arms. The rash is never on her lower arms/ hands and not on her legs. It is like little red pin prick spots all over her, and at first I thought it was heat rash due to the hot weather. I’ve spoken with our HV who just advised to mention it to our GP at our 6 week appt which I did. GP suggested heat rash and possible baby eczema and gave me some cream to help.
I have used the cream now for nearly a week and am using it 2-3 times a day all over her.
I have been giving her Aptamil First Infant in the ready to drink bottles you can buy as I feel that this is a safer way for me to feed her than taking a flask and the powder and making it up while out etc.
So yesterday I mentioned to my OH how much better the rash looked - then when I was ready to leave the house she wanted to feed (she had been fed not long before this but she is feeding more regular at the moment, possible growth spurt). She had been given the powder formula all night and was fine, because I was caught last minute I gave her the ready to drink carton, within minutes all the rash broke out again, it looked really bad, I felt so sorry for her and was struggling to wind her as the rash is over her back and I couldn’t help thinking it must hurt that I was rubbing it.
So after that feed I only fed her the powder formula, and again she seems loads better today.
She also sicks up a lot of the ready made stuff and hardly any of the powder - she had issues with pooing, only does one dirty nappy every other day which is very soft, but I’ve been told this is okay?
Sorry for the long post, I have tried to research if babies can be sensitive to the ready made stuff and fine with formula, but only come across people that have had issues the other way round?
I am going to stop giving her the pre made and see how we go, but just concerned if it is an allergy, what is in the pre made stuff that’s not in the powder?

TIA for anyone who read the whole post

It does sound like an allergy. I wonder if the ingredients are different?

Yes sounds like allergies. I used aptamil and tbh I've heard loads of babies having allergies that have been on it (mine CMPA, and reflux) it may be a coincidence but I have heard from most that aptamil is used when mums group mums complained of rash etc. I'd go back to HV, they have question forms to see what allergies LO may have. Can you spot any difference on the ingredients lists between ready made and formula?

Thanks for your replies JiltedJohnsJulie and Mirrim, and thank you both for taking the time out your day to read the post - I didn’t intend on it being quite so long!
Okay so after looking at both the formula and premade ingredients, the amount of vitamins etc per 100ml doesn’t seem much different, the following ingredients are in the pre made and not in the powder-

Whey protein concentrate
Acidity regulator (citric acid)
Calcium hydroxide
Sodium chloride
Calcium citrate
Potassium hydroxide
Magnesium carbonate
Ferrous lactate
Copper gluconate

There are similar ingredients in the powder for example where the premade has calcium hydroxide the powder has calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. I have no idea if they just have different name because one is liquid form and one is powder?
The most interesting difference I can see is that the pre made uses whey protein from concentrate where the powder uses demineralised whey.
Could it be that DD can not tolerate the concentrated whey? She has no reaction whatsoever to the powder and if you see her now you can hardly see any rash (about 36 hrs since I last gave her a premade bottle)
I do have a photo of the rash but can’t seem to find if I can attach it?
If anyone spots anything else if interest on the list, let me know. Both myself and OH do not have any allergies so it’s all new to us.

This happened to me too OP. I did breastfeed initially so it took longer to realise but when my DS was about 3 months old I started to combi feed and gave him some ready made aptamil, and he developed a similar sounding rash but also projectile vomited. I heard from friends that the ready made versions had made their babies sick too so I tried the powder instead, however this was even worse and caused hives around his mouth. HV suggested trying a different formula as there had been something in the news at the time apparently about Aptamil being heat treated a little differently cashing intolerances. I tried HIPP and C&G but had the same issue so he was diagnosed with CMPA (as well as egg and soy allergy 🙄). He is now on Similac Alimentum and it's been great. Hopefully this won't be the case for you but perhaps a different brand of formula could be a good place to start?

For her rash I would recommend Child's Farm moisturiser. If we have a weaning slip up it clears his eczema overnight.

It could possibly be, but I don’t know really, that the milk in the powder has been treated, ie cooked, for longer so that the proteins are more broken down and less likely to cause a reaction if LO has CMPA.

Hi radiogooga, good to know I’m not the only one who has experienced this - it is strange because she is fine with the powder, I had considered if it could be something to do with the way the liquid is treated but was unsure if that could cause a reaction. She is more sick with the premade, I wouldn’t say it’s projectile but as soon as she’s drinking it is straight back up. I have some of the child farm unscented sensitive lotion and was using it initially, GP has prescribed Dermol for her ‘eczema’ which I am using at the moment but will probs go back to the child’s farm once it has ran out as I think it is more an allergy than eczema, but at least the Dermol is antimicrobial so will decrease the risk of it getting infected.
Interesting point about the powder bring ‘Cooked’ and the effect of this on the proteins, JiltedJohnsJulie do you think it could work if I heat the premade formula - would that break down the proteins more or is it not that simple?
I think for now I will just not give her premade and use the cream see how we go, we are on day 2 of no premade formula and she looks so much better. HV is coming next Tuesday anyway so will discuss this also. I will be changing formulas soon anyway as she does not tolerate the new aptamil formula at all, she was sicking it straight back and started refusing feeds and was just generally really unsettled. So I got a few packs of the old formula. Will mention to HV as it may be worth switching her to a formula more suited for allergies if there is one?
Any tips in the meantime with getting out and about using powder formula? How would I make sure the water is right temp (70degrees) if i took a flask? Same with the reverse if I made in advance and packed with cool blocks I suppose I couldn’t be sure that the bottles would keep cool enough? This was why I chose to use premade when we go out as its more expensive but less risk with the bottle temps etc?

Hi, Hope you and your little one doing well....I was just wondering if you ever found out what the problem was?
We are experiencing the same thing and just like you can only seem to find people experiencing the other way round?

Would really appreciate it if you could let me know either way. Thanks Sammy