Lactose intolerant baby?

[rachie103]

Anyone with a lactose intolerant little one? If so, just wondering what symptoms you saw? 11 wk old, fed & put weight on really well to start with. About a month ago now, went through nearly 2 weeks of 5-7 dirty nappies a day. Dr thought probably a tummy bug that would clear up. By the 3rd week, was beginning to suspect it was something to do with my dairy intake (though none of the classic symptoms of CMA, like eczema). Now on a dairy/ soy free diet & down to a normal 1-2 dirty nappies a day (thank goodness). However, LO still clearly struggling with bad wind/ stomach pain. Have whole days where she clearly wants to feed & struggles to settle - straining to do a poo, bad wind etc. Cries when taken off for winding, but then also cries when offered again! It’s a rare (& glorious) occasion when she ‘finishes’ a breast. Have had a look at symptoms of lactose intolerance & am wondering if a) it’s that and b) whether my dairy intake would effect her if it was at. Would love to hear from anyone with any experience of this... am wondering if I should contact the Dr to ask about lactase drops for her. Thanks in advance for any shared experiences/ wisdom!

Lactose intolerance in babies is extremely rare. CMPA is much more likely. Eczema can be a symptom of CMPA but isn't a given, nor is a rash/swelling etc. My son has CMPA and a soya allergy, he has never once had a rash or eczema. His symptoms were all gastro which is a non-IgE response and very similar to the ones your describe.

How long have you cut dairy and soya for? It will take 6 weeks to see an effect and symptoms will fluctuate in this time. I really recommend the group 'breastfeeding with CMPA and other allergies' - its been an invaluable resource to me

A baby with CMPA doesn't need to exhibit all of these symptoms to have CMPA. Here's a chart showing all CMPA symptoms, any mix of them may indicate a milk allergy.

Completely agree with Missmonkey. Lactose intolerance is extremely rare in babies and I have CMPA and have never had eczema.

Have a read of Dairy and other food sensitivities on Kellymom as it explains ige and non-ige far better than I could.

This information from Allergy UK is very useful too as it tells you the best way to speak to the GP about it. Allergy U.K. also have a helpline which might help you

Hi OP

It took me at least 6 weeks of being dairy free before we were back to "normal"
My son has quite bad CMPA in that he reacts to tiny amounts, even via my breast milk, and he didn't have any eczema. The range of symptoms is huge and that's what makes it so much harder to diagnose.

Check out the allergy boards here and the CMPA Facebook group for additional support - I have found them really useful.

Also, have you considered exposure to soya/eggs? Sensitivities often go hand in hand. I'd pay attention to intake of that too, to see if there is correlation to the rough days.

Good luck - it does get better

It's not unknown for babies and young children who've had a tummy bug to become temporarily intolerant to lactose for a few weeks whilst their gut recovers and their good gut bacteria builds up again. I would speak to your gp again for advice. With toddlers and children, you can just cut out dairy for a while till they get back to normal but obviously that's not an option with a breastfed baby. Your breast milk will contain lactose regardless of whether you are eating dairy or not.

Hi! Dairy has been about 3 weeks now, but soy only one as didn’t realise that was a problem till GP mentioned it. Will definitely check out that group... thanks!

That’s great - thank you!

Brilliant, thanks!

Have cut out soya, but not eggs - will keep an eye on that. Thanks for the encouragement!

Thanks - did wonder if a tummy bug might have triggered it.

Thanks - did wonder if a tummy bug might have triggered

I think you would have notice a tummy upset that would have been strong enough to trigger lactose intolerance OP.

So you should really cut dairy for 6 weeks and if symptoms still remain, then cut soya for 6 weeks. If symptoms still remain, then cut eggs etc. Otherwise its difficult to work out what was causing the symptoms if you've eliminated lots at once. It is true that 60% of children with CMPA also have a soya allergy but I would see if removing dairy works first otherwise you'll have to challenge both and it will take longer in the long run. This post ( and blog in general ) is great and I recommend looking at her other posts on CMPA and breastfeeding. dilanandme.com/confirm-cmpa/

If you suspect lactose rather than CMPA then you should get a reducing sugars test on a stool sample. My DD was lactose intolerant and whilst people on here say its extremely rare, I know of 4 others the same age in our small town alone (plus other CMPA's) so it's possible. She'd scream for hours each day and her multiple dirty nappies per day were like chopped cooked spinach and absolutely stank, almost acidic.

DD was EBF but improved greatly once she decided to wean off me and have dairy free milk instead at about 11 months. Thankfully no issues with anything else.