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Original poster

Enough Calcium for baby when avoiding dairy due to eczema ?

17 replies

Tillysmummy · 19/04/2002 15:29

Hi all

I just wanted to get some advice on whether or not my baby is getting enough calcium and where I can find info on partiucarly calcium rich foods.

As dd has eczema I am keeping her off all dairy except her milk (which is cow's follow on milk). Because she has been poorly she isn't taking so much of this and still hasn't completely recovered her apetite. She used to have about 20-24 oz a day but since she's been ill is only taking 10-15 ozs. The most difficult bottle is her mid morning bottle. The first thing in the morning and evening she is ok with but the mid morning is a real struggle. I think that she will naturally want to drop this one anyway at some point but because she doesn't have yoghurt, cheese etc am worried about it.

When should she do they normally drop to just two bottles and what should I do to make sure she's getting enough calcium from other sources. Thx

OP posts:

Thewiseone · 19/04/2002 16:41

Why don't you give her goat milk formula ?
Also there are plenty of calcium in vegetables (broccoli, spinach, leeks, carrots, apples, cabbage, kiwi, green beans...) for example. Also Sardines , canned salmon, almonds,...
Do you know that many cultures (Asian, Carribean,..) do not drink any milk at all and they have no more incidence of bone disease !

tufty · 19/04/2002 18:01

If in doubt ask thelocal dietician for advice, based on a diary of what your baby is having. A little calcium supplement can do no harn and in fact can do much good ( all mine are dairy etc free and eat well but still take calcium supplements) good luck with the ezcema....

year0 · 20/04/2002 19:07

Suggest you take her off follow-on cow's milk asap (how old is she?) Get Wysoy on prescription instead. I was advised to keep my son on formula for weeks after is was clear it was badly upsetting his tummy. Both mine now have non-dairy diets and it is a headache; they take vit/calcium pills as a safety-net. But don't believe the advice to stay on formula - it is just as much a dairy product as cheese etc.

threeangels · 20/04/2002 20:45

I dont know the age of your baby but I have a 17mo old and I give him orange juice with the same amount of calcium as milk. There might be other juices out there as well. Right now he is drinking milk called lactaid. Full of calcium but does not contain the lactose milk product. He has always had a digestive problem to dairy products.

Samg · 22/04/2002 09:25

I am also worried that my 8 month old is not getting enough calcium. We are in the stage of weaning from breast to bottle, but she refuses to drink formula. She also only feeds from me little and often. Now I have started to wean her my milk is drying up. I have tried to substitute with yoghurts, fish, milk on cereal and biscuits with added calcium, but she also is a really bad eater. If you come up with any solutions let me know.

AimeesMum · 22/04/2002 17:05

I suggest using an infant formula such as infasoy. The downside is that it contains a lot of sugar, which can damage teeth,s o it's important to clean them regularly if she has any that it. There are many products out there with added calcium, such as water, and soya milk. Also vegetarian and vegan products often have calcium added. I also would reccomend lots of dark leafy vegetables, brocolli for example,and other fruit and veg too.
I have excema, and know what a pain it is, pysically and mentally, so if these measures don't work pop yourself down to the doctors and ask to be reffered to a dietician

pupuce · 22/04/2002 18:37

Aimeesmum - sugar isn't just bad for teeth.... it's bad generally (and it's addictive). I can't believe they still put sugar in formula - what justifies it ?

IDismyname · 22/04/2002 19:27

My ds was dairy free for about a year after I stopped feeding him. I was recommended a book by my HV, and since lent it to someone... however, I'm trying to remember what "standard" foods are high in calcium.
Please take the following list as what you can feed him when he's good and ready agewise:

Green leafy veg
Chickpeas (I had a hommous fan!)
sardines or pilchards esp in tom sauce
tofu
dried apricots (and poss. other dried fruit)

My HV suggested pureed tofu and reconstituted dried apricots. Went down a storm!

Will post again if I get any more inspiration.

Also, ds almost tallest in his class, so some calcium got absorbed!

mears · 23/04/2002 10:33

Eczema is not always due to dairy produce- so excluding it is not necessarily the right thing to do.

My son (15yrs) had eczeme since 2 yrs, managed with various creams. Last year it really flared so he was extensively tested and he is not allergic to dairy foods - it is housedust mite, grass and dogs. I think puberty had a hand in making it worse. It has settled again.

Excluding dairy produce is hard work that might not be necessary.

Original poster

Tillysmummy · 23/04/2002 11:20

Thanks all. I did put a message on I thought but can't find it ??

Basically I said that she has a very good diet, lots of broccoli, spinach, fish, chicken and other good veg etc.

Mears, I also said in my message that I am very reluctant to cut out dairy (as you suggest in yours) because she doesn't have bad eczema at all and I think that she will grow out of it / hope she will. I totally agree about other allergies and know friends who's babies have just grown out of it when they were a little older.

If her eczema gets worse I will consider cutting out the milk but at the moment I want to keep her on it.

OP posts:

Rhiannon · 23/04/2002 21:09

Has anyone thought there may be a link between eczema and breastfeeding? A lot of breastfed babies I know have terrible eczema and one HV even told a Mum it was coming through her milk. What do you think? R

jasper · 23/04/2002 22:06

Funny you should say this Rhiannon. I hope it is not true but recently I was struck by the very same thing, but was too scared to ask!

pupuce · 23/04/2002 22:37

My son was 100% bf and had eczema at 2 months. I believe it was due to my love of dairy. I did cut it down and 48 hours of a rice and raw vegetable diet to remove dairy (as much as possible) from my system. It did help.

SueW · 23/04/2002 22:43

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

mears · 23/04/2002 22:44

I think that eczemea is caused more by external environmental factors. There is a thought that where eczema is caused by dairy produce, mothers who eat a lot of dairy produce may pass the offending cows milk protein through their milk ( that may be where the HV was coming from but that would be a difficult thing to prove) . I have to say I think if a baby was that sensitive it would be a lot worse on formula milk. The good thing about breastfeeding is that the baby gains so many other health benefits.

jasper · 24/04/2002 04:07

I always kind of assumed that if a bf baby had eczema it would be a lot worse if it was
bottle fed.
Please don't anyone tell me chocolate passed through breastmilk is thought to be a factor

Rhiannon · 24/04/2002 07:51

I breastfed my son for only a few weeks and he has terrible hay fever like me. My daughter was bottle fed so it will be interesting to see if she gets it, she probably will as my DH gets it too. R

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