Stay On One Breast Per Feed If Needed
If a mother has a very large storage capacity she may only need to feed from one breast per feed so that her baby can get a good balance of higher fat milk. Jack Newman explains :
Excerpt from
Dr. Jack Newmans Guide to Breastfeeding Jack Newman and Teresa Pitman, 2014, p. 181
In some situations where the baby is colicky from getting too much milk too quickly, and fixing the latch and finishing one side before offering the other breast does not work, it may be worthwhile to try giving one breast at a feeding or even two feedings in a row. The mother needs to be aware that this may cause her milk production to decrease, and that the baby may fuss because hes not getting as much milk as he wantseven if he is still gaining weight well.
Symptoms Of Cows’ Milk Allergy
Your child may have symptoms within minutes of having cows’ milk or formula made from it. In other cases, problems might not happen until hours or even days afterward.
There are lots of possible symptoms:
- Digestion problems, including tummy ache, being sick, diarrhoea, and constipation
- Skin reactions, such as swelling of the lips, face, and eye area, and a red, itchy rash
- Hay-fever-like symptoms, such as a runny nose and watery eyes
- Eczema that doesn’t get better with treatment
Sudden, severe symptoms are rare but can include swelling of the mouth or throat, wheezing, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing — a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which can also make your child feel faint or become unconscious. This is a medical emergency that requires calling 999 or going to A& E immediately.
Lactose Intolerant Baby Poop
If your baby is lactose intolerant and their digestive system is having a hard time digesting milk, they may have diarrhea or loose poop. With lactose intolerance, they’ll probably be really gassy and bloated, too.
Since these symptoms could also indicate a milk allergy, it’s a good idea to work with your child’s doctor to figure out what’s going on. If your child has any digestive issues along with skin or respiratory symptoms, there’s a good chance it’s a milk allergy.
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Lactose Intolerance Causes In Babies
While lactose intolerance in babies is rare, it can still occur. Lactose intolerance in babies stems from two causes:
- Premature newborn babies are more likely to have lactose intolerance for the first few weeks after birth due to developmental lactase deficiency. Lactose intolerance in premature babies tends to go away not long after birth.
- Genetic lactose intolerance in babies occurs when the lactase enzyme is not passed down. This prevents them from digesting lactose at all. Youll likely see symptoms, such as severe diarrhea, after the first feeding.
If you have concerns that your baby has lactose intolerance, contact your pediatrician.
Keep in mind that a breast milk allergy differs from lactose intolerance, and may not be diagnosed by a lactose intolerance test. To learn more, read our article on milk allergies in babies.
Is It Lactose Intolerance Or Milk Protein Intolerance
Similar symptoms may also occur as a result of an allergy or intolerance to one of the proteins in cows milk. This is different from lactose intolerance, which is a digestive condition rather than an immune response.
If your baby displays allergy symptoms a dry rash, itching or swelling, hives, watery eyes or a runny nose instead of or in addition to the tummy upsets, then it may be a milk protein allergy or intolerance: in which case, you may want to avoid cows milk, for example by switching to a goat milk baby formula.
Why goat milk? Goat milk contains different proteins to cows milk, so your baby is unlikely to have the same sensitivity to it. Speak to your doctor for advice.
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What Is True Lactose Intolerance
True lactose intolerance, or what is medically known or otherwise known as primary lactose intolerance, or Galactosemia is an extremely rare genetic condition, which requires medical treatment to manage.
From birth a baby with Glactosemia fails to thrive, meaning they wont put on any weight. These children require a very special diet and emergency medical treatment, with a hydrogen breath test and tests for reducing sugar in the stools undertaken for diagnosis.
Glactosemia occurs when a baby does not produce lactase, which breaks down lactose. Only a few people in the world have been diagnosed with this condition. The US National Library of Medicine states that, Classic Galactosemia occurs in 1 in 30,000 to 60,000 newborns. Galactosemia type II and type III are less common type II probably affects fewer than 1 in 100,000 newborns and type III appears to be very rare.
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What If A Specific Food Appears To Be A Problem
If you think your baby is reacting to a particular food, then eliminate that food from your diet for 2-3 weeks to see if babys symptoms improve. If babys symptoms do improve, then this food may be a problem for your baby. Eliminating a food for less than 2-3 weeks may not be effectivecows milk protein, for example, can persist in moms body for 1½ 2 weeks, and it may be another 1½ 2 weeks before the protein is out of babys system.
Babys symptoms will usually begin to improve within 5-7 days of eliminating a problem food. Your baby may not improve immediately, however, especially if the reaction is to a food that has been a regular part of moms diet. Some babies seem to feel worse for about a week before symptoms begin to improve. Sometimes it takes several weeks to see an improvement.
One way to confirm that a particular food is a problem for your baby is to eat that food again to see whether baby has the same reaction. The more severe your babys original symptoms, the longer you may wish to wait before reintroducing it into your dietfor a very severe reaction you may not reintroduce the food at all. If you reintroduce a food and your baby does not have the same reaction as before, then baby is probably not sensitive to that food. If he does react in the same way, you will want to limit or avoid this food for a time until baby is older or in some cases until baby has weaned.
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of A Milk Allergy
In children who show symptoms shortly after they have milk, an allergic reaction can cause:
- a drop in blood pressure causing lightheadedness or loss of consciousness
The severity of allergic reactions to milk can vary. The same child can react differently with each exposure. This means that even though one reaction was mild, the next could be more severe and even life-threatening.
Children also can have:
- an intolerance to milk in which symptoms such as loose stools, blood in the stool, refusal to eat, or irritability or colic appear hours to days later
- lactose intolerance, which is when the body has trouble digesting milk
If you’re not sure if your child has an intolerance versus an allergy, talk to your doctor.
How Common Is Lactose Intolerance In Babies
Most people with a lactose intolerance dont develop symptoms until later in life when their bodys natural production of lactase the enzyme that helps the body digest lactose declines.
This decline doesnt usually take place until later in childhood, during the teenage years, or in adulthood. So lactose intolerance in babies under age 1 is pretty rare but its not impossible.
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What To Expect From Your Lactose Intolerant Babys Poop
Loose, watery stools – diarrhoea, are common in babies with lactose intolerance. But loose poos can mean other things, too. So if your baby starts having runnier poo than usual, this doesnt necessarily mean that they’re lactose intolerant.
Remember that its not unusual for newborn babies to have the odd runny poo. Every baby is different when it comes to their pooing habits, both in terms of frequency and consistency, not to mention smell. Once you get to know their particular toilet habits, youll know whats normal, and whats not so normal, for your baby.
Possible Signs Of Food Allergy
A small percentage of breastfeeding mothers notice an obvious difference in their babys behavior and/or health when they eat certain foods. Cows milk products are the most common problem foods and the only foods conclusively linked by research to fussiness/gassiness in babies, but some babies do react to other foods. Food sensitivities in breastfed babies are not nearly as common as many breastfeeding mothers have been led to think, however.
If a breastfed baby is sensitive to a particular food, then he may be fussy after feedings, cry inconsolably for long periods, or sleep little and wake suddenly with obvious discomfort. There may be a family history of allergies. Other signs of a food allergy may include: rash, hives, eczema, sore bottom, dry skin wheezing or asthma congestion or cold-like symptoms red, itchy eyes ear infections irritability, fussiness, colic intestinal upsets, vomiting, constipation and/or diarrhea, or green stools with mucus or blood.
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Treatment For Lactose Intolerance
Your GP will help find out if your child is lactose intolerant. Your child may be given a lactose intolerance test, which measures blood sugar levels before and after having a lactose solution drink.
If the test confirms lactose intolerance, your child will likely be referred to a dietitian, who will give you advice on what foods and drinks are suitable. Babies and young children need to get the right nutrients to make sure they grow and develop properly.
Continued
For bottle-fed babies with lactose intolerance, your GP will probably advise you to switch to a lactose-free formula milk.
If you are breastfeeding, it may help if your baby has lactase substitute drops, which make it easier for them to digest lactose in breast milk.
Lactose intolerance is often only temporary for many babies and young children. Their symptoms will often get better within a few weeks. At this point, its safe to start gradually bringing milk and dairy back into their diet.
Breastfeeding A Baby Who Can’t Tolerate Milk
If your baby is lactose-intolerant, you don’t need to change your diet. It doesn’t matter how much dairy you consume, the amount of lactose in your milk will be the same.
However, if your baby is diagnosed with milk allergy, you will need to remove all dairy from your own diet too. You will need calcium and vitamin D supplements every day. Your doctor or allergy specialist will advise you.
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Good Weight Gain But Windy Unsettled Lots Of Poop
A baby with lactose overload might typically gain weight very well but show several of the following colic type symptoms:
- Flatulence. Note that swallowing of air during a feed is not thought to be a cause of a babys flatulence or colic symptoms as excess air is burped out through the mouth67
- Loads of explosive green or yellow frothy, foamy or watery poop. Note: there can be several other causes of green poop too.
- Tummy ache or colic
Where milk allergy is the underlying cause other symptoms may be present as well see Milk Allergy in Babies.
How Is A Milk Allergy In Infants Diagnosed
If your baby has symptoms of either a milk allergy or milk intolerance, see your pediatrician. He or she will probably check for both with a physical exam, an examination of your babys stool, a discussion your familys history of allergies and/or a skin-prick test.
If your doc thinks your baby may have a milk allergy or intolerance, then youll probably be asked to eliminate milk from your diet or switch to a different formula to see whether your newborns symptoms improve.
After your baby has been cows-milk-free for about a week, the doctor may have you reintroduce cows milk to see whether your little one has a reaction to it.
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Is It A Milk Allergy Instead
Keep in mind, too, that your baby might not have a problem with lactose, but rather a milk allergy.
Milk allergy symptoms are similar to symptoms of a lactose intolerance, but these conditions arent the same.
A milk allergy is a type of food allergy that occurs when the immune system overreacts to dairy. If your baby has a milk allergy, they may have an upset stomach and diarrhea. But theyll also have symptoms that dont occur with an intolerance:
If you suspect a milk allergy even a mild allergy see your doctor. A milk allergy can advance and cause severe symptoms like a drop in blood pressure, trouble breathing, and anaphylaxis. According to Food Allergy Research and Education, milk allergies affect about 2.5 percent of children under 3 years old.
How Do You Know If Your Child Is Lactose Intolerant
Take your child to the doctor to get a lactose intolerance diagnosis. The doctor might look into your medical history, diet, and family history to assess and examine your baby during the diagnosis. If she rules it is lactose intolerance, you may be asked to feed your child lactose-free milk for a few weeks to see if the symptoms subside. If the symptoms do subside, you will be asked to continue feeding your child a lactose-free diet or opt for lactose substitutes where feeding is concerned.
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There Are Lots Of Myths About Lactose And Breastfeeding
Removing dairy from your diet makes no difference.
Lactose intolerance is poorly understood in the Australian community. There are lots of myths and misunderstandings about it, especially when it comes to babies.
Contrary to what you may hear:
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Removing dairy from your diet makes no difference. There will not be less lactose in your breastmilk if you stop eating dairy products.
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There is no relationship between lactose intolerance in adult family members and in babies. They are different types of lactose intolerance.
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A baby with symptoms of lactose intolerance should not be taken off the breast and fed on soy-based or special lactose-free infant formula.
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Lactose intolerance is very different to intolerance or allergy to cows’ milk protein.
Avoiding A Milk Allergy Reaction
If You’re Breastfeeding
If your breastfed infant has a milk allergy, talk to the allergist before changing your diet.
If You’re Formula Feeding
If you’re formula feeding, your doctor may advise you to switch to an extensively hydrolyzed formula or an amino acid-based formula in which the proteins are broken down into particles so that the formula is less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.
You also might see “partially hydrolyzed” formulas, but these aren’t truly hypoallergenic and can lead to a significant allergic reaction.
If you’re concerned about a milk allergy, it’s always best to talk with your child’s doctor and work together to choose a formula that’s safe for your baby.
Do not try to make your own formula. Commercial formulas are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and created through a very specialized process that cannot be duplicated at home. Other types of milk that might be safe for an older child with a milk allergy are not safe for infants.
If you have any questions or concerns, talk with your child’s doctor.
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Food For Lactose Intolerance In Babies
If youre breastfeeding, continue to offer regular feeds as this will help to heal their gut5. Despite what you may have heard, you dont need to follow a lactose-free diet as research has shown that this doesnt change the amount of lactose in your breastmilk5. Although you may wish to try giving your baby lactase enzyme drops, which can be bought from a pharmacy2,5.
If your baby is formula-fed, you may wish to try a lactose-free formula, but only do so on the advice of a healthcare professional, such as your GP, health visitor or public health nurse. Try to reintroduce your babys usual formula within eight weeks, once your babys gut has healed1,4.
If your baby has started solids, avoid offering foods containing lactose to allow their gut to heal3,4. But make sure you reintroduce these foods back into your babys diet once their symptoms have improved, as they contain calcium, which is an important nutrient for helping build strong bones and teeth2. Most babies with lactose intolerance will be able to tolerate a certain amount of lactose, it might just take some experimenting to find out how much2.
If your babys symptoms dont get better or youre worried that your baby may have primary lactose intolerance, visit your GP for further assessment. Your GP may refer you to a dietitian for nutritional advice.
What Causes Lactose Intolerance In Adults
In many cultures across the world, levels of the enzyme lactase start to fall after three to seven years of age . They often fall so low that an individual may become lactose intolerant . This may not happen until adulthood and will affect consumption of cows milk products with lactose. This is not the same as lactose intolerance in babies 5. Mohrbacher, 2010 reserves the name primary lactose intolerance for this adult type.
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What Does It Mean
Lactose is a sugar found in milk. In order for your body to break down lactose and convert it into energy, in needs an enzyme known as lactase. Lactose intolerance means that your body does not produce enough lactase, and so cannot digest lactose properly.
Lactose intolerance is not rare, but congenital intolerance is unusual in a baby. Its more likely to occur as a temporary inability to produce sufficient lactase following a severe bout of diarrhea.