General: Low Or No Weight Gain Or Failure To Thrive
Most infants double their birth weight by six months and triple it by 12 months. Each dot on a growth chart is a percentile. The dots form a growth curve that shows a pattern of growth relative to the population. A childs head circumference, weight, and height generally follow a consistent trend over time.
Sometimes though, slow weight gain may lead to a diagnosis of Failure to Thrive , which is one of the symptoms of a cow milk allergy. Slow weight gain is gaining weight more slowly than other children the same age and gender.
Many factors contribute to slow weight gain, and often several factors are at play. Food allergy reactions can cause problems digesting or absorbing food, leading to failure to thrive. For example, babies may not get the nutrition they need because of excessive diarrhea or vomiting. The body may not get all the nutrients needed, which can mean they cant grow as quickly as they should.
As always, ask your childs healthcare professional if you are concerned about your childs weight.
Milk Allergy Baby Poop
A baby with a milk allergy might have diarrhea. Their poop will be loose and slimy and could be bloody or have mucus in it.
Babies poop a lot in the first couple of months, and breastfed babies often have watery poop, so it can be hard to tell if they have diarrhea. Formula-fed newborns might have one to six poops per day for the first few weeks, then around one to four after that. After 2 months, they’ll probably have one or two a day. Breastfed newborns can normally have six or more poops a day until this slows down around 2 months.
If the poop has mucus or blood in it, or if your baby shows other signs of an allergy, this could point to a milk allergy.
Treatment With A Dairy
If you do need to eliminate dairy, there are many substitutes for cow’s milk and milk products available. Just look for dairy-free on the labels at the grocery store. Since milk is a known allergen, it must be identified on food labels. Remember that milk can be found in many different products, including soups, salad dressing, and baked goods.
Keep in mind that even though a reaction to cow’s milk is the more common one, soy and nuts can also cause allergies in breastfed babies. Also, you’ll need to be careful that you consume enough calcium from non-dairy sources in order to meet your nutritional needs.
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Loose Mucousy Or Blood
New parents soon learn that baby poop comes in all shapes, textures, and colors. Breastfed babies usually have seedy mustard-colored poop, while formula-fed infants have firmer yellow or brown poop. And while a temporary change in color or texture usually isn’t anything to worry about, irregular bowel movements can sometimes indicate a food intolerance.
According to Wendy Sue Swanson, M.D., MBE, FAAP, pediatrician and Chief Medical Officer of SpoonfulONE, food sensitivities aren’t too common in babies, but they show up occasionally. One of the major culprits is cow’s milkspecifically the protein molecules in the dairy product, which can trigger an overreaction of the immune system. Formula-fed babies might have sensitivity to the cow’s milk in their formula. Breastfed babies, on the other hand, can react to cow’s milk particles that “leak” into their bloodstream in small quantities after nursing.
Here’s what you need to know about the link between baby poop changes and milk protein allergies, with tips for relieving your baby’s gastrointestinal symptoms.
Symptoms Of Cows’ Milk Allergy
Cows’ milk allergy can cause a wide range of symptoms, including:
- skin reactions such as an itchy rash or swelling of the lips, face and around the eyes
- digestive problems such as stomach ache, vomiting, colic, diarrhoea or constipation
- hay fever-like symptoms such as a runny or blocked nose
- eczema that does not improve with treatment
Occasionally CMA can cause severe allergic symptoms that come on suddenly, such as swelling in the mouth or throat, wheezing, cough, shortness of breath, and difficult, noisy breathing.
A severe allergic reaction is a medical emergency. Call 999 for an ambulance immediately if you think your child has anaphylaxis .
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Lactose Intolerance Vs A Milk Allergy: Symptoms
A milk allergy, or more specifically cows milk allergy , is the immune systems abnormal reaction to cows milk and related dairy products. Milk from sheep, goats, or other mammals can also sometimes cause an allergic reaction.
On the other hand, lactose intolerance is when theres not enough of the digestive enzyme lactase to break down milk sugars. Lets find out the difference between a milk allergy and lactose intolerance, their symptoms, causes, and how to tell which one your baby might have.
A few symptoms that a milk allergy and lactose intolerance have in common are bloating, gas, and indigestion. There are also some key symptoms that set them apart. Symptoms of a milk allergy can be more severe and require medical treatment. Lets find out more about the symptoms for each condition.
Lactose Intolerance In Babies
Lactose is the primary sugar in cow’s milk and other dairy products. When someone is lactose intolerant, it means their body can’t produce enough lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose. As a result, the undigested lactose stays in the intestine and causes gastrointestinal problems. These problems tend to be uncomfortable but not dangerous.
Some lactose-intolerant people can have a little bit of dairy without symptoms. Others will have symptoms and be uncomfortable every time they have food containing even a small amount of lactose. There are different levels of lactose in different dairy products, so even if someone with lactose intolerance can’t drink milk, they might be able to have some yogurt or cheese.
Lactose intolerance is common in older children and adults, especially among certain ethnic and racial groups. Experts estimate about 36 percent of people in the United States have lactose malabsorption, which causes lactose intolerance. Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic people, Jewish people, and Native Americans are much more likely to be lactose intolerant than people of northern European descent.
Lactose intolerance is rare in babies. That’s because almost all infants are born with lactase in their intestines, which allows them to digest their mother’s breast milk. Lactose intolerance in kids is more common, and it usually doesn’t show up until age 3 or older.
Occasionally, babies have lactose intolerance for one of these reasons:
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Identifying Infant Milk Allergy
Be sure to have your child evaluated by their pediatrician and/or an allergy specialist to ensure your child actually has a milk protein allergy. This is especially important because while 1% of babies have a true milk allergy, upwards of 14% of parents falsely assume their babies have this issue.
This often unsubstantiated worry that the mother’s milk is making their child ill can erode breastfeeding confidence and/or causes a huge, unnecessary disruption in the parent/infant diet.
According to researchers in a 2020 study, “Clinical trials do not provide consistent support for using maternal or infant cows milk exclusion to manage common symptoms in infants without proven CMA. We estimated that for more than 99% of infants with proven CMA, the breastmilk of a cows milkconsuming woman contains insufficient milk allergen to trigger an allergic reaction.”
So, don’t stop breastfeeding because of a suspected or confirmed allergy to cow’s milk protein, unless instructed to do so by your doctor. In fact, as mentioned above, even if your baby does have a milk allergy, you can usually still consume dairy and continue breastfeeding.
Once you eliminate these foods, you may see improvement in as little as a few days. But it can take two to three weeks to see results.
Diagnosing A Milk Allergy
If you suspect that your infant is allergic to milk, call your doctor, wholl ask about any family history of allergies or food intolerance and then do a physical exam. Theres no single lab test to accurately diagnose a milk allergy, so your doctor might order several tests to make the diagnosis and rule out any other health problems.
In addition to a stool test and a blood test, the doctor may order an allergy skin test, in which a small amount of the milk protein in inserted just under the surface of the childs skin with a needle. If a raised spot called a wheal emerges, the child may have a milk allergy. If your child is positive for a milk allergy, your doctor may tell you to avoid milk.
The doctor also might request an oral challenge test when he or she feels it is safe. This involves having the baby consume milk in the doctors office, and then waiting for a few hours to watch for any allergic reaction. Sometimes doctors repeat this test to reconfirm the diagnosis.
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Will My Baby Get Over A Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance following a viral illness or a premature birth is usually temporary hooray! and your babys body may eventually produce normal levels of the lactase enzyme to digest the sugar in milk.
But a congenital lactase deficiency is a lifelong condition, and youll need to modify your little ones diet to avoid symptoms.
The good news is that lactose-free infant formulas contain nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin A that babies receive from drinking lactose-based products.
What Are The Best Alternatives Formilk And Soy Formula
Babies that have a cows milk allergy will notbe able to go on soy formula either, as well as formulas that involve goatsmilk. However, the good news is that according to WhatToExpect, hypoallergenic formula withhydrolysate protein such as Nutramigen will be easily tolerated bythe baby.
This type of formula has milk proteins thatare broken down partially which means a reaction is less likely to happen. Andfor mothers who are breastfeeding will be instructed to no longer consume dairywhich means that the nursing mothers will need to find out how to get calciumthrough other sources.
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What Is A Cows Milk Allergy
It is an abnormal response by the bodys immune system in which proteins in a food are recognised as potentially harmful. In individuals whose immune system has made this mistake, the immune system becomes sensitised. This means that the next time that cows milk is consumed, the immune system remembers this protein may be harmful and may react to it by producing allergic symptoms.
How To Prevent An Allergic Reaction To Formula
If your baby is allergic to formula, one of the first things you’ll need to do is change the formula that they are fed. Before you switch, ask your baby’s doctor if they have specific recommendations.
Research has shown that breastfeeding results in fewer allergic reactions. If breastfeeding is not an option, amino acid formulas, soy formulas, and rice hydrolysates can also work for babies with milk allergies.
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Cows Milk Protein Allergy In Babies
A cows milk protein allergy is the same as a cows milk allergy. A cows milk allergy typically develops when cows milk is first introduced into your babys diet, either in formula, or when your baby starts eating solids. More rarely, babies who are exclusively breastfed can develop a cows milk allergy. This happens because of the cows milk in their mothers diet passing to the baby through breastmilk2.
Its common for babies who are allergic to cows milk to be allergic to goats milk and sheeps milk, too. Thats because they contain similar proteins.
If you think your baby could have a cows milk allergy, its important to talk to your doctor to establish whether or not this is the case.
Q: If My Babys Lactose Intolerant And Im Breastfeeding Will It Help If I Quit Eating Lactose Or Will I Still Have To Switch To A Dairy
A: Taking dairy or lactose out of your diet will not reduce the lactose in your breast milk. Breast milk naturally contains lactose.
Depending on the type of lactose intolerance your baby has, you may have to switch to a lactose-free formula. Some lactose intolerance is a short-term situation and will resolve over time. Congenital lactose intolerance will not go away and your child will have to remain lactose free for their whole life.
Please make all changes to your babys diet with the assistance of your healthcare provider.
Carissa Stephens, RN
Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
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Digestive: Blood And/or Mucus In The Stool
Blood in the stool is a likely sign of CMA in infants. The blood results from inflammation in the gut. It can appear in the diaper as either red or black. Red blood means the bleeding is in the lower end of the gut. Black color usually signals bleeding higher up, like from uncontrolled reflux. If you notice red or black in your babys diaper, call the doctor.
Mucus looks like what comes out of your nose when you have a cold or runny nose. It looks sticky when you open the diaper. A little bit can be normal, but if you see a lot or it lasts a while, it can signal a food allergy.
Think Your Baby Is Allergic To Cows Milk
- By Claire McCarthy, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
When young infants develop vomiting, diarrhea, and fussiness, some of them are diagnosed as having an allergy to cows milk protein. When that diagnosis is made, babies on formula have to switch to a specialized formula and the mothers of breastfeeding babies have to eliminate all dairy from their diets.
The problem is that specialized formulas are very expensive, which can be a real burden for families. And eliminating all dairy from your diet can be very difficult , leading some mothers to stop breastfeeding.
If every baby that was diagnosed with cows milk allergy definitely had it, this would be unfortunate but unavoidable. However, many if not most of the babies who get this diagnosis dont have it at all.
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Cows Milk Allergy And Breastfeeding
Breast milk is the best form of nourishment for your baby, even if theyve been diagnosed with a cows milk allergy.
While cows milk protein can pass into breast milk from your diet, most babies with a cows milk allergy can tolerate it. In rare cases, babies do react to the cows milk in their mothers milk. If this happens, your healthcare professional or doctor may advise you to avoid all dairy products to see if this makes a difference to your babys symptoms.
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What Is A Milk Allergy
When a baby is allergic to milk, it means that his or her immune system, which normally fights infections, overreacts to proteins in cow’s milk. Every time the child has milk, the body thinks these proteins are harmful invaders and works hard to fight them. This causes an allergic reaction in which the body releases chemicals like .
Cow’s milk is in most baby formulas. Babies with a milk allergy often show their first symptoms days to weeks after they first get cow milk-based formula. Breastfed infants have a lower risk of having a milk allergy than formula-fed babies.
People of any age can have a milk allergy, but it’s more common in young children. Many kids outgrow it, but some don’t.
If your baby has a milk allergy, keep two epinephrine auto-injectors on hand in case of a severe reaction . An epinephrine auto-injector is an easy-to-use prescription medicine that comes in a container about the size of a large pen. Your doctor will show you how to use it.
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Signs And Symptoms Of A Milk Allergy In Babies
Though milk allergies in babies are fairly uncommon, they can occasionally occur. Know the signs and symptoms to watch for, so you can help your little one navigate a potential dairy allergy.
Milk allergies arent common in babies, but they do happen. While your little one might not yet be able to tell you how theyre feeling or what isnt agreeing with them in words, you know his or her moods and mannerisms better than anyone! If youre seeing signs or symptoms of a milk allergy, it is a concern worth investigating with your babys pediatrician. Learn the signs and symptoms of a milk allergy, how it differs from lactose intolerance, and how to get your baby tested for a milk allergy.
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Your Calcium Needs Increase To 1250mg Per Day While Breastfeeding7
When breastfeeding you need 1,250mg of calcium every day1. Thats 550mg more than usual. This is normally achieved by drinking low-fat milk and eating cheese and yogurt regularly, and to meet the increased requirement, youd need to include dairy foods up to five times per day.
Most people get the majority of their calcium from dairy products. So if youve been advised to follow a dairy-free breastfeeding diet, its important to boost your calcium intake in other ways. For example by eating plenty of non-dairy sources of calcium instead. These include:
- Tinned sardines, with the bones.
- Calcium-fortified fruit juices.
- Soya milk, oat milk, rice milk or nut milk8
- Green, leafy vegetables.
- Wholegrain bread.
- Almonds and Brazil nuts9
Speak to your healthcare professional about your calcium intake to ensure youre getting what you need.
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