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EAT => Food Allergies => Topic started by: kezzi78 on December 30, 2008, 19:35:49 pm

Title: 5 month old not sure if lactose intolerance or milk allergy, what to give
Post by: kezzi78 on December 30, 2008, 19:35:49 pm
My LO is 5 months old and has been on formula since birth we orignally had him on aptamil and he suffered very bad with wind. Our health visitor suggested Colief which is an enzyme which breaks down the lactase in milk. Within a day or starting him on this he got very, very bad diarrhoea so we reduced the amount but it still continued.

We stopped the colief and carried on with aptamil but by this time swapped to hungry baby as he was such a big boy, within days of starting this he got really bad diarhoea, crying, pain and snuffles( blocked nose, wheezy cough)(took to drs but all clear) Phoned aptamil helpline as felt he was allergic to an ingredient, they thought might be whey or casin.

Stopped the hungry baby went back to normal aptamil, still diarhoea, snuffles and not good sleeping during the day... so started to investigate an alternative as he is under 1 year he cant have soy and the other speciality milks are expensive and alot of people say they are very bitter tasting. SO eventually we moved him over to Cow and Gate Comfort which has been processed more than the others.... he is alot better sleeping during the day on this but he now seems constipated as milk very thick....

My question is if he is milk intolerant how can i be sure? and if he is how can i ensure he gets the calcium and fat he needs as we have started weaning and know i cannot use cheese, etc
Title: Re: 5 month old not sure if lactose intolerance or milk allergy, what to give
Post by: Mashi on December 30, 2008, 20:20:04 pm
Are you in the US or the UK?  Sounds like UK to me when you say Aptamil and C&G?   

Anyway, he can have soy formula, it is suitable from birth.  Not sure who has told you not until 1 year? I know there is some controversy over soy formula and the hormones in it, but I had a long chat with our paed GI about it and he's said that studies are 50-50 and nothing is proven, and that for that matter the level of hormone is SO low that in his opinion it's not worth worrying about. In the US, soy formula is used for appx 25% of all babies.

So, that aside, I would suggest that you keep a log (or take whatever notes you have) of your DS's symptoms, and even take photos of his poop (I did!) to your GP.  Your GP may be comfortable making a diagnosis of milk allergy/intolerance or may prefer to refer you to a paediatric gastroenterologist for a diagnosis.  The Paed GI will discuss the options with you. My GP put DS on soy until we had the paed appointment, and by that time he was only starting to show signs of soy allergy as well. A week later we were given Nutramigen.

Yes, the Nutramigen is nasty tasting, but we were just very patient with DS.  He was on 7 ounce bottles so we started with 5 ounces of his soy and 2 ounces of Nutramigen mixed together. Every 3 or 4 days we reduced the soy and increased the Nutramigen. I think it took 3 weeks to get him on full Nutramigen and now he slurps it back without any hesitation.

Also, remember that your LO's formula is most important for his nutrition until he is one year, so don't try to cut back on his milk to replace it with solids. Solids will be a complimentary food for him, just learning to taste and eat for the first while.

Oh - and finally, lactose intolerance is VERY rare in babies (although common in adults) and milk allergy/intolerance is much more common for infants.  Not that lactose intolerance is impossible for a baby, but it is quite rare, and my thought is that for that reason alone, it is probably a dairy/milk allergy or intolerance rather than the lactose. Hypoallergenic formulas are also lactose free, however.  And in the UK, they are prescription (soy is as well) and so the extra cost will not be preventative.  In the US and Canada, I know you can apply to have them paid for and it depends on your insurance provider; if that is the case there are others on here who can help you with advice on that front!
Title: Re: 5 month old not sure if lactose intolerance or milk allergy, what to give
Post by: Mydreamcametrue on December 31, 2008, 04:29:26 am
Took the words right out of my mouth.

Have you also checked into possible reflux?  A lot of times milk protein intolerance/allergy go hand and hand.

In my experience though with both of my kids, they had to go on Nutramigen.  It can be the miracle formula.

I would do exactly what "mashimaro" suggested though.  I even video taped my son during his episodes of screaming,crying spells.

A final note:  NO ONE knows your baby better than a mother.  So please do your research and keep pushing until you get the answers you need. 

It is all about trail and error and we have to be the detective as parents.

Hugs to you sweetie, I know it is not easy. 
Wendy