MP intolerance symptoms?

[Jasperc163]

Hoping someone can help..

My LO is 7 weeks old and has signs of reflux since 2 weeks. Breast fed until 4 weeks, mixed expressed breast milk and formula since then due to lack of supply and small weight loss at 4 weeks (she is now gaining weight well).

She was put on ranitidine last week (5 days ago) - i assume it is too early for it to have had much effect.  However she is also extremely windy and produces quite alot of explosive runny poos (colour fine though) unless on Gaviscon (which dries her up and reduces the wind). She also has mild eczema and is very irritable during the day (ok at night)

I just want to be sure that it isnt the formula that is causing alot of the problems (she had reflux on breast milk but not runny poos or such bad wind). Do the above symptoms - reflux, wind, frequent runny poos and mild eczema and frequent crying and fussiness (rarely sleeps during the day) suggest a mild intolerance (doctor seems to think this cant be the case as she is putting weight on well on the formula) ?

If yes, how successful are trials on hypoallergenic milk?

thanks in advance
alice

[Diego's Mama]

diahrrea is a common symptom of milk allergy.  It can also aggrevate reflux.  Are you still breastfeeding?  If so, I would exclusively breastfeed for a good three weeks or more and do an elimination diet where you cut out all dairy products, even hidden dairy ingredients like caesin.  There's info in this forum.  I think it's much easier to resolve milk allergy when breastfeeding as many formulas have milk proteins unless soy.  And 50-60% of babies with milk allergy also have allergy to soy as was the case with my son.

There is a list of foods that are safe for elimination diets at the top of this forum.

The eczema can also be milk related.

[Jasperc163]

Thanks Laura

Unfortunately the only reason I started feeding formula at all is because I just didnt have enough milk (or rather my supply had dropped off too much), so it wasnt through choice. So now the majority of her feed (all but one bottle a day) is formula.

Alice

[Kayna]

Hi Alice, I can't say for sure whether it is a dairy intolerance but I do know for sure that your baby can gain weight and still be MSPI. My baby girl has a severe dairy intolerance (bloody stools w/ the smallest offense) and has progressively gained weight all along.  :wink:

Is their stringy mucous along with the loose stools? Check very carefully for blood too. Sometimes you are unable to detect blood with the naked eye but if you suspect it you can take a diaper in to your clinic and they can do a simple test to determine for sure.

My dd's stools cleared up with in 24 hours of taking dairy out of my diet. I mainly bf but we also supplement after her last bf with the hypoallergenic formula. It has worked nicely for us but it tastes awful and makes for very stinky poops. :roll:

Although eczema is often related to food allergies it doesn't always clear up when the allergen is removed. You may still need to treat the eczema with a really good cream (ex: cetaphil, eucerine, aquaphor) a few times per day.

Good luck and keep us updated. 

[Jasperc163]

Thanks Kayna

No, no sign of blood or mucous in stools, just rather runny and explosive. And very bad wind.

As she only started on the ranititidine a week ago i expect the doctor is going to want to wait longer to see if it works (anyone out there able to tell me how quickly you normally see any effect?) before i start suggesting trying different milks. Yesterday she seemed better and I was so hopeful, today has been pretty awful :cry:

Did your dd drink the hypoallergenic milk ok?

alice

[Kayna]

She tolerates it but doesn't love it. It also makes for really smelly gas and poops. :roll: