Milk/Soy Protein Intolerance - MSPI - READ HERE!!!

[Rebecca247]

;)Hi Sorry for not making myself clear, it's abit of both thats worrying me, at the moment her skin is actually pretty clear but she is now having alot of constipation problems, the awful thing is she is finding it easier to go in her knickers instead if the toilet and when she actually does go she does really big ones!!! (sorry to gross anyone out)....She cries alot complaining about a sore bottom. She has been back on the soy milk now for 2 days and i'm having alot of trouble with her because she doesnt like it, and cries for cows milk. I really dont know what else to do for her. Here in Australia we have a few different varieties of special KIDS milk so I might check whats in them. Does anyone know?  She also drinks alot of water so that really should help her out toilet wise but it doesnt..... Sorry again, hope that clears it up for you! Bek

[motherof3]

I just found this thread.   I didn't know it existed.

Abby has a MSPI and reflux and is on Neocate.  Abby's pedi GI tested her stool for blood and it was negative.  But she was crying during feedings so we tried the switch from Nutramigen and it made all the difference. 

My older dd, Jackie, has a milk allergy that causes constipation and she has been on Miralax since she was 2.  My middle dd, Payton, I also suspect is allergic to milk b/c she has issues with milk also but not as bad as Jackie.  Her pedi has started her on Miralax b/c we are trying potty training again and she is refusing to poop on the potty. 

Jackie's allergy dr said that the #1 sign on a milk allergy is constipation.  So she now takes desensitization drops for her milk, soy and wheat allergies.  I also limit her milk intake and give her a vitamin with extra calcium in it.  Payton also loves the Minute Maid Kids Orange Juice that has extra calcium in it.  I have an appt to take Jackie to a dermatologist next month b/c her face has little pimples on her cheeks.  She used to also get them on the backs of her arms.  I am sure this is related to some allergy.  Not sure if it the milk or not.  But now that she is in Kindergarden she is more self conscious about it.

I don't know how long Abby will have to be on the Neocate for.  She has been on it since she was 4.5 months old.  We finally got our insurance company to cover 80% of it and now Dh's company is looking at changing providers.  I don't know what we will do if the new one won't cover it.  It costs $390/month!    

Wendy-  That is interesting about he rice milk/coconut milk/strawberry Nesquick.  Have you been doing this since the switch at 1yr?

Bek-  I could never get Jackie to drink soy milk.  It is very hard to switch to something new when they are older and used to what they like. 

Andrea

[GraceKellysmom]

Bek, how is it going today, any better? Yeah, the milk products can constipate them pretty bad. You can try dried fruit (esp raisins, cranberries, apricots) and also other fiber like oatmeal to help soften her poops up. Poor girl! Offer her water several times a day too.

I am pretty anti-soy, being intolerant myself, so Max got rice milk. Goats milk is another option, some kids do ok and some don't.

[GraceKellysmom]

I am a mom who flavors milk too, in the beginning, to get them to drink it. In the US, we can buy soy milk "sweetened" in vanilla or chocolate flavors. You may try a more gradual approach with mixing, part cows milk part soy. Not appropriate for allergy kids but for suspected intolerances, it is worth a try.

[First Time Mom]

What do you ladies make of this...
Dd was allergic to any milk products I ate when bfing, at 6 weeks she had blood in her stool and screamed/cried 24/7 until we figured out the problem. I eliminated ALL milk products. At 12 mths she was given a "milk challenge" at the allergist, she had loose stool that night. My ped said to continue trying as it can take her system a while to get used to the milk. It has been a month now. She now eats one container of plain high fat yogurt each and about an ounce of cheese, I bf her still 3x, she eats all other foods. Every time I try whole milk (about 4 oz) she ends up with very loose stool so I stop until she system clears up yet she continues with the yogurt and cheese with no problem. A friend told me to try 2%. I was hesitant to try as it's not enough fat but it's better than just water and she does get the yogurt, cheese, and bfs. We are on day 3 of 2% cow's milk and no loose poops. Do you think she's over her allergy? If she wasn't, she wouldn't tolerate the yogurt and cheese, no? Should I continue the 2% for now, increasing the quantity over time, then later try the switch again to whole milk?

[motherof3]

I have no idea what to make of that.   It is funny b/c like I said before I always limit both my girls milk intake.  While one time I bought 2% milk b/c it was on sale.  I always buy 1% milk.  Well Payton for some reason started getting constipated (this was before she was on Miralax).  Everything in her diet had been the same.  No bananas, no extra cheese etc.  The only difference with the 2% milk.  I really think this caused it.  Have no idea why, but I don't buy it any more.

Andrea

[Rebecca247]

Hi everyone, she's still been the same, but she will not have a bar of the soy milk, and I think she does need to have some milk because she really enjoys it and i feel like a bad mother for still giving hewr cows milk but we have been increasing her fibre intake and she always drinks alot of water, I was thinking about the Rice milk, does it have a better taste then soy milk or the same? I treid flavouring the soy milk but she new straight away that it wasnt the same.
It's so hard and I feel so cruel because she loves milk, yoghurts, cheeses and all that kind of stuff. We also live in a small country town in outback australia and it's extrememy hard to find substitutes here like you can in the cities. i'm just glad i have this website i can come and get some comfort and support. Thanks Guys and happy New Year to you all!!!!!

Love Bek

[GraceKellysmom]

Bek, it is a lot harder when they are older. I still remember trying to switch my dd to cows milk after being on soy milk. She freaked out on me at first, but eventually started drinking a little more. The one thing I will say is that they don't *need* milk of any kind. Drinking water is just fine. You'll just need to increase her calcium in other areas. Are you able to get calcium fortified juice, and will she eat dark green veggies that have calcium in them? Rice milk is ok, very watery and better as a sub in cooking and on cereal. They do make it flavored and you can get it enriched with as much calcium as cows milk. You could try ordering it on the internet, it doesn't have to stay cold until opened. Shipping would be pricey.

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FTM, I would stay on the 2% if she is tolerating it ok. Don't worry so much about the fat content, she's getting plenty of fat from the yogurt and cheese. You can also try different brands of milk, and especially organic or milk that is from cows that aren't treated with hormones and antibiotics, those are often easier to tolerate for most people. I personally would think the stool issues would be the other way around, because the fat content would make things pass through quicker/looser. Kind of like if you eat a really rich cheesecake or whole milk ice cream.

[First Time Mom]

Stacy, how much yogurt and cheese should I be giving her? She currently has 1.5 containers of high fat plain yogurt and about an ounce of cheese, she's also bf 3x though I think she doesn't take too much, her 2% milk is 8 ounces. I'm always nervous about her getting enough fat, she gains weight so slowly (was 17.5 pounds at 12.5 months) I'm also worried about her getting enough vitamins/nutrients, I bought the multi vitamin drops that I think I'm going to start giving her. I do have to say she has a good appetite and eats a very well balanced diet, I make everything for her but it's the milk I'm always worried about. Does the milk have anything that's not in the yogurt and cheese? I think vitamin A and D are not present in the y and c? I may try the organic cow's milk, supposedly it's illegal in Canada to treat the milking cows with hormones (reason we "can" give it at 9 months) but I don't know if I believe this.

[GraceKellysmom]

Grace was a slow gainer too, didn't hit 20 lbs until 17 months. At almost 4, she still only weighs 33 lbs, but that is perfect for her, she's just a petite child. (I have two tiny sisters, so it runs in my family) Her doctor really pushed me to try to get her more fat in her diet, but I had to listen to my mommy instinct too which said she was getting enough. She slept well, played hard, and learned well and exceeded her milestones.

If your dd is still nursing 3x per day and getting that much yogurt and cheese, I would think that is plenty on top of a good solids diet. The thing about 1 yr olds too is that they start refusing food - oh is that fun - not! They get so darn picky. So get her veggies and meats into her while you can. At 13 months old, Grace had stopped nursing (I was 24 weeks pregnant), and she at three meals and two snacks per day. So if your dd is eating 3 meals per day and 3 nursings, that seems perfect. As long as your dd nurses, I probably wouldn't bother with vitamin drops, she is still getting plenty of what she needs from you. Unless your ped tests for iron and it is low, I wouldn't bother with iron drops either. They get so much food that is iron fortified, cereals and grains.

I don't have any yogurt in the house right now, so I can't check for vitamin content. I'll try to remember to look when I go to the store later.

[First Time Mom]

Thanks Stacy. I'm not overly concerned about her weight, both dh and I are tall but small boned and thin, as a child I gained very slowly, meals were always a fight and I don't want a repeat with her so I just let her eat what she wants, I don't make it "fun" to make her eat more or tell her she's a "good girl" if she finishes, I just feed her and stop when she stops. At this point she eats great, 3 meals, 2 snacks, and 3 light bfs, she loves everything! I'm not worried about her iron as she eats full serving of cereal and eats red meats and veggies with iron. My yogurt doesn't list additional vitamin A or D like the milk has so I may as my ped about the drops next time I go.

[GraceKellysmom]

She may get plenty of vitamin A from the foods she eats. Does she like carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, oranges, tomatoes, squash, melons, and most of the green veggies? You even get vit A from meat.

Vit D is trickier. Sunlight is one of the best ways. Fish oil supplements are another way, try asking in the lounge because Deb, Josiesmom, does fish oil and so do some others.

[First Time Mom]

Wow, I guess she's getting lots of vitamin A, she loves everything you listed! I'm not too worried about the D right now I guess, the nanny takes her out everyday to the park swings and for a walk and we've been lucky to get sun here and decent weather which is not the norm this time of year.

Funny you mentioned earlier about them getting picky after age 1, dd spit out cottage cheese today and wouldn't eat her dinner of baby pasta/beef/veggies which she has loved in the past! This is the first time she has snubbed food, I had to come up with alternatives!

[Cassie]

So I have been giving Palmer a few tablespoons of yogurt in his cereal for the past week.  He has been crabby, but he has had an cold awful cold (everyone in this house had it) and is getting a molar.  He has been sleeping fine.  Today he only took a 1 hour nap and then threw up (not alot, but a substanial amount) twice this afternoon.  His stools are fine.  Do you think it is the yogurt?  Or just a fluke?

I am so frustrated with his eating.  He will eat most things if I mash it, put it on a spoon and feed it to him.  But he will only pick up crackers, cereal, bread and turkey lunchmeat.  Duncan was finger feeding almost everything by this time.  He is already so limited with not being able to have milk or soy.  UGH!

[First Time Mom]

Cassie, I would hold off the yogurt until he's totally over the cold just to be sure and then try again in a few days. My ped did tell me to keep trying the milk with Milena as she said it takes their systems a while to get used to the cow's milk products since they've been without for so long. In our case it has been 1.5 months of trying milk, she would get loose stool, I would stop for few days-week and retry again, only now can she handle 2% milk. In terms of ffs, all babies are different, some los on my thread ate nothing but ffs after 10 months, Milena will now eat a variety but still likes her mush, a friend's baby at 12 mths will not go near food if it has any texture.