Milk Allergy And Infants

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Adverse reactions to cow’s milk are common and a milk allergy and infants can be misleading.  Well, milk gets the blame for health problems more than any other food, and certainly more often than it deserves.
Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing infants with all the necessary nutrition they need. With nonbreastfed infants, a special formula with proven efficacy in approved clinical trials should be used for the baby.
When breastfed infants have been diagnosed with a Milk allergy, the mother should immediately start a strict CMP-free diet. The diagnosis of cow’s-milk protein allergy (CMPA) or Cow’s Milk Allergy (CMA) can be treated. Cow milk contains Lactose and sometimes the infant can be Lactose Intolerance.

A Wide Range Of Symptoms That Milk Can Cause

Here are a few symptoms which can be the same in most of Milk and Food allergies:
  • eczema
  • colic
  • reflux
  • vomiting
An important point about any adverse reactions to milk is to note that it is unusual for milk to be the only food that is the problem. Milk allergy is associated with allergies to eggs or peanuts and milk intolerance (lactose) is commonly associated with intolerance reactions to soy or protein foods, fruits, and vegetables.
There is also a big misunderstanding between food allergies and food intolerances and therefore it is important to get the correct diagnoses.  Children need all the nutrition to avoid diseases and malnutrition implications like bone disease, rickets, heart disease, diabetes and many more disease.
A skin test in 298 children with a reaction to cow’s milk was done and the results were as follows:
  •  Milk plus Egg                     81%
  • Milk plus Peanut                 62%
  • Milk plus Egg plus Peanut  56%
  • Milk only                              9%

Delayed Introduction Of Milk Does Not Prevent A Milk Allergy Or Reaction

Evidence of milk antibodies can be found before birth.  There is no evidence that mothers of children with milk allergies caused the milk allergy. Tests were done on a group of children under 2 years of age. The results of the tests were conclusive and found the following:
  • “93% of the children with IgE-mediated CMA also reacted to Yoghurt.
  • 68% of the children with non-IgE-mediated CMA tolerated fermented milk
  • 81% of the children in the unheated milk-reactive IgE-mediated group tolerated heated milk. None of these children reacted to baked milk
  • The majority of the children were tolerant of yoghurt.” Paediatrics and Child Health Research
Know Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) is the most common allergy.
Children with milk allergy (CMA) about 50% tend to outgrow the allergy by the age of 8. Children’s Diet plays a vital role in recovering from any Allergies.

 Do Infants get Inadequate Vitamine D?

Children with Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) and who have inadequate vitamin D levels, regardless of sun exposure, are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency.
A CMPA diet including vitamin D and other nutrients for a growing child is needed to prevent any vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Eczema And Children

You know what CMPA is. CMPA may play a role in infantile eczema.
Let me explain.
Eczema may occur over a time period when an infant drinks cow’s milk, ranging from hours to days. The resultant Eczema shows that the child stands a good chance of having food allergies, including CMPA.

Cow Milk Protein Induced GORD

Cow’s milk protein-induced, gastro-oesophageal reflux (GORD) in infants leads to various serious health issues.
 Although up to 40% of infants with symptoms of GORD are thought to have CMPA,
 “There are no clear distinguishing features to identify diet-responsive infants with GORD”  Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
 Symptoms Of Lactose Intolerance (Milk)

The symptoms of lactose intolerance can vary, especially in babies:

  • Diarrhoea.
  • Being unsettled.
  • Frequent crying.
  • Loose, watery stools (maybe green/yellow in colour)
  • Trapped wind.
  • Flatulence.
  • Noisy bowel sounds.
  • Vomiting.

Cow’s Milk protein allergy is a condition commonly managed by general practitioners and paediatricians.

If you suspect that your child is allergic or intolerant to any food types like dairy, peanuts wheat etc. have them checked out by your GP. If it is necessary, you can then avoid the offending food source from the child’s diet.

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