17 Month Old Daughter Having Stomach Problems

Updated on June 18, 2008
K.V. asks from Denver, CO
15 answers

Hey All!

I have a 17 month old daughter - Delaney - who has since birth had stomach problems....At first they said it was nothing, which then escalated to Lactose Intolerant with Acid Reflux....Upon doing my own research since was not getting any better I had the diseases down pat on what could possibly be wrong with her. I still do not have any answers after all the tests! I started taking her to a new ped. who has suggested that we cut out milk and soy products to see if this helps her out. He thinks she may have a G.I. allergy reaction to these products.

We have done this and she seems 10 X's better - she sleeps through the night - which believe me is a huge thing for us!! She has been consistently having solid BM's. My problem is - we are a dairy family!! I am running out of meals to cook that have absolutely NO dairy or soy. Does anyone have any suggestions on cook books or websites that I can go to? She wants to eat what we do - and I at times cannot let her. All help is appreciated!

Also - as a bit of a side note - does any one have any suggestions on when to start potty training? She tells me after she has gone - but I want to check with other moms/dads.

Thanks,
K.

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So What Happened?

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all the great advice and support! We have since posting this kept going to the doctors and avoiding all dairy and soy. At her last appointment in June we found that she still has not grown since she was really sick in November 2007. She has now dropped from the 80th percentile to the 30's. Shortly after this appointment one of our family members gave her something with dairy - she got sicker than a dog! The ped has now officially diagnosed her as allergic to both dairy and soy.

We are starting from scratch - I am a lot more careful of what I give her - even bread now has to made from scratch! It is all so overwhelming, but we are starting a routine and everyones advice and cooking tips have been wonderful! Thank you so so much for the support and tips!

K.

Featured Answers

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W.L.

answers from Boise on

I got this alert because we live in the same area, I know of another family in the GV are who has a child with this problem that could help you out. Email me directly and I will give you the name of this family.

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R.S.

answers from Denver on

I sympathize with you. My 6 year old son was just diagnosed w/ a milk allergy and a sugar sensitivity (meaning we have to cut out as much processed sugar as we can) about 4 months ago. Our family is also a big dairy family. and of course my husband LOVES sweets too!

Some things I have found that have made it a little easier
1. a cookbook called Freedom from allergy Cookbook by Ronald Greenberg and Angela Nori. Lots of good recipes that my husband even likes.

2. I don't know where you live but Whole Foods and Vitamin Cottage have been my life savers. They have sooooo many foods that are dairy free that taste good and the rest of the family will eat if I give it to them.

3. I also did some searching on the internet and there are lots of sites that have "milk free" recipes that are really good too. one thing i learned is that you can still use lots of your regula family recipes that call for milk by using rice/almond/coconut,etc milk and using arrowroot as your thickener.

my sister just sent me an email with some recipes she found in Prevention magazine. I've included them below in case you might want to try them. Good luck!!!

WATERMELON GRANITA
this says it's simple and can be made with all sorts of fruits, juices, and herbs--even coffee-using the same basic technique of mixing, freezing and raking.

time 15 minutes + freezing time serves 4

6 cups seedless watermelon chunks or balls (about 4 lb with rind)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 Tbsp lime juice (1/2 lime)
1/2 cup ginger ale

1. puree watermelon and both juices in blender. slowly pour in ginger ale.
2. freeze in 8"x8" baking pan. during freezing, rake with fork or stir with whisk (be sure to scrape sides
of pan) every 30 minutes for 2 1/2 hours or until nearly frozen but not completely solid. rake with
fork and serve.





CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY ICE POP

these pops are full of flavonoids and other health-promoting nutrients--a triple-whammy's worth from
strawberries, chocolate and soy.


Time: 10 minutes + freezing
serves 6

1 cup thinly sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chocolate soy milk

1. fill ice pop molds evenly with strawberries, then chocolate chips, then soy milk. (be sure to leave
1/2" of space at the top of each mold to allow for expansion during freezing adjust milk accordingly.)
insert handles/sticks into center of molds.
2. freeze at least 4 hours.


MIXED BERRY ICE POPS

time 10 minutes + freezing
serves 6

2/3 cups fresh blueberries
30 sm fresh mint leaves
1 1/3 cup raspberries
1 1/2 cup seltzer
2 T light floral honey, such as acacia
2 T lemon juice (1 whole lemon)

1. fill 6 ice pop molds evenly with blueberries, then mint, then raspberries.
2. gently stir together seltzer, honey and lemon juice in measuring cup until honey dissolves. pour
very slowly over berries and mint. (again, leave about 1/2" at top of mold. adjust liquid accordingly).
insert handles/sticks into molds.
3. freeze at least 4 hours.

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M.G.

answers from Denver on

I have subscribed to the Food Allergy Anaphalactic Network newsletter. They send me a letter every so often that has recipes to use. My son is highly allergic to dairy and egg. Look online for allergy recipes or even at the bookstore. It is soooo common now adays that you are not alone.

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A.P.

answers from Denver on

Sunset magazine has a website and you can query recipes based on dietary requirements. Dairy free is one of the options. Substitute soy milk for milk in recipes. There is a butter flavored Crisco you can use to subsitute in recipes. There are cheese substitutes. I don't know how they taste. One of my friends has a girl that is allergic to dairy products. So, we have learned a little bit.

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

I'm not sure about the first, but for potty training, check out "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" by Dr. Azrin. It's great! I have several other friends who also swear by it.

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J.R.

answers from Denver on

K.,

My son, now three, is allergic to dairy, and, like your daughter, has gastrointestinal symptoms, i.e. diarehea. I often just pull his portion of what I am cooking out before I add dairy to it. It's not really cooking 2 meals, but it lets the rest of us have our cheese or sauce. He is not allergic to soy, so we do soy cheese and yougert for him. I know there is rice cheese available at Vitamin Cottage in Parker, but, read the labels carefully, a lot of those products use a milk protein. You might have to try it to see if she reacts to it. You can use a butter subsitute, we use smart balance light, I'm not sure if there is soy in it or not, but definately no milk or milk proteins. Vitamin Cottage and recently King Soopers carry a brand of frozen waffles - Van's - that are dairy free. I've had to become a avid label reader, in the grocery and at resturants, there is milk added to so many things that you would never think about, from bread to chips and everything in between! I've found that making things from scratch gives me much more control over his diet, and it's cheaper!

Good luck and let me know if I can help.

J.

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A.C.

answers from Denver on

Hi K.! Our daughter doesn't tolerate soy or dairy either. We started her on rice milk (the vanilla is really tasty), but then switched her over to oat milk (not goat - oat) because it has more protein. The original is really tasty and a little sweet. I now cook with the oat and original rice milk. Scrambled eggs are great with a little of the oat/rice milk. I make ranch dressing with it. Really, any recipe that calls for milk, can be substituted with oat/rice milk. We have cut down on a lot of cheese and dairy and, honestly, our whole family feels better. You can get rice milk just about anywhere, but I can only find the oat milk at Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods and Safeway.

We also put her on a probiotic supplement for a few months and now she can have a little cheese here and there. I haven't attempted soy again because that was the worst for us.

Good Luck!!!

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R.W.

answers from Denver on

This is a tough one..my son had a dairy allergy and we always had to make him separate meals. Whole Foods website has recipes and foods listed for different allergy types.

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D.P.

answers from Pueblo on

Your daughter probably has parasites or fungus, and this could be causing the problem. If you have fresh cows milk there is nothing better to rebuild the liver or the body. Does she have any rashes? Did she have a lot of diaper rashes? Does she have a strong breath, is her tongue coated?

D.

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S.L.

answers from Fort Collins on

K.,

You are obviously familiar with online groups, so why don't you try searching through Yahoo groups for "lactose free" or "dairy free." Betcha anything you will come up with a TON of groups that will not only offer recipes, but a lot of support and "from the trenches" advice. For specific cookbooks, you could also search amazon.com or half.com for dairy-free cookbooks.

Best of luck,
S.

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H.H.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I am lactose intolerant and I try not to make it a huge issue so it isn't!! I never feel bad when anyone eats dairy around me, if anything, people tend to feel bad for me and I always tell them that I have no desire to eat cheese or have milk because of the side effects so don't worry about me!! My husband loves cheese so when cooking, I just take out my food before I add any dairy, it is not a problem. When I eat out, I always request no cheese even if it doesnt say on the menu just to be safe and they will always note the allergy on your order so that they don't put anything in your food that you shouldnt have. I have no problems with some foods, yogurt,sour cream, it just took some time to figure out what I could and could not eat. Good luck!!

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J.W.

answers from Denver on

Hi K.,

Looks like you've gotten some great advice. My daughter is 14 months and has a milk protein allergy as well. She couldn't even tolerate it while i was breast feeding her. So i cut out dairy and soy (very strictly) and everything is much better. My advice may not be what you'd like to hear. Chances are, the allergy came from you or your husband, so one of you may experience mild to moderate symptoms from time to time. its time to stop identifying your family as a "dairy family" and look at other alternatives. Can you imagine if everyone around you was eating the same thing, but you? wouldn't you be a little upset? Rice milk is a great alternative. You can cook with it, bake with it and in most cases, substitute it when dairy is called for. Butter is easily substituted with olive oil or canola oil in baking. Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods and King Soopers sell alot of allergen free products (Namaste, Enjoy Life, Nana's, Annie's, etc). You've got to get good at reading labels (milk also is listed in the ingredients as caseine, whey and lactoglobulin). If its cheese you're missing, brewer's yeast has a great cheesey flavor. Trust me, i know how daunting it sounds to cut dairy out, but its doable and our family has been healthier since. Goat milk has shown to be easily digestible for people who have problems with dairy. But i would try just a little after a while to see if it upsets her, because it may still be the protein in the milk that is causing the problems.

Good luck with this and if you need anything else, please let me know. i know how difficult this can be...i was a serious cheese hound before i had my daughter!!

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L.O.

answers from Denver on

Hi K.!

Ok, first off, do some research on side effects of vaccines, I know for a fact that Hep B causes severe intestinal cramping. Some are so bad that they sometimes have to do surgery to repair the intestinal twisting. Some good websites to look at are, nvic.org, vaccineinfo.net and several more. Another thing is, milk is not good for you. Check out this vid on You Tube - http://youtube.com/watch?v=tYpafipJyDE. Double check Soy as well. Soy is a natural source of estrogen, and since we have an unlimited amount of sources for estrogen we shouldnt be drinking Soy. I personally use Almond Breeze, I too am allergic to milk, as are my sisters. Goats Milk is another good alternate source of milk replacement. Something that may help her heal the intestnal problems is acidophilus. You can find it at any natural vitamin store (Whole foods, Vitamin cottage, Cabin Country, all in our area). Acidophilus is a type of friendly bacteria that assists n the digestion of proteins, a process in which lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, enzymes, B vits, and antibiotic substances that inhibit pathogenic organisms are produced. It has antifungal propeties, aids digestion, helps reduce cholesterol, and enhances the absorbtion of nutrients. I always say you cant go wrong doing things natural, it wont hurt you. Try and research some of these things. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
As far as the potty training goes, go ahead and start her now. Its not going to hurt. My sister started when her baby was born. She still wera a diaper but the baby will hold it til My sister puts her over the toilet and says the key word. She has a book, its called to "train up a child". Its got a few pages on how to potty train, talke or leave the rest, some people LOVE the book, some dont and just take bits and pieces.
Good luck and hope that I was helpful!
L.

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R.M.

answers from Denver on

the potty thing --if she is telling you after note the time and usually it is the same routine . am poop pm poop and maybe after a meal and of course when she has just waken up. put her on the pot immediatly .

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O.L.

answers from Denver on

I'm a big cheese fan who is currently avoiding it for my nursling (not sure yet whether he's allergic or just intolerant). It might be worth doing some allergy testing to find out how strict you need to be in your avoidance.

Here are some recipe sources to try:
http://www.godairyfree.org/Table/Recipes/
http://www.cookingallergyfree.com
http://piginthekitchen.blogspot.com

You might also try subbing (personally, I'd recommend you stick to something like rice milk and skip the nut milks until your daughter is older... risk of allergy is too high) for some of the dairy in the family meals. Since going dairy-free I have realized that there are *some* meals where I can leave out the cheese and really not even miss it. (Not that I would, given a choice--wink, wink--but still.)

Best of luck!
Oh, and for the potty training thing, look up "elimination communication" online for your little one.
http://www.timl.com/ipt/
http://www.diaperfreebaby.org

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