My Toddler Has Milk Allergies, Any Ideas?

Hi- sounds so familiar - with my 3rd baby- ever since he started cows milk at 13mos- (he is now 17mos)he's been fussy and consitpated! I tried switching to 1%- but still gets consitpated...I have also tried rice milk which is fine- what about soy? or goats milk? I did try goats milk when he was younger and he seemed to like it...I actually have read a book from an elderly doctor who said kids don't even need milk past 7 mos- just feed water and a healthy diet...I'm tempted. He does drink a ton of water - try no milk at all and just water and see what happens?
Good luck to you
Nikki

You got some great responses, but thought I'd chime in a bit too. First of all, don't worry about the mercola site. I could take and leave that site. I don't agree with everything that guy says.

As far as your doc precribing medication instead of getting to the actual root of the problem. That's pretty normal. Most, not all doctors, will just rather prescribe a pill instead of finding out the problem.

As far as allergies go, that is usually a sign of an immune system problem. His immune system is overreacting to these things. You could go to www.herbsfirst.com and get an extract called Kid-E-Soothe to help with these allergies. We use the capsules for my son that is allergic to animals. He only uses it when going to someone house with animals inside and he has no problem anymore.

A LOT of babies can't handle milk formula. And if the mother is breastfeeding and drinking milk (even a tablespoon), that usually causes colicky type babies. That is fairly normal with the exception that people just don't know that it's really hard for the baby to digest cow's milk or cow's milk formula.

We use silk soy milk right now for our 2yo daughter. Does she drink a ton of milk? No. Are some people allergic to soy as well, Yes. But you'll know. If this is going to be a long process for you, I would buy a soymaker and make it yourself. It's a machine that is small and around a $100 and takes about 15 minutes to make. (They came out with a new model that is $130.) You can sweeten it however you want. I would suggest stevia. This same soymaker will also make almond milk and rice milk. You can buy your soy milk from an organic farm online. The website for the soyajoy milk maker (there are many...I've researched a lot over the past few years and this one is great) is www.soymilkmaker.com.

Goats milk is the best next to breast milk, but if you can afford it, go for it. As far as adding more fat...typically kids will get good fats in other things they eat like avacado, etc., if not, then you can always add your own fat back in it, like organic coconut oil, etc.

As far as wheat goes and being allergic to it, some people can actually handle the wheat as long as it is sprouted first. Just another thought for you.

I am allergic to whole milk, have been since I was a born. My mom put me on Goats milk. Otherwise as I got older I was able to start drinking Skim or 1-2% milk. I still cannot drink whole milk. I have heard alot of good things about Soymilk, but actually trying it myself I haven't. As far as the constipation that must come with it, I still have problems with this today esp. if I eat cheese, one of my favorite foods. I think it is something they use in with the dairy products. Maybe thats the reason the 1-2% milk doesn't bother me, maybe their is less of the substance (maybe the extra vitamin D) I don't know what all is extra in the whole milk that is not in the 1-2% yet it seems to make a difference. Even with the Kraft Singles made with 2% milk that they have come out with now seems to help some with the constipation factor. God bless & take care. Hope this can be of some help to you.

My doctor liked soy milk better than rice (more fat in it) - my son is on soy and has had no issues since we pulled him off of whole milk. They make veggie cheese (in the produce section) and even have soy yogurt in child size portions (stonyfield farm - by the organic section). It's not really hard to avoid the large amounts of milk - enough that the trace amounts in other foods doesn't cause a huge problem. It's just hard figuring out where stores put those items!

On the wheat thing - check for gluten free foods. I just bought pancake and brownie mixes for my nephew with gluten intolerance. I think it might be similar. It's amazing how much is out there!
S.

My son was diagnosed as anaphlatic to milk protein when he was a year old. We've given him soy milk since then. He likes the Vanilla Silk Soy Milk as well as some of the store brands. With the soy yogurts you have to read the label to make sure they are milk free (a lot of them still have a trace amount of milk in them). We buy the Silk yogurt. If you have a Whole Foods Market nearby, they carry a wide variety of milk-free, nut-free, and wheat-free foods. You can check out www.foodallergy.org for recipes and other information about the allergies. We have a credit card size card that lists all of the names of a milk protein. New federal labeling laws require manufacturers to list all allergens in one place. We still check the labels on foods that he's eaten regularly because manufacturers sometimes change their recipe. We read every label that comes into our house. If you go out to eat, make sure the waitress, cook, and/or manager are aware of the allergy. Food allergies are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. It may seem daunting at first, but you learn quickly how to adjust your cooking. Make sure anyone and everyone that cares for your child understands the seriousness of the allergy and who to contact if he has a severe reaction. Good luck!

Goats milk. To some people it may sound gross, but depending on where you are from, that is exactly what moms feed their babies with lactose tolerance issues. Soy milk tastes horrible, and I honestly do not think we even know if consuming all these fad soy products are any good for us.
Good luck.

I would actually be concerned with the wheat allergy. My family has it, its called celiac's disease. Check it out.. research it. My family has a history of it... you should really try to keep anything with wheat/gluten away from the baby, as it could cause problems later. I am not trying to scare you, but just be aware. Just check it out... it is becoming a more common known allergy.
As for the milk... couldn't you try soy milk, its really better for them. There has to be something that the baby can have.

We went thur this with our first daughter. She had to end up on Soy Formula and went it came time at 1 year old to drink whole milk--again we had to do Soy Milk with her. She is now 7 and she can now drink skim or 1% milk, but if she was to drink whole--she'd start right back with the congestioness and throwing up. So try the Soy Milk and see if it works. Also, for the constipation(my 1st daughter also has)--Our Pediatrician told us to use MiraLAX. It's a powder that you just mix up in their drink. I put it in her OJ. It helps her stay regulated--she has to use it quite often. I would just ask you PED if it is ok for your son-and how much. Oh, and sometimes-you have to do what you feel as a parent regardless of what the doctor says--I have examples of this.

I would go with the rice milk and get the one that has the extra vitamins in it. Do not use the soy as his primary source of anything! It has estrogen in it and it WILL mess him up now or later in life! Soy can be great when used in balance but never as a primary food for infants or adults, any stage in life. You could use the rice and give him no more than one serving of the soy/day if you wanted but if I were you, I would just do the rice. It may be watery, but his taste buds will adapt just fine. You dont have to like it afterall. Look into this a little. Also, if he is truly allergic to wheat also, I'm not sure why your dr. said to not worry about that. It is very serious and at 15 months, I'm sure he is getting wheat. It is in everything, and goes by other names like maltodexrin, etc... If you dont take care of it, he will end up with celiac disease??
Best of luck!!

my son had the same problem but actually outgrew it around age 3. We did Similac formula for a while but he hated it. We tried a few other soy formulas but ended up weening him from the bottle very early. This was about 7 years ago. There may be better options out there now. I hope it works out for you guys. I think your bigger problem is finding a new pediatrician.

My kids have the same problem and they love the silk milk, they have 3 flavors so just try and see which one your baby like. They are all tasty to me.Good luck.

Don't be too upset with your doctor. Babies are not born with allergies, rather allergies are something that develop over time. Allergies are an entire study themselves. Some allergies will disappear in time and still others could develop. I would assume your pediatrician strongly encouraged breast feeding and this is one of the reasons. Infants develop fewer allergies and have less problems with reflux and digestion.

As far as deciding what milk to use, keep in mind your baby is drinking it, not you. Try to make choices for your baby based on what is healthiest and most nutritious for him rather than basing such choices on your taste preferences. His tastes are still being developed unlike yours which are well defined. Keeping this in mind while he is still very young will help to ensure he develops preferences for the things that are best for him.

**Edited to add:

After reading some other responses, I do want to make a comment about the wheat allergy thing. This is just what my son's allergist told us...take it or leave it.

When they do the skin test, they can tell by the size and shape of the reaction how bad it is. They measure each little spot. For example, the peanut and egg reactions on my son were immediate and HUGE. The wheat reaction was very tiny. That is why he said we could still give him wheat products. He said if the reaction would have been larger than yes, we would avoid. That was in December. Now that we are avoiding all of his other allergens, he is 100% better and wheat does not seem to bother him. But talk to you doctor to find out how bad you son's reaction was in the test.

One other comment about the "studies" about the dangers of soy milk....beware. When I did my research, I found that many of those studies were funded by milk/dairy companies. Do your own research and make your own decision. I could give you hundreds of websites that counteract any claim that soy is dangerous. Yes, there are some people who shouldn't consumer soy (if I remember correctly it was men with prostate cancer and women in menopause or something like that), but I never read where children were at risk from soy.

Original Post: My son has the same allergies, plus eggs and all dairy products, not just milk. We found out about the milk when he was just a month old. I was breastfeeding and he was breaking out with bad eczema and really nasty green stools. The doctor said it was nothing, probably a virus (yeah, that lasted for months) but my lactation consultant said it was dairy allergy. Sure enough, I cut dairy out of my diet and he was better immediately.

Fast forward to a few months ago, my pedi. still refused to believe he had a dairy allergy, even after we gave him yogurt and he broke out really bad. The only thing that finally got him to send us to an allergist was when his face and mouth swelled up really badly one day. We had him tested, and sure enough, he is allergic to peanuts, all dairy, eggs, and wheat.

Like your doctor, our doctor said not to worry about wheat. He said that the wheat reaction was very minor and that typically kids outgrow a small reaction like that faster when they are exposed to the allergen. Don't give him a ton of wheat in one day, but a few servings of wheat a day are better for him than none.

As far as milk goes, I've seen several people say soy is bad, but I've discussed it with my doctor and did my own research, and I made the decision to stick with soy. Sure, you will find info out there that says it is bad, but you will find just as much that says it is fine, as did both my pediatrician and my allergist. My suggestion is to talk with your doctor, do your own research, and make the decision that you will be comfortable with.

Hi K.,

I would use organic soy products to avoid pestisides and chemicals that could also cause allergies. You'll also benefit from the antioxidants since it is a plant based food. I use soy milk and actually prefer it over the taste of dairy milk. It took some getting use to for a little while, but it has a lot more nutritional benefits.

Also, look into a naturopathic doctor to help you with your son's food allergies. They can offer more help than a medical doctor on nutrition. Medical doctors, for the most part, have very little training in nutrition.

I'm involved with Juice Plus+, a whole food nutritional product with the essence of 17 fruits & vegetables daily in a capsule. Through the network of doctors and nutritionists, I've learned that there are better food choices to help us live healthier, happier lives.

Best of health,
D. R.

Soy milk i s agreat alternative! i would suggest rice milk(MAYBE) when hes a big boy (like 5) and only if you think hes getting too much fat in his diet but soy would be best for now. If you worry about him getting enough fat you can add flax seed oil to his milk and he probably wont notice. try to find one that dosent aggrivate his allergies. read the ingridients carefully! It will probably be alot of work lol but it will be good for him. and if he has a wheat allergy and the dr told you not to worry about it I suggest you find a new dr. Wheat allergies can be a big deal that is often over looked simply because it might not be life threating and its really hard to find food that contains no wheat. I suggest you start looking up gluten free vegan stuff for his nutrition to help keep that stuff out of his diet. Good Luck

My only suggestion is to go to www.westonaprice.org and do some research on milk. This site has helped a lot of mothers in your position.

my daughter drinks soy milk and she likes Silk original flavor. she says the vanilla is too sweet. i wonder why your doctor said not to be concerned about the wheat. i have a wheat allergy and i have major reflux when i eat a wheat product. it's a bit of extra work to check the labels on products but it's not that bad when you get used to it. i can get most of what i need from the health food section of kroger. check out this web site. www.gfcfdiet.com

Hi! congrats on your new baby! I am a nurse and a vegeterian, so I am always looking for good sources of protein. Almond milk is loaded w/ it, travels well and is reasonable cheap concidering the ecomony,$2.19 for 1/2 gallon. You can find it at Earth Fare or other health food stores and it does come in different flavors. We you able to breastfeed? this is excellent for childeren w/ "allergies"! Good Luck!

It's not uncommon for some doctors to look at everything else first before allergies are suspected. Please take your child's wheat allergy seriously too. He may be 1 of the 100 people everwhere who have celiac, which is actually an allergy to gluten (which is found in some other grains too, and in lots of prepared foods and sauces). He is old enough to be getting most or all of his nutrition from food rather than a milk of any kind, so don't worry if the rice milk looks too watery. Was he tested for soy too? Often that is highly allergenic too. Almond milk is what we put on our girls (gluten-free) cereal, and it works just fine. They drink water or diluted juice, and never miss drinking milk. You may try goat's milk at some point to see if he's sensitive to that too. Starting this early, he'll never even miss the foods that he shouldn't have, and after a while of avoiding those he can't tolerate, his constipation should go away assuming he's getting enough water and fiber in his diet! Good luck!!

Hi there,
My daughter is only 19 months and we have figured out that she is allergic to milk, all nuts, egg and soy. Boy has that been interesting. I know everyone has said to read lables and they are right. Some other words to look for that are part of milk are the following: Acidophilus milk, buttermilk, buttermilk blend, buttermilk solids, cultured milk, condensed milk, dried milk, dry milk solids (DMS), evaporated milk, fat-free milk, fully cream milk powder, goat’s milk, low-fat milk, malted milk, milk derivative, milk powder, milk protein, milk solids, milk solid pastes, non-fat dry milk, non-fat milk, non-fat milk solids, pasteurized milk, powdered milk, sheep’s milk, skim milk, skim milk powder, sour milk, sour milk solids, sweet cream buttermilk powder, sweetened condensed milk, sweetened condensed skim milk, whole milk, 1% milk, 2% milk.

I with all her allergies and mine to wheat I finally printed all the words for milk, egg, soy, nuts, and wheat so that I could remember them all. Oh and I have been reading more about rice milk and its even better for our babies than cow or soy. It looks watery but they are so young they dont even notice and its heathly too.

If you have trouble getting him to drink soy milk, try the flavored ones, plain soy milk does taste aweful. I don't know why many are against rice milk, but I have had doctors recommend that definitely over cow's milk. As long he has gets calcium and vit D from other sources, don't stress over the the milk. Goat's cheese is great, brocoli has calcium in it too. They also make a calcium supplement for children.

You know, in other countries (Greece, for example), kids drink goat milk instead of cow milk. Or at least they used to... Anyway, I would try goat's milk. There's the fat you won't be getting from soy or rice milk that babies need for neurological development and it often is easier to digest than cow milk. Now, about the other allergies -- I would stay away from wheat and nuts for at least a year -- and be in touch with a nutritionist too. Having the nut allergy won't necessarily mean an adulthood problem and the wheat allergy won't necessarily mean Celiac but it sure is better to be safe than sorry -- because either of those would put a major cramp on your style and are big deals. (I was allergic to milk, wheat, nuts, EVERYTHING as a kid and now I'm not -- so don't panic.)

Hi K.,

I agree 100% with Sara. No soy for boys and none for little girls until AFTER puberty. Rice milk may look watery but have you looked at breast milk. Rice is perfectly healthy for him and most babies like it.

As soon as he is old enough for a vitamin, get him on an good, absorbable, pharmaceutical grade multi. Allergies tend to be nonexistent in a healthy immune system and the only way to get that is nutrition and removing things that break down the immune system. I suggest removing any synthetic chemicals from your home including the residue that is left behind. Chemicals affect not only the immune system but the respiratory system and the neurological system as well.

As a side note, the prevacid and the zantac could have exacerbated the allergies as they help the pain from the reflux initially but they have a rebound effect and cause the digestive system to shut down. That is why the reflux does not go away. Avoid them if you can.

There are other things that help with reflux like chamomile or ginger. Even vinegar is good as all stomachs should HAVE acid to break down the proteins in his food. There is never too much. I hate to see a little one suffer because a doctor has said "don't worry about it" or has not given you the information you need! Look at my website www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk and see who I am. There are several links on there also. If you would like to talk specifics about any of this, I'll be glad to.

God bless!

M.

Did the doctor suggest the soy milk? I have heard that some babies who have milk protein allergies also can not process/handle soy protein as well. Just a thought in case the doctor didn't specify what to give your baby. Also- did the doctor say to stay away from anything with dairy in it? If so, make sure to read labels and check not only for "milk" but also "whey" and "caesin" (dont know if that is how you spell it) becuase they are also milk products. Good luck with everything!

As a young child I too was diagnosed with Dairy and Wheat allergies.....as we lived in the "country" the natural replacement was goats milk. To this day I love nothing more than a cold glass of goats milk (sounds gross to most by it's really sweet). My parents were great in that they made ice cream, cakes ect...with goats milk. Wheat ended up being not that big of a deal for me. As an adult I have nearly outgrown all symptoms from either allergy. Wishing you luck! L

I would use soy and not rice milk as my main choice of a "milk" product. Most formulas are milk or soy based, and most infants take those without problems. As your son is now 15 months, most of his nutrition should come from food and not milk (no matter what form.)

Good news is all this may pass as your child grows...
My baby girl had an "allergic" reaction to nuts when she was less than a year old, but we just didnt try anything peanut flavored again until after 2. She now is a regular peanut butter eater.
One nephew and niece were allergic to milk until after they turned 2 then it passed. My other nephew tested positive to all the same things as your baby (he was a very fussy baby too who went through many diagnosis before testing), his mother just freaked out and couldnt imagine living with this his whole life... and sure enough he is 2 1/2 now and it has all passed.

I hope this happens for you!

My son's 2yrs old now, and has been on Rice Milk since he was 10months old. He's not allergic to, but IS intolerant to milk proteins. He IS allergic to soy milk, and it caused him to vomit alot.

We've had his vitamin levels tested a couple times to make sure that he's getting enough Vit D and Calcium, and it seems that he's doing well.

I highly recommend the Rice Dream brand, and we prefer the Original Fortified flavor. It's organic as well!

I hope this helps!