Dairy allergy in a breastfed infant?

[chickenpatty]

Does anyone have experience with this? For almost a week now, one of my twins has had green runny poops - not the normal yellow stuff. He's also very gassy. I mean VERY gassy. About three days ago I decided to cut out dairy from my diet to see if that would help. He seems less fussy, but still has the gas and green poop. His twin brother has the normal yellow kind.

 

I am pretty certain it's not a matter of foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.

 

Anyone have experience? Advice? We've got a led appointment coming up soon, but I'm trying to see if I can figure this out in the meantime. (He's growing very well and all that...)

[chickenpatty]

He's almost 6 weeks old, btw.

[dbmamaz]

It could be any sort of food allergy. I had a neighbor whose baby would scream any time she laid him down, and taking several allergy foods out of her diet made a difference. Of course, wheat made the biggest difference. I had a pediatrician tell me babies can't have allergies until they are two, but the allergist said they can be born with them.

[Carrie12345]

Dairy can take several weeks to clear the system completely. It's also hidden in surprising places (like "non-dairy" creamer @@ and even certain pepperonis) so checking labels carefully is pretty important.

[Ellie]

Oh, yes, that's very common. Both of my babies were lactose intolerant; I couldn't even have a little dribble of milk on cold cereal when I was nursing.

 

A friend has a loooong list of foods that are baby kryptonite for her new baby, poor thing.

 

It can take up to a month for the cow's milk to be completely out of your system. And technically, this isn't an *allergy* to dairy. An allergy would cause hives and stuff; this is some sort of intolerance. If it were an allergy, you'd have to look for dairy by-products in all your food, but in this case, elminating cow's milk and cheese, foods that are obviously dairy :-) should be enough. I say this as if I'm an expert on the whole allergy/intolerance thing, which I am not. I just know from many years of personal experience plus spending time talking with people whose babies' symptoms were the same as yours and who eliminated dairy saw their babies' symptoms clear up. Also, dairy allergies and intolerances are pretty clearly established, even if some doctors refuse to believe in allergies in infants. :glare:

 

Oh, and FTR, my pediatrician had never heard of babies being allergic to dairy. My first-born battled diaper rashes from the time she was weaned at 10 months to when she was potty trained at 2. I *knew* it was something she was eating, but it never occurred to me that it was the cow's milk she was drinking. She had spit up all.the.time when she was nursing, and had thrown up after eating little bits of cheese and cottage cheese she had tasted while she was still nursing. It was when I went to La Leche League meetings while pregnant with my second child that I learned that babies could react to the dairy their mothers were eating/drinking; DD2 began the same way as DD1, by spitting up all.the.time, almost from birth. I quit eating cold cereal, which was pretty much the only diary I had on a regular basis, and after a month, she quit spitting up (at 34, she still cannot tolerate dairy to any extent).

 

A friend's baby was spitting up; she was convinced that he had reflux and that as long as he slept with his head higher than his feet, he was fine. She ate one container of yogurt a day. I kept bugging her about it, and finally she gave up the yogurt...and the baby quit spitting up...I love it when I'm right. :D

 

Oh, and I learned about cow's milk and how many bad things it can cause by reading a book called "New Wives' Tales." Turns out dairy can also cause acne, and children to wet the bed, and more. Who knew??

[mumto2]

At least 3 weeks before you will see any difference. Citrus was my son's problem which is also a really comman one.

 

Just FYI the fore/hind milk one makes poo grass green truely. I did not believe it could be that color but it can. DS had that one too!

 

[Soror]

If you ruled out hindmilk/foremilk issues then I'd continue w/ the dairy elimination. Yes, it can be a whole host of things BUT dairy is the most likely culprit and it does take a while to get it out of your system.

[Carrie12345]

FTR, there's a real difference between lactose intolerance and milk protein intolerance. Milk byproducts are still an issue with milk protein intolerance.

[Laura Corin]

Hobbes was like this. When I stopped eating/drinking dairy, he became a lot less gassy and a lot happier. Good luck.

 

He's fine with milk now.

 

Laura

[mommymilkies]

Dairy can take several weeks to clear the system completely. It's also hidden in surprising places (like "non-dairy" creamer @@ and even certain pepperonis) so checking labels carefully is pretty important.

 

I agree. 3 of mine were dairy intolerant/allergic as babies. Two grew out of it, including the one who had bleeding rashes and projectile vomiting from it. Another one of mine seems maybe not over it yet at 5.

 

I was dairy free for most of 8 years, and OP, I will say it's not actually that difficult. Check labels, be cautious, but try to stick with foods that are naturally dairy free and know that someday you'll have dairy again. :)

[Harriet Vane]

My ds is lactose intolerant. He was 3 weeks old when I cut milk products out of my diet (he was exclusively breastfed). Within a week he was much better, and within a month he was a completely different baby. To this day when he accidentally eats a little milk in something he is in agony.

 

Be ruthless--both the baby and the momma (if breastfeeding) must avoid any and all milk exposure.

 

If he improves but is not all the way better within 3-4 weeks, try cutting something else like gluten or soy.

[LizzyBee]

Does anyone have experience with this? For almost a week now, one of my twins has had green runny poops - not the normal yellow stuff. He's also very gassy. I mean VERY gassy. About three days ago I decided to cut out dairy from my diet to see if that would help. He seems less fussy, but still has the gas and green poop. His twin brother has the normal yellow kind.

 

I am pretty certain it's not a matter of foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.

 

Anyone have experience? Advice? We've got a led appointment coming up soon, but I'm trying to see if I can figure this out in the meantime. (He's growing very well and all that...)

 

 

I have a nephew with multiple severe food allergies, as in diapers full of blood at 2 wks. My sister went on a strict diet of meat, vegetables, and fruit. No dairy, eggs, soy, and a few other things. She couldn't eat processed foods because of all the additives and hidden dairy. She couldn't eat any cakes, pastries, butter on potatoes, milk in mashed potatoes, etc. She nursed him longer than any of her other kids (abt 3 yrs I think) and then continued pumping even longer so he'd have allergy-free milk to drink from a cup. It was hard, but worth it and she'd do it again.

[chickenpatty]

Thanks, all!

 

I rarely drink milk, so I didn't think dairy free was such a big deal... But LOL, do you realize how many yummy things contain milk or butter? On the bright side, this should help me drop the preggo weight a lot faster. :D

[Dana]

Thanks, all!

 

I rarely drink milk, so I didn't think dairy free was such a big deal... But LOL, do you realize how many yummy things contain milk or butter? On the bright side, this should help me drop the preggo weight a lot faster. :D

 

 

Yes. And you lose chocolate too. That one was tough!

Enjoy Life is a brand that has dairy free chocolate chips that are great. Namaste brownie mix, although very expensive, is a really good tasting brownie. Earth Balance is safe margarine. The come in tubs and cubes.

 

Good luck!

[justamouse]

I have had Drs tell me that what a mom eats doesn't matter when the kids are breastfed.

 

I ignore those Drs.

[Slartibartfast]

I would check for a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance before worrying about allergies. Green runny poop is a sign of that.

[mommymilkies]

Yes. And you lose chocolate too. That one was tough!

Enjoy Life is a brand that has dairy free chocolate chips that are great. Namaste brownie mix, although very expensive, is a really good tasting brownie. Earth Balance is safe margarine. The come in tubs and cubes.

 

Good luck!

 

Not true about chocolate. MANY chocolate things are dairy free. White chocolate has dairy, but it's not technically even chocolate. Milk chocolate is obviously out, but Ghiradelli in particular has many dairy free options, including semi-sweet chips. Other than the icing packet, their brownie mix is also df. Earth Balance is wonderful, too.

[StartingOver]

My daughter was throwing up at the NICU before I could get to her when they would feed her formula. I exclusively breast fed. But soon she reacted to dairy in my milk. We tested her and I cut all dairy from my diet. Later when she started food, she reacted badly. We retested, and she got an EPI-PEN. We kept her from all dairy till she was 4, never having to use that epi-pen thankfully. At 4 she ate some cheese at a friends. So we decided to do a challenge. She can now have dairy with no issues. ( She was allergic to eggs, and still will not eat them but I can cook with them. ) She eats everything dairy now with no issues.We still need to test her again before I give her the MMR vaccination.

[ChrisOR]

My breastfeeding daughter was sensitive to milk protein and soy protein in my diet. It took 6 weeks of my elimination diet to see her totally improve. I saw small steps of improvement in the first week or two and that kept me going. Eliminating beef (that cow protein) also was a piece of the puzzle for us. My pediatrician said that half of the infants who are sensitive to dairy are also sensitive to soy, so that that is a good reason to stick with breastfeeding.

 

Foremilk/hindmilk was also an issue. Have you read info on that at kellymom.com?

 

I hope your little one feels better soon.

[magnificent_baby]

When Dd (now 9) was an infant, she had a milk protein intolerance. I had to completely quit exclusively pumping. Cutting out dairy wouldn't have helped at all. Her stools were slimy with clear mucous (which was the lining of her intestine shedding in response). It finally had a twinge of blood in it and so we took her in. We let it go for a few weeks because, as first time parents, we had no idea her stool was not normal. She was fussy and high maintenence at the time.

 

Switched her to Alimentum to help her bowel heal and get rid of the milk protein. It was expensive, but worked great and she was so much happier. She has absolutely no problems with milk now.

[Eagle]

My first ds had a milk protein allergy as well as allergies to eggs, wheat, soy. He nursed for three years but I had to completely eliminate even the smallest traces of these foods from my diet (as well as his once he started eating). He outgrew the soy allergy completely and when he was 4 he partially outgrew the dairy allergy to the point he can eat little bits of processed dairy (cheese or milk in a baked good) in very small quantities.

 

My newborn turns out to also be allergic to dairy, and it looks like citrus and tomatoes too. Now that I have eliminated those foods and they are out of my system he is the happiest baby. It is amazing to see the difference from the fussy, gassy little guy he was a month ago. He was also covered in eczema before but now his skin is quite clear.

 

Good luck in finding the source. If you need to eliminate just dairy there are lots of recipes and resources on the Internet with info. Godairyfree.org is the place to start.

[Shellydon]

Yes. My 3rd had an upper GI bleed at 3 months from dairy in my diet.

[GSOchristie]

Jax had a dairy allergy, it started with green frothy poop, which changed to green mucousy poop, which then turned to green mucousy poop with streaks of bright red blood :(. It looked like someone had blown their nose in his diaper, it had that much mucous. I had to completely cut diary, and nearly everything processed has dairy (whey) in it. He cried for the first 4 months of his life, nonstop, while we figured out what was going on. It was awful!

 

ETA: Jax also couldn't have soy. He grew out of it by 18 months.

 

I just read the other responses, triggering more memories, I have blocked them out, it was that awful. Jax had silent reflux, so he never spit up, EVER. It burned his esophagus going up and back down, which is part of the reason for the incessant crying. He slept in a swing for the first 8 months, he screamed if placed on his back. We were able to wean him off the Zantac at 6 months, after the dairy had completely worked itself out of his (and my) system, but he couldn't sleep lying down. If I ate the tiniest bit of dairy, like a chocolate bar, he would scream for the next two days. He was like this from birth, he cried in the hospital nonstop and the weird poops started immediately after the meconium was out of his system.

[Karen in CO]

Uh - all of these stories are bringing back terrible memories of my youngest being a baby. She was so miserable. She is allergic to dairy and soy among other things and is celiac. Eliminating dairy from my diet improved her greatly, but she was never happy and content until she as 7 and we discovered she was celiac. I have a very supportive doctor that recommended eliminating food from my diet to help with her stomach pains and "issues" while I was nursing.

[Harriet Vane]

I have had Drs tell me that what a mom eats doesn't matter when the kids are breastfed.

 

I ignore those Drs.

 

Those doctors are absolutely incorrect. My ds went from screaming ALL. THE. TIME. to calm, sweet, happy baby after I dropped dairy from my diet. He was exclusively breastfed.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Mine was dairy allergic and I had to beg for testing. I was right. It really helped the gas issues when I cut out dairy

[Ellie]

I have had Drs tell me that what a mom eats doesn't matter when the kids are breastfed.

 

 

It's hard to believe there are doctors who still say that kind of ignorant carp. :glare:

[mommymilkies]

Mine was dairy allergic and I had to beg for testing. I was right. It really helped the gas issues when I cut out dairy

 

Our ped allergist told us it wasn't even worth testing until they were at least 4. It's just too inaccurate with false negatives. Allergy testing is beyond frustrating!

[melbotoast]

Both mine were sensitive to dairy and soy. Hope you can figure it out.

[blondeviolin]

Are you block feeding? Because the gassy and green bowels really does sound like too much foremilk.

 

That being said, my youngest was dairy allergic. He still doesn't tolerate it well at 21 mos. dairy is in EVERYTHING. :(

[fairfarmhand]

When Dd (now 9) was an infant, she had a milk protein intolerance. I had to completely quit exclusively pumping. Cutting out dairy wouldn't have helped at all. Her stools were slimy with clear mucous (which was the lining of her intestine shedding in response). It finally had a twinge of blood in it and so we took her in. We let it go for a few weeks because, as first time parents, we had no idea her stool was not normal. She was fussy and high maintenence at the time.

 

Switched her to Alimentum to help her bowel heal and get rid of the milk protein. It was expensive, but worked great and she was so much happier. She has absolutely no problems with milk now.

I've had 1 like this, and my other 2 did okay with dairy elimination.

 

Oldest had to use Nutramigen/Alimentum formula. Pooped blood for months while I was bfing, Finally had a flex-sigmoidoscopy to diagnose the milk protein intolerance.

[Hypatia.]

All five of mine have had milk and soy protein intolerance, it runs very strongly in my side of the family. I've only been dairy-free for about a week now (the Caboose is 7 weeks old) and the gas and screaming is tapering off but I expect it to take another week or two to see a great deal of improvement. Mine have been very sensitive and I've had to read ingredients carefully and eliminate hidden dairy also.

[Emily in FL]

This is what happened with my now 8 yo DS. He was extremely gassy and had green, frothy poop. I cut dairy from my diet and he was much improved. When he was older, I added it back thinking that it would be okay. He didn't have stomach issues then, but developed terrible eczema on his face. Unfortunately, I didn't associate this with the dairy until he had an allergic reaction when eating mac and cheese. I cut out dairy again and the eczema went away. He is still allergic to milk along with several other foods, but he is otherwise a healthy boy.

[vonfirmath]

Thanks, all!

 

I rarely drink milk, so I didn't think dairy free was such a big deal... But LOL, do you realize how many yummy things contain milk or butter? On the bright side, this should help me drop the preggo weight a lot faster. :D

 

 

YES. I've got an 18 month old with dairy allergies and we lost half our regular foods when we realized that. We haven't really recovered yet (5 months later)

[Staceyshoe]

My youngest spit up every few minutes as an infant. I counted how many times to make sure I wasn't exaggerating when I told the dr. On a *good* day, he spit up 50 times. On a bad one, it was closer to 100 times. I went off dairy (since he was breastfed) for a few days, and it stopped. I thought it was coincidence, went back on, and he was a spitter again. Every couple of months, I tried again, but he would spit up like crazy. When he was 12 months, we saw an allergist because he had a lot of other issues (which we learned were caused by other food allergies). When I mentioned my observations with dairy, he said, "That's a very common reaction in infants with dairy allergy." Sure enough, ds tested positive for dairy allergy.

[thewaka]

Those doctors are absolutely incorrect. My ds went from screaming ALL. THE. TIME. to calm, sweet, happy baby after I dropped dairy from my diet. He was exclusively breastfed.

 

 

I didn't have to deal with a doctor telling me I was wrong, but this was exactly DD14 after I stopped dairy. DD12 threw up--not a little baby spit up, this covered us both :(. For DD9 and DS4, I was simply dairy-free from the start as I figured it wouldn't hurt them and seemed likely to be a problem. I cut all milk and cheese as well anything prepared that had dairy or dairy-derived on the label (like whey). The more you make from scratch, the less likely you'll eat something you didn't notice had something in it. Although it takes weeks to fully clear the system, after about a week, there was improvement as the levels dropped.