Milk allergy... young, small child... no symptoms????

[AimeeM]

I think I'm going to cry. DS' pediatrician just called. His allergy panel came back with a milk allergy. He JUST hit the 5th percentile for weight, after not making the charts - thanks in part to hefty butter pats in his servings, cheeses, greek yogurts, etc. I have NEVER noticed him have an adverse reaction to milk. WTH is going on?!

 

(This is the 20 month old kid)

 

(okay, it's just a vent, but anyone with BTDT experience is welcome to chime in)

[bolt.]

It probably causes him gut discomfort, which he regards as normal... Thus, no complaining.

 

Do you know whether the allergy is to just milk protein (common, and not too hard to work around) or to milk itself?

 

My DD reacts to milk protein in minor-but-uncomfortable ways, but we still have butter (not a source of protein) and small amounts of cheese from time to time.

 

Your situation might be different (possibly much more significant) but you don't need to jump to any conclusions.

 

Also, don't worry about "the 5th percentile" -- that means that one out if every 20 boys his age weighs the same-as or less than he does. There are definitely no concerns about percentiles unless you are in the bottom 1%, or below (and even that is often fine), or unless a child drops sharply from a percentile they were previously at.

 

It's fine for him to be between the 5th and 2nd percentile for the rest of his childhood: 1-in-20 kids are... There's no reason that it shouldn't continue to he his natural physique.

[mommymonster]

Sometimes you will find a kiddo who has an allergy has trouble with weight gain. Once the allergen is removed, they start gaining like gang busters. 

 

There are so many amazing non-dairy products on the market at this point -- I'm thinking olive oil or coconut oil, coconut or soy yogurt... It takes a bit to read the labels and learn the substitutions, but it really is doable.  Frustrating, but doable.

 

 

[cjzimmer1]

Well my baby was labeled as failure to thrive last summer.  Between the ages of 4 month and 6 months he never grew an inch nor gained an ounce.  He had the tiniest bit of dry skin behind his knees, no other symptoms besides being small. Turns out he was allergic to dairy and eggs.  When I removed those from my diet (he was still exclusively nursing at that point), he started gaining.  So the "symptom" of the allergy was poor growth. 

 

So it's entirely possible that the reason he's small is because he's eating so many things that his body is allergic to and thus not properly utilizing the nutrients to grow.  I've learned that allergies don't always look the way I think they should look.  I would try using coconut oil or avocados for some healthy fats.

[Dana]

If you're looking for dairy substitutes, Earth Balance is excellent for margarine.

I haven't found anything good for cheese :P

[zoobie]

One of my best friend's DDs wasn't diagnosed until 4-5. She didn't have symptoms unless she had a whole bunch of milk products, such as when we were on vacation together in WDW and had milkshakes and cheesy things and ice cream... They were chalking it up to anxiety and were worried about that and constipation. Doctor ran a blood test just to rule allergies out, then referred them to an allergist when the test came back positive. The allergist recommended STRICT avoidance in all forms for a certain time to let the gut heal, then a trial of cooked milk. She's nearly 8 and avoids drinking straight milk or eating a bunch of dairy, but she's fine with it in limited quantities. She is also teeny tiny but leapt onto the charts at 5% once she went off milk. They think it definitely affected her growth though she is naturally petite.

[marbel]

FWIW., last year we learned my daughter is allergic to milk.  She never liked to drink milk so we never made her.  We took her for allergy testing because after eating certain foods her throat would itch. 

 

Anyway, so she is allergic to milk but she can eat some things which contain milk.  She eats most cheeses - not cottage cheese or other really soft cheeses. She can eat yogurt with no problem.  She can have milk as an ingredient in baked goods.   Butter was never a problem.   She can't eat most ice creams or puddings.

 

So, I'm not telling you to go out and test various milk products, but check with the doctor.   Maybe there are some milk products he can consume.   Maybe the process of making cheese and yogurt change the milk in some way, I don't know.

[Slache]

I have a milk allergy that presents itself as a painful itchy rash that form bubbles that burst. Keep an eye out for that as he gets older. If they do develop all he has to do it drop milk and it'll go away.

[MomatHWTK]

If he's not gaining weight on a high calorie diet, that could be the symptom.  My son had eczema and fussiness but otherwise his multiple food allergies manifested in failing to gain weight. 

[Paige]

Our allergist would advise you to eliminate the milk for a month or so and see if anything changes and then to reintroduce milk and see if anything changes again. He says that there are false positives for many reasons and he does not recommend eliminating a food- and especially a food group- that doesn't cause any symptoms. With my DD, for example, we just ran a full panel of all fruits and local plants and he said he fully expects her to test positive for practically everything tested, but that we should only remove the fruits that we see changes in her with an elimination diet and reintroduction.

 

It could be that milk is causing problems- we didn't know DD9 had a problem until a few years ago- but it could also have been a false positive depending on how strong the test results were.

[sbgrace]

Food allergy panels have really high false positive rates (50 to 60%). If you were seeing an allergist, he/she would have explained this to you. They have you eliminate the positive for a couple of weeks, then add back and look for symptom changes.

You really can't go by the tests. It's symptoms. Tests are for confirmation of symptoms or ruling out an allergen, as there are far fewer false negatives.

 

This sounds hard. I think you would benefit from a pediatric allergist.

 

I understand about failure to thrive. :grouphug:  Look for safe fat dense sources--avocado, coconut, ghee/clarified butter, olives, etc.

[AimeeM]

Food allergy panels have really high false positive rates (50 to 60%). If you were seeing an allergist, he/she would have explained this to you. They have you eliminate the positive for a couple of weeks, then add back and look for symptom changes.

You really can't go by the tests. It's symptoms. Tests are for confirmation of symptoms or ruling out an allergen, as there are far fewer false negatives.

 

This sounds hard. I think you would benefit from a pediatric allergist.

 

I understand about failure to thrive. :grouphug:  Look for safe fat dense sources--avocado, coconut, ghee/clarified butter, olives, etc.

 

This is essentially what my older dd's GI told us, only in reverse. She told us that even if dd's allergy tests hadn't come back positive for a wheat allergy, that we eliminated wheat, thus eliminating her symptoms, meant that we were treating her allergy - regardless of blood work.

I think we'll ask for a referral out to a ped's allergist. When the nurse called from the peds office, and I asked what *that* mean (milk allergy - I'm not well versed on it - did she mean all milk products, milk protein, or what?), all she said was "don't give him milk!".

[Mom in High Heels]

Urgh, both my boys had milk protein allergies.  In Indy it presented with FTT, and just uncontrolled crying for 3 days from a child who never cried.  His stomach swelled terribly during the 3 day crying jag.  It was horrible.  When they examined him, his throat was raw from the acid that had built up in his stomach trying to digest the milk.  Once he went on a script formula, he was fine and started gaining weight (slowly, but steadily).   Han Solo was similar, but I knew what to look for this time, and caught it before it got bad.  Indy outgrew it by the time he was 3 and it looks like Han Solo is too, as we've introduced milk a bit at a time, and he has't had any reaction.

 

Good luck to you and your little one.

[Mrs Mungo]

My sister is allergic to milk, but had no symptoms until it started eating away the lining of her bladder, causing back pain. Allergies (true allergies, which are different than sensitivities or reactions) can cause serious issues. I understand how you feel about the weight gain, my underweight son is a major consumer of dairy products. But, I would eliminate dairy in your case.

[Slartibartfast]

This is essentially what my older dd's GI told us, only in reverse. She told us that even if dd's allergy tests hadn't come back positive for a wheat allergy, that we eliminated wheat, thus eliminating her symptoms, meant that we were treating her allergy - regardless of blood work.

I think we'll ask for a referral out to a ped's allergist. When the nurse called from the peds office, and I asked what *that* mean (milk allergy - I'm not well versed on it - did she mean all milk products, milk protein, or what?), all she said was "don't give him milk!".

 

A milk allergy is an allergy to milk proteins, casein. This is not to be confused with a lactose intolerance. 

 

You cannot give him ANY dairy. NONE. 

 

Soy, coconut, almond, rice, hazelnut and others are all acceptable milk alternatives. Now many grocery stores carry dairy alternatives.  Earth balance is a dairy alternative butter.

 

Be careful when purchasing fake dairy items, some are made for lactose people. Read the label, if it still says "casein." Then he cannot have it.

 

:grouphug:

 

I am sorry, I know it has got to be scary dealing with that in such a little fella. It is very possible that eliminating the diary will  help him gain weight. 

 

I would recommend pinterest for having tons of recipes that are dairy free.

 

Many babies do grow out of a dairy allergy, it is entirely possible that this will be temporary. :)

[Slartibartfast]

My sister is allergic to milk, but had no symptoms until it started eating away the lining of her bladder, causing back pain. Allergies (true allergies, which are different than sensitivities or reactions) can cause serious issues. I understand how you feel about the weight gain, my underweight son is a major consumer of dairy products. But, I would eliminate dairy in your case.

 

That is me.:lol:

 

I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy when I was thirty. Boo.

[simplemom]

I have heard, but not researched first hand, that many young children outgrow food allergies, maybe around age 6-8. My children have never been tested for allergies. My dh had an ENT refer him to an allergist for food allergies for chronic sinus and inflammation issues. First doctor in years of dh having chronic sinus infections among other things to recommend food allergy testing. Dh turned up allergic to milk, eggs, and wheat. However, he consumed those things almost everyday, and I heard the error in the allergy test is that it is typical to have elevated antibody levels to the things consumed most often. This suggestion may be different for children, but dh's allergist recommended a rotation diet if dh wanted to reintroduce the things he showed allergies to. Dh had no eggs, dairy, or wheat for 3 months, and now we try to eat those things on rotation, at least 3 days apart. Dh isn't strict about it anymore, but years later he rarely has a sinus infection now and is sick with other things much less often.

 

I had to go on a strict dairy free diet for several months while breast feeding my dd. The doctor didn't think she was allergic to dairy, but as a newborn, she didn't digest milk protein well. She did outgrow her stomach issues around 9 months of age like the doctor predicted and now tolerates dairy (although we don't do too much dairy anyway). I found it was easier than I thought to find dairy substitutes. I put apple juice in place of milk for baked goods, made my own almond milk, used rice milk in mashed potatoes, and earth balance or EVOO in place of dairy butter. Also, in our Vitamix blender, I frequently make dairy free ice creams using coconut milk, raw cashews, or extra bananas to add extra calories and creaminess.

[fdrinca]

My son has a milk allergy without any obvious symptoms. We were trying to get to the bottom of some of his health issues, and we were eliminating food from his diet. When we eliminated milk, he became a different child. In retrospect, we could see the signs of his allergy: suppressed immune responses (he'd get every virus, longer and more severely, than his siblings); allergic shiners; low energy; small on growth chart; small patches of eczema. 

 

His reaction isn't life-threatening, but his quality of life dramatically improved when we eliminated dairy from his diet. 

 

Good luck with your little one!

[rmtzc2009]

Allergy shiners are my sons only symptom that we see from a dairy allergy. Allergies are a pain, sorry your having to deal with this.

[Rachel TX]

A milk allergy is an allergy to milk proteins, casein. This is not to be confused with a lactose intolerance. 

 

You cannot give him ANY dairy. NONE. 

 

Soy, coconut, almond, rice, hazelnut and others are all acceptable milk alternatives. Now many grocery stores carry dairy alternatives.  Earth balance is a dairy alternative butter.

 

Be careful when purchasing fake dairy items, some are made for lactose people. Read the label, if it still says "casein." Then he cannot have it.

 

:grouphug:

 

I am sorry, I know it has got to be scary dealing with that in such a little fella. It is very possible that eliminating the diary will  help him gain weight. 

 

I would recommend pinterest for having tons of recipes that are dairy free.

 

Many babies do grow out of a dairy allergy, it is entirely possible that this will be temporary. :)

 

I second this advice. If you make the change to dairy free, you might see a difference later. Sometimes it's easier to see the symptoms in hindsight. That's how it was for my child.

 

FWIW, coconut yogurt is the best of the dairy-free yogurts. Don't even bother with dairy-free cheese, it's not worth it at all.

[Slartibartfast]

I second this advice. If you make the change to dairy free, you might see a difference later. Sometimes it's easier to see the symptoms in hindsight. That's how it was for my child.

 

FWIW, coconut yogurt is the best of the dairy-free yogurts. Don't even bother with dairy-free cheese, it's not worth it at all.

 

 

Too much daiya gives me tummy troubles.

 

My problem with dairy free yogurts is that while many of the fruit flavors are great, the plain ones are not. I want to make tzatziki sauce. I have tried making it with various dairy free yogurts and it doesn't ever turn out right.

 

 

What I really like is the coconut milk kefir, in strawberry flavor. Yum!

[Tiramisu]

We just got the call that my 11 yo dd is allergic to wheat and dairy. We got her tested last week after two episodes of hives after having eaten peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread with a glass of milk. She never showed any obvious symptoms of allergy before. Her long term issues that may or may not be related to allergies are very red cheeks and dry, red patches on her hands. She's been hyper, grumpy and set off easily provoked. She cried a lot as a baby and has been tough ever since. I'm hoping the diet change will make a difference.

 

I'm still in shock.

[Bree]

My ds has milk issues and could tolerate some sweet acidophilus milk but does well on almond milk. He was always on about the 10% from birth. He is still small but just turned 9 and has finally inched closer to the 50% for weight, finally 60 lbs :) I know our dr said as long as his growth stayed around the same percentile not to worry.

[AimeeM]

We just got the call that my 11 yo dd is allergic to wheat and dairy. We got her tested last week after two episodes of hives after having eaten peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread with a glass of milk. She never showed any obvious symptoms of allergy before. Her long term issues that may or may not be related to allergies are very red cheeks and dry, red patches on her hands. She's been hyper, grumpy and set off easily provoked. She cried a lot as a baby and has been tough ever since. I'm hoping the diet change will make a difference.

 

I'm still in shock.

 

My 12 year old is allergic to wheat. That one is hard. It took time for her to adjust, but now she prefers her alternative foods! Well, she still misses certain things, but LOVES the wheat free snacks!

 

[bolt.]

Be aware that if you aren't using dairy milk, there's no "mandatory reason" to replace it with a non-dairy milk like beverage. Drinking milk is a social custom that seems right with meals, just because it's familiar... But it's completely unnecessary to keep doing that in a non/dairy way. We drink water.

 

There are parts of milk (protein, calcium) that probably should be made-up-for, but they don't actually have to be made-up-for in beverage form.

 

That was a realization that felt very free-ing to me when I figured it out. It might help with the transition if you don't have to seek out an imitation milk that works for your family and his tastes. (If you do seek one, make sure you are looking for a comparable protein and calcium source to milk, not just a 'white liquid that is sort of creamy'.

[SebastianCat]

My DS was allergic to milk but outgrew his allergy by the time he was 3.   It was hard at first, but got MUCH easier as we learned what foods were safe.

 

Check every label, and look for not-so-obvious sources of milk proteins - anything that says casein or ______ caseinate, or whey is not safe.

 

Visit a health food store or a store like Whole Foods and you'll find a LOT of milk substitutes.   

[AimeeM]

Be aware that if you aren't using dairy milk, there's no "mandatory reason" to replace it with a non-dairy milk like beverage. Drinking milk is a social custom that seems right with meals, just because it's familiar... But it's completely unnecessary to keep doing that in a non/dairy way. We drink water.

 

There are parts of milk (protein, calcium) that probably should be made-up-for, but they don't actually have to be made-up-for in beverage form.

 

That was a realization that felt very free-ing to me when I figured it out. It might help with the transition if you don't have to seek out an imitation milk that works for your family and his tastes. (If you do seek one, make sure you are looking for a comparable protein and calcium source to milk, not just a 'white liquid that is sort of creamy'.

 

I don't plan on eliminating dairy from the household as a whole, just from his diet. Now, luckily, he doesn't care for milk in general, so he doesn't drink it (he still nurses and apparently breast "milk" is fine). I do not drink milk either, but for the occasional cereal and milk (which I can eliminate, no big deal, since he still nurses).

The bigger issue for him is going to be cheese (he LOVES) and ice cream (another *love* of his).

 

I've heard that almond milk is even better than cow's milk for children who are very small. I'm not a personal fan of the taste, but as DS hasn't yet developed a preference, it may be th way to go with him.

 

[Paige]

I don't plan on eliminating dairy from the household as a whole, just from his diet. Now, luckily, he doesn't care for milk in general, so he doesn't drink it (he still nurses and apparently breast "milk" is fine). I do not drink milk either, but for the occasional cereal and milk (which I can eliminate, no big deal, since he still nurses).

The bigger issue for him is going to be cheese (he LOVES) and ice cream (another *love* of his).

 

I've heard that almond milk is even better than cow's milk for children who are very small. I'm not a personal fan of the taste, but as DS hasn't yet developed a preference, it may be th way to go with him.

If he's nursing, the dairy in your diet can pass on to him. Since you say he has no symptoms, it's really hard to tell if the level of milk protein in breast milk affects him or not until you eliminate it, and if you eliminate everything else but your dairy intake, your results of the elimination test won't be trustworthy. It would be different if he broke out in hives, but the sneaky symptoms often aren't noticed until the allergen is removed. I would suggest you eliminating all milk protein and dairy along with him for 2 weeks. Then, introduce dairy back to you first, wait a while and look for changes, and then let him have other dairy products and check for changes. If you see no difference in him at any point, then he's probably fine with the dairy and maybe ask for a recheck in a year. Did you allergist tell you if he or she thought the allergy was strong or not?

 

My DD is milk intolerant and we didn't know for years. Her issues are subtle and delayed but were causing serious problems. She craves dairy, however. It was, for a time, one of the only foods groups she would eat. When we first tried to eliminate it, things were difficult because she would sneak cheese at her friend's house or out of the refrigerator when we weren't looking. I think the craving may be a sign that she truly had a problem. It's difficult to keep foods separate from one child while allowing the other children to eat it. Dairy must be eliminated completely for a few weeks to tell if it is causing issues. I'd really recommend eliminating it from the house and not eating at restaurants during the trial. You'll find it in most chicken strips, most breads/buns, and many restaurant french fries.

[sbgrace]

This is essentially what my older dd's GI told us, only in reverse. She told us that even if dd's allergy tests hadn't come back positive for a wheat allergy, that we eliminated wheat, thus eliminating her symptoms, meant that we were treating her allergy - regardless of blood work.

I think we'll ask for a referral out to a ped's allergist. When the nurse called from the peds office, and I asked what *that* mean (milk allergy - I'm not well versed on it - did she mean all milk products, milk protein, or what?), all she said was "don't give him milk!".

 

Yes, symptoms always trump test results. It does go both ways.

 

Hence, the gold standard test is actually an in office food trial. You can trial at home if anaphylaxis isn't a concern. Pull it completely for at least two weeks prior to trying it.

[AimeeM]

Oh I have no problem eliminating it from my own diet (and plan to do so) - but I can't/won't eliminate it from the house as a whole. It is one of the very few food groups my 4 year old will eat with any consistency (and he's only 28 lbs).

I agree with you, though, about eliminating it from my own diet as I'm nursing.

If he's nursing, the dairy in your diet can pass on to him. Since you say he has no symptoms, it's really hard to tell if the level of milk protein in breast milk affects him or not until you eliminate it, and if you eliminate everything else but your dairy intake, your results of the elimination test won't be trustworthy. It would be different if he broke out in hives, but the sneaky symptoms often aren't noticed until the allergen is removed. I would suggest you eliminating all milk protein and dairy along with him for 2 weeks. Then, introduce dairy back to you first, wait a while and look for changes, and then let him have other dairy products and check for changes. If you see no difference in him at any point, then he's probably fine with the dairy and maybe ask for a recheck in a year. Did you allergist tell you if he or she thought the allergy was strong or not?

My DD is milk intolerant and we didn't know for years. Her issues are subtle and delayed but were causing serious problems. She craves dairy, however. It was, for a time, one of the only foods groups she would eat. When we first tried to eliminate it, things were difficult because she would sneak cheese at her friend's house or out of the refrigerator when we weren't looking. I think the craving may be a sign that she truly had a problem. It's difficult to keep foods separate from one child while allowing the other children to eat it. Dairy must be eliminated completely for a few weeks to tell if it is causing issues. I'd really recommend eliminating it from the house and not eating at restaurants during the trial. You'll find it in most chicken strips, most breads/buns, and many restaurant french fries.

 

[Dana]

We just got the call that my 11 yo dd is allergic to wheat and dairy. We got her tested last week after two episodes of hives after having eaten peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread with a glass of milk. She never showed any obvious symptoms of allergy before. Her long term issues that may or may not be related to allergies are very red cheeks and dry, red patches on her hands. She's been hyper, grumpy and set off easily provoked. She cried a lot as a baby and has been tough ever since. I'm hoping the diet change will make a difference.

 

I'm still in shock.

:grouphug:

I understand.

Allow yourself to grieve. It's hard.

 

It will get easier with time.

[Slartibartfast]

I do not believe symptoms trump tests. Some allergies have hidden symptoms. 

 

I can eat milk right now and I wouldn't notice.

[xixstar]

We took out dairy to test a suspicion I had withmy second child. Turns out removing milk gave me almost a whole different child in terms of mood and social interactions. She never had any symptoms that I noticed, just a nagging thought in my mind that I finally acted on.

 

Turns out my youngest has big digestive reactions to milk only discovered after we removed it. And I too have the same physical reactions now as well. So now we are all dairy free. I suspect DH and my oldest have the same issues but they don't avoid it long enough to decide.

 

For me, removing it from my cooking was easier than eliminating it for one person and I am glad I did seeing the impact it now has. I still miss cheese especially because it was the easiest and most filling snack I could offer but we are making adjustments.