foods NOT to give a baby - Page 2

[pumpkinhead]

KempsMama, it's actually pretty unusual for babies to have issues with lactose. Human milk has 5 times more lactose in it than cow's milk. Babies can have a sort of temporatry lactose intolerance due to too much foremilk hitting the gut all at once without any fat to balance it out, but that's neither an allergy nor a true intolerance.

There's a difference between a true cow's milk protein allergy and a cow's milk protein intolerance/sensitivity. The latter is more of a physical issue. Cow's milk proteins are of a physical size that they can pass through a baby's leaky gut virtually undigested, but they don't go easily and their forcing their way through can cause tiny GI bleeds in some infants. They're too small to be held back, but too big to go through without trauma and they manage to reach the blood un-sufficiently broken down which can cause an immune response.

Things like yogurt and cheese have proteins that have already been partially digested, so they're not really in the same category as whole, pasteurized milk.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by KempsMama

I get that allergies are a concern, but allergies are different than a complete physical inability to digest milk proteins, which was the statement that you originally made.

Also my understanding of milk allergies is that Lactose is the most likely culprit, whereas a true allergy to the protein is quite rare. And once again, this is when an allergy occurs, not in an average infant. I agree dairy elimination is quite common here on MDC, but I tend to think it's more because MDC is one of the only resources for mom's on an elimination diet to get online support, which is why we see more of it around here, not that it's that common in the general population.

An allergy is a reaction to the protiens. Lactose intolerance is an issue with lactose. Lactose is a sugar. Lactose intolerance in babies is rare.

Milk is the most common childhood allergy and the vast majority outgrow it.

http://drjaygordon.com/pediatricks/dairy.html

[catnip]

What my daughter's pediatrician said is that "no honey before one" is a very general guideline, and not an absolute. That botulism in newborns is extremely dangerous, and that it's less so in older babies. As kids grow, they become more able to resist the toxins. What he said was that it was a common practice in some areas for a while to use goat milk and raw honey as an infant formula, and babies were dying from it, so a recommendation was made to avoid honey in kids under one, but that it wasn't a big deal to let my 10 month-old have bread with honey in it once in a while.

Take that for what secondhand advice is worth, but this Doctor seems to me to really know his stuff, and not just jump on bandwagons.

[mamadelbosque]

Catnip, thats the most logical information I've ever heard on the 'no honey before one' 'rule'! And it makes complete sense, especially when you consider that a common 'formula' was/is condensed milk mixed with karo syrup, and in rural areas they likely had/have goats milk & honey more-or-less free from their own animals.

[JamieCatheryn]

Tomatoes, pineapple, and chocolate gave my DS a rash before he was ready (pre 10 months or something).

[KempsMama]

Originally Posted by pumpkinhead

KempsMama, it's actually pretty unusual for babies to have issues with lactose. Human milk has 5 times more lactose in it than cow's milk. Babies can have a sort of temporatry lactose intolerance due to too much foremilk hitting the gut all at once without any fat to balance it out, but that's neither an allergy nor a true intolerance.

There's a difference between a true cow's milk protein allergy and a cow's milk protein intolerance/sensitivity. The latter is more of a physical issue. Cow's milk proteins are of a physical size that they can pass through a baby's leaky gut virtually undigested, but they don't go easily and their forcing their way through can cause tiny GI bleeds in some infants. They're too small to be held back, but too big to go through without trauma and they manage to reach the blood un-sufficiently broken down which can cause an immune response.

Things like yogurt and cheese have proteins that have already been partially digested, so they're not really in the same category as whole, pasteurized milk.

Thanks for that info.

[Adasmommy]

Thank you for all the input. DD has already had nuts, egg whites, citrus, tomatoes...

I'm not going to worry about milk because she only occasionally gets a little bit and has no problem then. Same with grains--yesterday she had crepes, but I'll try not to go heavy on the grains. I'm not so worried about honey, so when I forget and give her bread with honey in it, or a bite of my yogurt with honey I don't worry about it but I will try to remember and not give it to her because there's no need to do so.

And if dh feels that she shouldn't have anything, we'll do our best to avoid it, but it seems that the dangers are minimal, and I think he'll be satisfied that I've researched it.

I thought I found the Real Foods book in our library system but the one they have is not specific to moms/babies. I requested it anyway and I'll see if she talks about it in this one.

Thank you again!

[redvlagrl]

I only avoided choking hazards and vaguely avoided honey (we don't use it much anyway). Peanut stuff, cirtus, eggs, etc were all fair game. Actually, none of us really eat peanut butter, but DD had some crushed peanuts on top of noodles while we were travelling.

She also had cow's milk from 6 mths, in v small quantities. Exposure to potential allergens is now seeming to be a protective factor in allergies!