Breast feeding. Allergic baby. shud i wean?

[mO'S mom]

Hi everyone. I'm a first time mom...confused and lost. My son 8 months old is suffering from bad eczema since the past 4 months. we just know for sure he is allergic to cows milk (touched a drop of milk on the tip of his tongue, his face blew up immidiately for 4 hrs).

I have stopped dairy products since last 1 week. a friend of mine tells me that i shud just wean the child, as the child could be allergic to many things i eat or drink. I personally want to bf till atleast 1 yr of age. what is better for the child? wean him off early to prevent eczema/allergic? or bf and follow an elimination diet?

any other help will be appreciated... am desparate...

[mothragirl]

well if you weaned it would be very difficult to find a substitute that was non allergenic so i think sticking with nursing is a no brainer.

[Caden's Mom]

Originally Posted by mothragirl

well if you weaned it would be very difficult to find a substitute that was non allergenic so i think sticking with nursing is a no brainer.

Yup! Breastmilk is the absolute best thing you can do for your allergic baby. I cannot find any good link as to why bm helps with allergies, but it is the gold standard for babies.

Even if you don't eat dairy, your milk will still be good, the best, for you baby. Just make sure to be getting your calcium for plant products. Dairy is not necessary for a healthy diet. Incidentally, humans are the only mammmels that consume the milk of another animal after weaning.

Also, you are going to have to become adept at finding dairy free foods and reading labels. If you are forced to do it for yourself, you will be more likely to do a good job after weaning (if you choose to do that at 1 year) of reading labels and lessening the risk that your DC gets dairy incidentally.

And if you start formula, your DC may dev'p an allergy to soy, and if you eat prepared foods often, it will be a PITA, since soy is in everything prepared. Litterally everything. And your DC probably won't gain as much weight, since formula has less fat then bm. And the farther you get away from cow's milk formula, the less and less it resembles breastmilk.

For many allergic babies, there are benefits to nursing past a year. It assures a healthy source of nutrition, even if they end up being allergic to many other foods. High fat is important well into the second year, and if the child cannot drink whole cows milk, the fat will have to be found in food sources, and some kids will refuse the healthy fat foods. We plan on nursing until at least 2 for thos reasons.

Best of luck!

[alegna]

Keep nursing. No question.

Also, is he vaccinated?

-Angela

[Red Sonja]

Originally Posted by mothragirl

well if you weaned it would be very difficult to find a substitute that was non allergenic so i think sticking with nursing is a no brainer.

Definitely! Both DS and DD have dairy and soy issues so I have eliminated those things from my diet since DS was born. There are times when it is inconvenient but it is definitely worth it!

If you stop, would you go to a soy formula? What if he was also sensitive to soy, would you then have to go to Nutramigen or Alimentium? What if that still bothered him?

Keep nursing, it's the best thing for him!

[honeybee]

I also have a baby who is sensitive to dairy. It was difficult at first to keep dairy out of my diet, but it has been so worth it. Ds is a MUCH happier baby. I couldn't believe the difference!

As an added benefit, I have lost all my baby weight, plus an extra 5 pounds, and the scale is still going down.

Soy formula is not a good option for babies, since most babies who are allergic to the milk proteins are also allergic to the soy proteins. That leaves a very expensive (like $45-$50 a can!) hypoallergenic formula. Plus, some babies are allergic to some of the added DHA,RHAs in formulas, so it may be very difficult to find the type of formula that your baby can tolerate. And it's still way inferior to breastmilk on every other level.

Check out the stikies on dairy allergy information!

Your mama instincts are completely right on this one (as always!) Good luck!

[bamamom]

Us too.

My kids are deathly allergic to dairy, and to be honest, if you wean, you'll be up a creek in a few weeks, b/c you will discover that baby formula will most likely make his skin far worse, and he will scream with pain.

Keep nursing, and cut some more things out of your diet.

You could always try the reverse elimination diet....only eating 5 or 6 things that are usually non offending, then adding things slowly back into your diet.

[USAmma]

If your baby is that allergic to dairy, it's possible that he's also allergic to soy, or corn, or other things that are in commercial formula. The hypoallergenic stuff (the true hypo, not Alimentum/Nutimigin) is prescription only and is very costly and tastes horrible. Why go through all that pain of finding a formula he's not allergic to (and he could develop allergies in the future)? Breastmilk is best in all but rare cases.

[Panserbjorne]

Breastmilk-no question! I have had to modify my diet for all three kiddos. My latest can't have even trace amounts of dairy, soy, gluten, eggs or chocolate. I wouldn't consider weaning him.

your milk contains more beneficial compounds than you can count. It alone will help seal up your baby's gut and boost immunity. It is the safest, healthiest and tastiest option available...not to mention that nursing is helping develop his palate, digestion and cranial structure.

Breastfeeding is the biological norm for many reasons. I know it might be hard and very frustrating, but in this situation you would be putting your little one at risk by weaning.

You may want to consider doing some probiotic supplementation to help with the sensitivity though...

Good luck and welcome!

[thepeach80]

IMO these are you choices. Wean to a hypo formula and pray it works, since the next step is rx and they are costly if insurance doesn't cover it (we use this in my house). Go on an elimination diet (either total, which I've done and can help you, or just try eliminating the top 8 allergens). Or you could do what you're doing now and have your baby suffer w/ eczema. I think people are missing that your child is covered in eczema so is more than likely already reacting to other foods, this isn't about giving him formula and that will cause more allergies. I did wean my last ds at 12 mos b/c I was only eating 5 things and I was just too tired to go on since he'd been crying for a year at that point. The formula did wonders for him, he gained weight finally, he stopped crying, his meds finally worked, and he started sleeping through the night 6 mos later (that could've happened earlier, lol). I'm also dairy, soy, egg, and wheat free right now if you want help w/ eliminating.

[paula444four]

agreed

I agree with the other ladies. ...keep breastfeeding if thats your gut instinct...it is usually the best thing for him..

Seems like everyday...someone else is telling me to put DS on formula..."he is allergic to your milk" they say!!!!! thats just rude. be strong! and know that breast milk is best.

Good luck!

[cat19]

My thought so far with my allergic kidlet was that I wouldn't wean unless 1) I couldn't get adequate nutrition on a diet free of his allergens or 2) I couldn't manage to figure out what he was allergic to so that I could stop eating it so that he would be happy and healthy.

My younger son is allergic to eggs dairy rice peanuts treenuts and our allergist ahs us avoiding all shellfish, seafood, and sesame as well. It took some adjusting but I manage fine. (Though I really miss almonds. ) But if I hadn't been able to figure out his allergens, I would've weaned him to a prescription formula rather than leasve him suffering. I agree with "thepeach80"; breastmilk's benefits don't *always* outweigh everything; if you can't figure out how to make your breastmilk safe from your child's allergens, formula may be better (but often VERY expensive as it's likely to be a prescription formula).

If you suspect your child may also have other allergies, try to keep a detailed food diary and track his reactions. (And list in detail: not just "bread" but all teh ingredients of the bread). It will help enormously if you can take that diary to an allergist and use it to base testwork on. I also ditto the suggestion of trying to make at least some best guess eliminations from your diet for several weeks and see if you can reach "baseline" where your child is eczema-free and reaction-free. The best help I found in doing that was at the forums at http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

I know you didn't ask this, but if you haven't yet seen an allergist, you probably should. I don't enjoy scaring you, but the reaction you describe (facial swelling fromm one drop of milk) could be a sign of a serious anaphylactic (life-threatening) allergy; the time my son reacted like that our dr had us give him an epi-pen jr and rush him to the ER. You most likely need an epi-pen prescription ASAP and an allergist appointment to help you figure out how to keep your son safe and healthy.

Luck--it can be overwhelming dealing with children's allergies but it gets less so with time (mostly ).

[mO'S mom]

Thanks

Thank you all so very much for ur responses. it means a lot to know that i'm not alone. my baby's allergies have been a surprise and a shock to me. the irony is i always believed that "allergy is all in the mind". but i do have to acknowledge it :-( .

i dont mind modifying or even drastically chaging my diet to help the baby.rt now i have only quit all dairy. i can use all the help for ideas and tips on my diet as well. i m a vegetarian, no meat, no fish, no eggs. so dairy was my main source of calcium.

we have not seen an allergist yet as my pediatrician recommended my son has to be 1 yr old for that. im having second thoughts about that tho...

[Pauli]

Originally Posted by mO'S mom

Thank you all so very much for ur responses. it means a lot to know that i'm not alone. my baby's allergies have been a surprise and a shock to me. the irony is i always believed that "allergy is all in the mind". but i do have to acknowledge it :-( .

i dont mind modifying or even drastically chaging my diet to help the baby.rt now i have only quit all dairy. i can use all the help for ideas and tips on my diet as well. i m a vegetarian, no meat, no fish, no eggs. so dairy was my main source of calcium.

we have not seen an allergist yet as my pediatrician recommended my son has to be 1 yr old for that. im having second thoughts about that tho...

We saw a regular allergist when Kelsey was 9 months (all that was available) and did a blood test and skin test. We saw a pediatric allergist in another town when she was 10 months old and did more skin tests. It was SO helpful. She had many many allergies and while the testing isn't 100% accurate at that age, it WAS accurate for us and definately gave us a lot of help with what to continue eliminating and what to try again. I can't recommend it more.
We did not need a referral for either allergist, I just called and made an appointment.
As far as an elimination diet, I would start with dairy like you have...it can take up to 6 weeks to get out of your system and your baby's. Then, eggs, soy, wheat, shellfish, peanuts and nuts. Since you're a vegetarian, you might need to take some supplements, especially calcium! If you identify allergens in your main food groups, you might actually need to see a nutritionist. But, for the short-term you will be fine. Take a good dairy free multi-vitamin though.

I can recommend quinoa highly....I about lived on it for awhile! Also pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein and magnesium which will aid in absorbing calcium.

Good luck! Hugs, it's hard.

[mO'S mom]

Originally Posted by alegna

Keep nursing. No question.

Also, is he vaccinated?

-Angela

yes. i do not have the guts to not vaccinate him. also i'm very new to the idea that babies or adults can live without vaccinations! there must be truth to it, i still have to come to terms with it.

[alegna]

Originally Posted by mO'S mom

yes. i do not have the guts to not vaccinate him. also i'm very new to the idea that babies or adults can live without vaccinations! there must be truth to it, i still have to come to terms with it.

Allergies often seem to be made worse by vaccinations and they could be the cause of the eczema.

Come over to the vax forum for tons of good info.

-Angela

[mO'S mom]

Originally Posted by firefaery

Breastmilk-no question! I have had to modify my diet for all three kiddos. My latest can't have even trace amounts of dairy, soy, gluten, eggs or chocolate. I wouldn't consider weaning him.

your milk contains more beneficial compounds than you can count. It alone will help seal up your baby's gut and boost immunity. It is the safest, healthiest and tastiest option available...not to mention that nursing is helping develop his palate, digestion and cranial structure.

Breastfeeding is the biological norm for many reasons. I know it might be hard and very frustrating, but in this situation you would be putting your little one at risk by weaning.

You may want to consider doing some probiotic supplementation to help with the sensitivity though...

Good luck and welcome!

thanks.
u mentioned about a probiotic. can u throw more light on the subject matter? any links on recommended doses? is it for me or him? my pediatrician has not heard of it :-(
thanks

[cat19]

You may want to consider doing some probiotic supplementation to help with the sensitivity though...

Probiotics are "good" bacteria that you can introduce into your system to help your gut. Some grow in yogurt, as long as it is labelled "live active cultures", and this is the best palce to get them if you can eat dairy.

However, with a seriously dairy allergic kid, you need to make certain that any probiotic you use has NO dairy cross-contamination. Many, even if they come powdered in capsules, have been grown in a dairy medium. You'd want to try a dairy-free product from someplace like Kirkman Labs, which explicitly makes supplements for highly alelrgic people.

I do think it's important to say this doesn't sound like a "sensitivity" to me; it sounds like a serious allergy that requires professional medical assistance from an allergist. Angioedema (facial swelling) can quickly and without warning progress to swelling that affects breathing and thus becomes life-threatening. Upon repeated exposure, reactions tend to become more severe, not less so, so the likelihood is that without complete avoidance of dairy (on your part and his), your son is at risk for a *very serious* reaction. even if you do avoid completely, there's the risk of accidental exposure (other kids' sippy cups, a dropped piece of cheese, etc).

Even if you don't want to see an allergist right away, *please* at least ask your pediatrician for an epi-pen jr prescription. In some states, ambulance personnel aren't allowed to carry or administer epi-pens; this can mean that you are your child's only line of defense until you can get him or her to a hospital, and that can be far too long for safety.

Even if you once beleived "allergy is all in the mind", many parents of allergic kids can absolutely tell you that when your kid has a reaction that affects their breathing, it's not something you can "will" your way through; you need appropriate medical help.

[Meiri]

It could be that he is allergic to something non food.

What are you washing the laundry with? What type of soap/shampoo/etc are you using on his skin?

Mom and Dad had to change detergents and soaps when I was a baby due to my breaking out with excema.

Look for stuff that fragrance-free, lanolin-free. For the laundry, you can try stuff like All Free and Clear, or skip straight to washing soda or baking soda for the clothes washing. They do work. There's a whole thread full of baking soda info over on the Natural Home forum.

I disagree on the vax forum being full of facts. At the very least, use multiple sources including actual Medical ones before making any radical decisions on the vaccination front. People did and do continue to die from some of the illnesses commonly vaxed against. It also doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing decision.

I do think it's important to say this doesn't sound like a "sensitivity" to me; it sounds like a serious allergy that requires professional medical assistance from an allergist. Angioedema (facial swelling) can quickly and without warning progress to swelling that affects breathing and thus becomes life-threatening. Upon repeated exposure, reactions tend to become more severe, not less so, so the likelihood is that without complete avoidance of dairy (on your part and his), your son is at risk for a *very serious* reaction. even if you do avoid completely, there's the risk of accidental exposure (other kids' sippy cups, a dropped piece of cheese, etc).

Even if you don't want to see an allergist right away, *please* at least ask your pediatrician for an epi-pen jr prescription.

I agree. That facial swelling symptom is a serious one. I hope you reported that to the doctor!

In some states, ambulance personnel aren't allowed to carry or administer epi-pens; this can mean that you are your child's only line of defense until you can get him or her to a hospital, and that can be far too long for safety.

They might not carry Epi-Pen, but they do carry other forms of effective treatment for severe allergic reactions and can administer those. Calling the ambulance rather than driving the child oneself is still the best course of action if a reaction is that severe. I vividly recall the quote in JEMS (Journal of Emergency Medical Services) from a paramedic who wished he had a nickel for every accident he'd worked caused by a parent driving their child to the ER and their distractness due to the child's emergency need leading to them having an accident. He must've lived in a bad area for that, he seemed to think he'd be a rich man from just those nickels.

[mO'S mom]

i have heard of the epi pen only on the net. my pediatrician was informed and she did not take this seriously. she was not even alarmed. she shud have guided me well, she shud have given me the prescription herself. thanks a ton. may be its tiem to change the pediatrician. but will get my prescription for sure.