Should I introduce dairy to an 8-month-old w/mild eczema?

[spj15]

Hi everyone -

My 8 month-old son has very mild eczema. He was breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months and then slowly introduced to solids while continuing to BF. He doesn't appear to have any food allergies thus far (knock on wood) but I was reading Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food, which suggested that I need to incorporate protein into his diet. He's been eating only fruits and veggies. I'm not sure if I should try yogurt and/or cheese, which I've heard are good first dairy items to try, or if should try tofu, which the book suggested was a potential high-allergy food. I suppose I could try dairy and see how he does...has anyone dealt with this before? I'd love to hear any suggestions or experiences you may have had. Many thanks.

Interesting to see how many of us have kids w/eczema issues - it's good to know I'm not alone!

[Caden's Mom]

If he has eczema, he probably IS allergic to something. Dairy and Egg are the most common eczema foods (though it can be any food). Even if he isn't allergic 8 months is one month too soon for any dairy. I would do pureed meat if you don't have a problem with giving meat or tofu as an alternate option. I don't think I gave tofu until after 9 months though when DS wanted to feed himself.

[mclisa]

NO!

OK, I'm opinionated.

The allergy rules:
No dairy until age 1.
No eggs until age 2.
No peanut butter until age 3.

With the eczema, he has a potential to be an allergic child. I would stick to the fruits and veggies for solids.

[greencat]

I would not introduce dairy, but you may want to try home made yogurt that has been incubated for 24hr. If you incubate/culture it for 24hr., the lactose will be gone.

If your babe is sensitive to casein, you can drain the whey.

My kids can not eat the home made cow's yogurt, or drink cow's milk because they are both sensitive to the lactose and casein and will break out in eczema, but they can eat goat's milk yogurt that has been incubated for 24hrs.

Your babe would most definitely benefit from probiotics, and this is the only dairy we eat (for the sake of probiotic.) My DS couldn’t tolerate goat’s before, but now he can.

[nataliachick7]

it is extremely rare for a baby to have a sensitivity to lactose (milk sugar). what is VERY common though, is for babies to have a sensitivity to milk protein...in this case, they should not eat anything with milk, including cheese, yogurt, butter, etc. i would NOT do dairy under a year old. especially if he has eczema.

[greencat]

Sugar of all forms, including lactose can be a major issue with children and babies who is suffering from chronic eczema, food allergy/sensitivities and other serious disorders. I don't think it is wise to compare your child against what is known to be common or rear.

[nataliachick7]

Originally Posted by greencat

Sugar of all forms, including lactose can be a major issue with children and babies who is suffering from chronic eczema, food allergy/sensitivities and other serious disorders. I don't think it is wise to compare your child against what is known to be common or rear.

nope. sorry. wong. it is extremely rare for a baby to be sensitive to lactose. beastmilk contains lactose, you cannot take the lactose out of breastmilk. nature wouldnt put lactose in breastmilk if it was going to be such an issue with allegnic babies. allergenic babies have problems with the milk PROTEIN-nothing to do with lactose. so all you would have to do is avoid eating dairy to pass the milk protein unto your baby. i have also spoken to pediatric GI's about this too-the ones that are very aware of intolerances.

[greencat]

I think you are putting all the "Lactose" under a same category. Yes, there is 'lactose' in breast milk. Actually, the human breast milk contains very high amount of lactose. (I think the next was whale/propos or elephant's???) I'm not saying babies can be allergic to the lactose in the human breast milk. I don't know if it is even possible for a human baby to be allergic to human breast milk, which I think that is what you are trying to say. However, this is a question regarding cow's/goat's milk. Sorry to have a misunderstanding here.

[nataliachick7]

Originally Posted by greencat

I think you are putting all the "Lactose" under a same category. Yes, there is 'lactose' in breast milk. Actually, the human breast milk contains very high amount of lactose. (I think the next was whale/propos or elephant's???) I'm not saying babies can be allergic to the lactose in the human breast milk. I don't know if it is even possible for a human baby to be allergic to human breast milk, which I think that is what you are trying to say. However, this is a question regarding cow's/goat's milk. Sorry to have a misunderstanding here.

it is STILL just as rare for an infant to be sensitive to the lactose in cows/goats milk. milk sugar is milk sugar. if a baby has a problem with cows/goats milk, it is almost ALWAYS a case of milk protein intolerance. (unless, of course, lactose sensitivity runs in the family, then there is a good chance you will pass the lactose sensitivity to the baby), othewise, it is safe to assume it is a milk PROTEIN intolerance. i can give you my sons GI's phone number if you want.

[Starflower]

My DD has eczema and dairy/wheat/egg sensitivities. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't have started her on any dairy at all. We tried a couple times after she turned one and those are the only times she has ever had ear infections.

I also have issues with eczema and have since found that wheat (glutens) and dairy to be the culprits. My own DD's eczema got really bad after she started eating glutens (cheerios, fish crackers, toast, etc.).

So, IMO - no - don't start on any dairy before one year and since you already have eczema as an issue - I'd avoid as long as possible. You might even try taking dairy out of your own diet and seeing if that helps your DC's eczema?

If you do decide to try some new foods, I think it would really be a good idea to only introduce on thing at a time every 5-7 days. Then you'll be able to get a better idea of what may or may not cause a reaction in your child. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[daniedb]

No, no no nononono! I had a little guy with eczema problems, and I would have also eliminated most dairy from his diet. Interestingly, he never reacted to yogurt, and it actually cleared up his yeast issues, so I would give him yogurt sprinkled with probiotic powder, which seemed to help.

Yogurt, especially goat's milk, goes through a process where the large milk proteins are broken down to more of a BM size, so that's why many dairy-allergic people can tolerate yogurt.

[Kailey's mom]

If it were me..I'd problably look into what could be causing my childs egzima(sp sorry) before I introduced anything else. I'd also wait on the dairy until a year old

[greencat]

Babies and children (as well as adults) who are having a problem of eczema, lactose can be a problem because it feeds yeast in their gut. In time, the over growth of yeast and/or bad bacteria can cause what is known to be called as the Leaky Gut Syndrome. Often the children with chronic eczema can not tolerate lactose of cow's or goats milk as well as casein. Many M.D. and specialist do not recognise the leaky gut as a disorder, or yeast can grow in the gut to cause illness(es), but my children are eczema free without prescription, and their food sensitivities list has shrunken. I believe the credit goes to the selection of foods that we eat and avoid eating.

Constipation, mucous in the stool is a very good sing to watch out for yeast over-growth (the lists of symptoms is long and different among each individual). Did your babe had thrush or did you have yeast problem? (I did, but didn’t know it was my problem until I learned about the eczema and leaky gut.) If you were on the birth control pill, antibiotics, cortisone, prednisone or other corticosteroids before or during the pregnancy for repeated or prolonged period, you should look into the yeast and yeast related complex such as Leaky Gut Syndrome.

Every one’s triggers to eczema are somewhat different. Yet, a caution on introducing dairy to 8mo. old with eczema and food sensitivities is agreed among everyone here; as well as introducing gluten/grain, soy, eggs, etc. As I wrote on the previous post, I would only try the home made yogurt that has been cultured/incubated for 24hr. as far as dairy goes. You can also dilute the yogurt. So, your babe can have probiotics as well as protein in his diet. If milk protein is also a problem, drain the whey. Cultured dairy is very beneficial to people with immune problem.

Despite your decision on either you would start introducing the yogurt or not, I would definitely include probiotics in your diet. You can dust your nipple before breastfeeding for your babe, too. Look for the probiotics that is dairy-free with lactobacillus and bifidobacillus.

I would also write down everything you and your babe eat everyday. This is a good way to find out what foods are the trigger foods. If you want to wait to introduce the yogurt till later, I think that may be a good idea. You are still breastfeeing which is the best source of protein/complete food for your babe. You may want to focus on increasing the value of your breastmilk by eating a lot of green veg, replace your oil to coconut’s oil, take Omega 3 oil, eat organic (especially the veg and fruits) etc, etc, etc. Unless you are a vegetarian, learn to make a bone broth from grass fed cows. Drinking hot soup is good, even for breakfast. Or learn about other cultured foods.

Sorry this post got so, very long. I hope I did not overwhelm you.

Best wishes,

[CaraboosMama]

Originally Posted by spj15

Hi everyone -

My 8 month-old son has very mild eczema. He was breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months and then slowly introduced to solids while continuing to BF. He doesn't appear to have any food allergies thus far (knock on wood) but I was reading Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food, which suggested that I need to incorporate protein into his diet. He's been eating only fruits and veggies. I'm not sure if I should try yogurt and/or cheese, which I've heard are good first dairy items to try, or if should try tofu, which the book suggested was a potential high-allergy food. I suppose I could try dairy and see how he does...has anyone dealt with this before? I'd love to hear any suggestions or experiences you may have had. Many thanks.

Interesting to see how many of us have kids w/eczema issues - it's good to know I'm not alone!

While I love parts of the Super Baby Food book - she is just a mom & some of her nutritional info is off. She has done tons of research & over all it's a great resource, but...it's not always 100% accurate up to date info.

If you have a family history of allergies or your baby is showing any "allergic" symptoms (such as eczema) generally the recommendation is to wait on dairy and other high-allergy foods until a year. What we did w/ DD was start egg yolk at about 9 months - along w/ low allergen legumes like chickpeas & then waited until 1 year and gradually started dairy, etc.

Now DS on the other hand has eaten lots of dairy, etc. that his big sister likes to feed him: thankfully he has not had any allergic reactions, but we are still going slowly with dairy, soy, egg, etc.

Hope this helps!

[spj15]

Wow! Thank you all for your suggestions...I have a few more questions. Breastmilk really is a good source of protein if I opt not to introduce dairy or tofu? I just don't want to be shortchanging him....And, not to sound like an idiot on the "allergies" board, how do you tell if a certain food CAUSES an allergy? Is there usually an immediate reaction, or does it show up days later? I've been introducing solids slowly, waiting 4 days in between, and haven't noticed anything yet. Would it really make sense for me to eliminate wheat/dairy/soy from my diet? (Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh I love my cheese!!) If I did THAT, how long would I need to wait to see if there was an effect on my son?

Again, thank you all in advance - I'm just so annoyed at my pediatrician, who is fairly useless beyond casually suggesting hydrocortisone, which I know is NOT going to solve the problem:

[Caden's Mom]

Originally Posted by spj15

Wow! Thank you all for your suggestions...I have a few more questions. Breastmilk really is a good source of protein if I opt not to introduce dairy or tofu? I just don't want to be shortchanging him....And, not to sound like an idiot on the "allergies" board, how do you tell if a certain food CAUSES an allergy? Is there usually an immediate reaction, or does it show up days later? I've been introducing solids slowly, waiting 4 days in between, and haven't noticed anything yet. Would it really make sense for me to eliminate wheat/dairy/soy from my diet? (Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh I love my cheese!!) If I did THAT, how long would I need to wait to see if there was an effect on my son?

Again, thank you all in advance - I'm just so annoyed at my pediatrician, who is fairly useless beyond casually suggesting hydrocortisone, which I know is NOT going to solve the problem:

BM is the perfect food, he doesn't need any protein. Some moms don't even feed their children ANY solids the first year and those children thrive just fine.

The only way to know what causes an allergy is to eliminate potential allergens from your diet. Personally, if I were you, I would start with egg and dairy and see how his eczema is after two weeks. You'll live without cheese. Its hard, but I haven't curled up and died yet.

3 seperate peds were useless on the allergy front for us too. I had to insist on a allergy test. Luckily (I guess), he tested positive so the peds knew I was right.

[lucyem]

My DS had eczema related to food intolerences. It took a couple of weeks for it to clear up after we eliminated dairy from my diet. Though he was younger (around 2-3 months) when we started eliminating foods. He was about 9-10 months when I found I could introduce dairy into my diet and not have it bother him or cause any more eczema. We did not introduce any normal dairy until after a year and he has not had an issue with it. He did get some formula but it was the hypoallergenic kind where the milk proteins are broken down as he got closer to a year and that did not bother him. What I did was eliminate the biggie milk from my diet and I saw noticeable differences in his attitude within days. Over time I eliminated various foods as I noticed reactions in him. Dairy was our eczema culprit but things like soy, eggs, garlic, fruit, tomatoes, vitamins all cause him to scream within 4-6 hours of my eating the item. I did not, thankfully, ever have to eliminate wheat. I could eat baked goods like muffins that were made with milk and/or eggs with no reaction from him. My son was tested for allergies in the midst of it all and he did not come up as allergic to any foods. He is 21 months now and can eat anything with no problems.