Milk allergy in infants can be scary, especially if you’ve never experienced one before. While milk allergy symptoms may only include runny nose and sneezing, in most infants, they often develop little more than occasional irritation. However, a frequent cause of milk allergy in infants lies in the protein found in cow’s milk. Many an expectant mother dealing with a fussy newborn (not to mention truthfully, what a fussy newborn is! ), has suspected that perhaps her suffering little one must have some cow’s milk allergy.
Milk allergy in infants develops when they are born prematurely, or if their mother had a history of milk allergy as well. These types of allergies will usually clear up on their own within a year or two. However, some individuals will outgrow their tendency to suffer from lactose intolerance, and milk allergy in infants can only come about as a result of poor diet choices. Even though it’s pretty clear which foods cause this allergy, the exact reason behind a milk allergy in your beloved infant is still unclear.
There are several theories that suggest that milk allergy in infants develops when breastfeeding compared to bottle-fed. First of all, the mother taking in her baby’s milk through the expression method will almost certainly pass along the allergy to the child, since the mother’s antibodies will react with the proteins in the formula to create the allergy. Another theory is that formula-fed babies can become intolerant of certain elements in breast milk and that these elements could be transferred into the formula as well. Lastly, some experts believe that both nipple feeding and bottle feeding can lead to a form of intolerance to certain elements in breast milk. The intolerance, however, is generally less pronounced in infants who are bottle-fed.
The most common milk allergy in infants, according to statistics, is an intolerance to either cow milk protein or lactose. Approximately half of the cases, though, involve either a cow milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance. This means that one of the most common diseases that affect newborns is lactose intolerance.
Fortunately for parents and infants suffering from a milk allergy or lactose intolerance, medical studies have shown that infants on formula diets will usually grow out of their problems. In most cases, the symptoms disappear after they are weaned onto cow milk. It’s important to note, though, that there are many other conditions that can mimic a milk allergy, including a more serious condition such as eczema. Unless a mother knows her baby is suffering from one of the conditions mentioned above, she should take the issue very seriously.
There are also some things you can do to detect whether your child has a milk allergy, although these are not foolproof. If you suspect that your infant may be allergic to certain brands of milk, you may perform a blood test in order to find out. If you do test positive, you may be given medication to help alleviate the symptoms. Your doctor may also advise you to remove any possible allergen from your child’s diet.
If you do decide that your baby may have a milk allergy, it’s a good idea to see whether you can take him or her to see an allergy specialist. In general, doctors will not diagnose any problem unless they are able to get a complete blood count, complete blood chemistry panel, and observe the results of allergy testing at home. Even if a doctor diagnoses a food allergy, he or she will not suggest a course of treatment. You will need to work with the doctor to determine a suitable plan of action.
Most people with a milk allergy feel completely fine after the first few days and weeks of recovery. However, if you have any concern that your infant is suffering an allergic reaction to milk, contact your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you start following an anti-allergic program, the more likely you are to prevent an adverse reaction from developing into a more serious health issue.