What Do I Do If My Baby Is Allergic to Cow Milk?

Eliminate All Milk Products

• If a baby is allergic to either (or both) milk lactose or the milk protein casein, then he/she will be allergic to all products containing dairy products. This includes the elimination of all milk, cheeses, yogurts, ice creams, butter and products containing powdered milk. You will need to read the labels of all packaged foods to determine whether they are dairy free or not. Babies should not be eating solid foods until they are 4-6 months old; however, you need to continue to check for the possibility of dairy inside of solid foods until they reach 12 months.

Breast Feeding

• Based on the severity of the milk allergy, the mother may or may not be required to eliminate all dairy products from her diet if she is breastfeeding. If the baby has a severe allergy, that is an anaphylactic allergy, then the mother will need to eliminate milk, yogurts, cheeses and creams from her own diet as the milk protein can be passed through breast milk to the child. In this case, the mother can substitute dairy for soy, rice or almond milk products, and then reintroduce dairy to her diet when the child is done breast feeding.

Substitutes

• Even if you feed your baby with formula, you should not be mixing milk into it. Formula is meant to be mixed with water. Following the mixing instruction on the formula can or packet will provide your baby with the best nutrition he/she can get if breast feeding is not possible. Mixing milk with your formula to thin it out, or to replace formula at times is dangerous and could damage your baby's health. Most pediatricians recommend that you wait to introduce your baby to cow's milk until at least 12 months old. The reasons are many, including the fact that cow's milk is difficult to digest in the first place, and as a baby's digestive system is only in a developmental stage, it very likely will cause severe discomfort. Furthermore, giving an infant cow's milk could severely harm her kidneys as cow's milk contains many hormones, sodium, chloride and other substances that your baby is not ready for. Introducing a baby to cow's milk too early will also increase the likelihood of an allergy. If you must include something with your baby's formula (though not as a nutrient replacement), include either almond or soy milk. But remember that soy milk contains high levels of plant estrogen hormones. The safest substitute is to feed your baby only breast milk (or infant formula if you must), and introduce non-dairy foods at the age recommended by your pediatrician.

Reintroduction

• If your baby is allergic to cow's milk, don't worry for his/her long term discomfort as most infant dairy allergies subside when the child reaches three years. You can begin to reintroduce dairy into his/her diet slowly, beginning with either cheese or yogurt. If your baby suffered from a severe anaphylactic allergy, you should only attempt reintroduction under the supervision of your pediatrician. And as with anything concerning the health of your baby, consult your doctor after reading this before beginning any diet or routine change.