Allergies occur when a baby’s immune system reacts abnormally to certain food items. Cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common allergies in children. The baby’s immune system will think that the protein in the cow milk is hazardous to its body and hence will react to it. The body can react minutes to hours after consuming milk.
The symptoms can differ from baby to baby and the range can be from mild to severe. Symptoms may include
- Hives
- Wheezing
- Vomiting
- Loose stools
- Skin rashes
- Diarrhoea
- Continuous crying
If you think your child has an allergy to cow’s milk, even if mild, reach out to your doctor. Your doctor will be able to diagnose and help you with the situation. You will have to give an accurate history to the paediatrician for him to correctly diagnose the allergy.
Your baby can be exposed to cow’s milk if you are feeding him formula milk or if you are having certain cow’s milk or dairy products and breastfeeding him.
If you are breastfeeding your baby, your doctor may probably ask you to cut down on many things including milk, ghee, bread, biscuits and all other forms of dairy products. You should make sure to avoid all the dairy products and ask your doctor for calcium alternatives.
In case your baby is formula fed, the doctor may advice you to switch to a specialised formula that breaks down protein so that it is not recognised by your baby’s immune system. They may suggest this for 2-4 weeks to confirm the diagnosis.
Before you visit the doctor:
- Ask the doctor if you need to do anything before the appointment. Sometimes the doctor may ask you to stop certain medicines before the check-up.
- Make a note of all symptoms that you see in your baby
Your doctor is the best person to help you deal with cow’s milk allergy in your baby. Consult an expert before jumping to conclusions in such a case.
