Food Allergy

I dont know about the cow milk part. My daughter is 7 months and her doctor has said that anytime she gets sick if she isn't taking a lot of fluids that pedialight is a good choice. She said some kids wont drink it so dont buy a ton until you try it first. Infants can become dehydrated very easily so I would say give it a shot if you think that she is dehydrated. Good luck!

E.,

8 months is WAY too young to be on cow's milk. Here is what I found quickly on www.kellymom.com (my favorite breastfeeder's resource):

Cow's Milk
Use of cow's milk before a year is controversial among experts. You might want to get your baby's doctor's opinion on this.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO cow's milk until after the first birthday.

Cow's milk is more specific to a baby cow than a baby human. Cow's milk formula is based on cow's milk but has been engineered to be closer to human milk (still a ways off, but closer). Many infants still have problems with cow's milk formula (allergies, GI problems, etc.). Babies who are exposed to cow's milk before their first birthday are more likely to be anemic, have diarrhea or vomiting, and/or experience an allergic reaction (the proteins in milk are more numerous than those in other milk products, such as the yogurt). The excessive protein load in cow's milk can also overload a baby's kidneys. It is deficient in vitamins C, E, and copper. It is harder to digest as well, often causing intestinal blood loss. A number of studies have also indicated that early introduction of cow's milk may contribute to the development of Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.

Others see no problem with starting cow's milk toward the end of the first year unless there is a family history of allergy to it. Dr. Jack Newman, a renowned expert in the lactation field, is one of these. See the Breastmilk, cow's milk, formula, outside work and bottles section of his article "Breastfeeding and Other Foods." Notice that he qualifies this advice with the importance of the baby being well-established on a variety of solids and continuing to be breastfed (both of which should help make up for what cow's milk can't offer at this age). He also suggests that supplemental milk of any kind is not all that necessary if the baby is allowed to nurse frequently when with mom. He suggests offering the baby solid foods with some water or small amounts of juice instead.

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So I think this little girl's parents are completely nuts for having her on cow's milk at this point.

I know someone else said food allergies won't give you a runny nose but that isn't necessarily true. My 7 month old is allergic to dairy and soy (even via breastmilk so I've been on an elimination diet since he was 3 weeks old). The couple of times that I've accidentally eaten dairy or soy, if it is really bad he gets a rash across his face, chest and then it will crawl down his arms and legs. But even with a small amount of dairy or soy, he'll get super congested (he sounds like he's snorting or kind of honking when he tries to breathe), and super fussy. Lots of screaming.

I have a really hard time believing that the pediatrician okayed cow's milk for an 8 month old but I'm guessing if they did, they probably mean small amounts of dairy added to the overall diet, not as a replacement for formula. They should REALLY ask their doctor for clarification.

T.

Hi E.,

I was told by my pediatrician that starting cow's milk prior to one year can cause microscopic intestinal bleeding in babies. Something about their digestive systems not being able to tolerate the proteins(?) in the milk. I've never heard of a baby starting milk so early regardless of how well they tolerate food. I would check with another doctor. Hope this helps a little.

N.

I had to start cows milk when I was 2 months old because I was allergic to everything else and my mother didn't breast feed... I still have all those symptoms on a daily basis today - terrible allergies I am almost 40... You could check into getting mother's breast milk from the La Leche league for her.

Ask the pediatrician about VITA-SOL or poly vi-sol those are baby vitamins used in situations like this....

8 months old is way way way too young for cows milk. There is nothing out there that is not older than 70 years old that says it is. Is her dr. 98 years old??? She needs to get a 2nd opinion. She is setting up her child for life long allergies.

To be honest, it sounds more like severe seasonal allergies. Milk is more likely to cause a rash and other symptoms like painful gas and bloating. My husband and I have both developed allergies with age, so we have to keep an eye on our son. I don't reccomend allergy testing a sweet little baby unless your pediatritan really feels it would do some good. The only way to know if it is milk is to get rid of the dairy in her diet. if she is better after about 2 weeks you have an answer. If that can't be done (sounds like it might not be an option) ask the doctor about seasonal allergy relief with an OTC product like benadryl (I think they need to be older for other less drowsy options). Also, be careful with the wheezing and cough. Some allergies and asma are linked. Of course, it could be a chest cold. I would certainly check all of this with your friends ped or your own. I hope this helps some. Oh, check the color of the snot. Clear is usually allery yellow and green cold.

My ped started my son on Whole milk at 10m, and the families milk at 17m. (We drink 1% and Skim.) Starting at a year is based on when most kids will be ready for it. My doc said anything over 20 lbs is usually ok for whole milk. Breast milk and formula contain MORE fat than whole milk, which means that it also has more calories. My son was around 28 lbs when we switched him. (But I continued to BF until 18m as well.) So yes, it is sometimes exceptable to start regular milk before 12m.

As to whether or not it's an allergy, yes it could be, but that would not be my first guess. I STRONGLY recommened talking to this baby's dr. The mom should be able to give him a call, and (if he's a respectable dr.) should be able to offer advice ON THE SPOT, over the phone. When I went on vacation last summer, my son was acting a little sickly, so I called his ped, who took my call then and there, because I was out of the area.

Also, was the baby sick when they landed, or has it started since they landed? It could be as simple as a house-hold allergy. Perhaps you have a cat, dog, or type of flower her body is not accustom to. She could have picked up a virus on the plan, or from back home just before they arrived.

Keep in mind, we have RSV going around down here in OC, so I'd imagine that LA has it too. Even my 40+ year old brother-in-law was in the hospital with it. My son also just got over a cold, as did my hubby, my (live in) niece, and the 2 kids I baby-sit.

Her ped should be able to answer whether it sounds like something going around back home. Just have the mom give the ped a call, he/she will tell you if it's time for a trip to the ER or Urgent care center, or to just ride it out.

Hope it helped, ~J.

BTW~ Pedia-LITE is fine. It will only provide better hydration. Pedia-SURE should NOT be used at this time. Pedia-sure is the milk shake like one with all the extra nutrients. She and your son can both have Pedia-lite to keep them full of extra fuilds, as that So Cal days are heating up agian!

My first daughter was started on cow's milk at 7 mo. After I went to work my milk supply dwindle down to nothing. After trying several different formulas to no avail (she spit up a lot), our Ped and I decided to try the cow's milk. She did fine. No more spit up, bowels were normal, and she began to gain at a more reasonable rate (she was small). She is now 6 yrs. old and has no problems with development. As far as the allergy symptoms, an allergy to food or milk would not cause these symptoms. Is the discharge clear from both eyes and nose? If there is no fever associated with the symptoms and the discharge is clear, I would use a cool mist vaporizer, even with some Eucalyptus. You can also buy a pediatric rub made from Eucalyptus as well, Johnson's makes a reasonable one. There are a lot of viral things going on in planes, not to mention a possible change in climate atmospere etc. Good luck, I don't think there is a need for medication unless there is an infection. Too often we are "given something" when we don't really need it, in turn causing lifelong independence on these drugs. Let us all know how everything turns out!

Hi, E.. I am an adult with food and environmental allergies and my daughter has them, too. Your friend can switch to either rice milk or even soy milk. They make them for children as well as adults. You are right in thinking that the croupiness, etc. could be signs of a food allergy. Also, just remember that this is allergy season and she could be reacting to plans, dust, and other environmental things. Do you have pets at your house? That could be affecting her as well. Orange County has a high mold count. If there is construction occurring near your area or you live where there is farming, those things would severely impact someone with environmental allergies. The problem is that doctors don't like to test children for allergies at that young an age. If it is her foods, they will generally suggest that the child be taken off of the food for several weeks to see if it makes a difference. It takes approximately 3 days for food to entirely leave the system so if she stopped milk, for instance, it might be 3 days before you might see some difference.

Good luck!

My daughter switced to whole milk at about 9 1/2 months (with ped. approval). She started not liking her formula after her brothers let her taste milk. As for an allergy because she's on cow's milk, that is what formulas are mostly based on...enzymes from cow's milk with extra vitamins and iron added and made easier to digest for babies, so I woulnd't think her symptoms are caused by that.
Perhaps she has a cold or allergies to other things she isn't used to in the new environment (animal dander, different plants, different cleaners, etc.)
Pedialight is meant to be used to rebalance electroylites when kids loose lots of fluids when they are sick. She is old enough to drink it, but it isn't a vitamin drink. They do have baby vitamins (poly-vi-sol) available if you think those would help her. They are in a dropper and she would just need one squirt a day, but I warn you, they smell horrible (I hate to think how they taste) and they stain ANYTHING they touch. My son was preemie and he had to take them for a while.
Good luck.

First of all, it is fine to start cows milk before 12 months as long as it is with pediatricians approval: the 8 month old does not need to take vitamins to supplement her diet, or else the pediatrician would not have allowed her to go to cows milk at all. In fact, now that she is on solids and regular milk so well, she is actually getting MORE vitamins in larger doses and a wider array of vitamins. When a child is allergic to cows milk, they do not develop cold like symptoms as this child is exhibiting: the may get hives, diarreaha, swollen lips and tongue, vomiting, etc. They do not catch a cold.
It is much MUCH more likely that she caught a virus from all the people she came in contact with at the airport and on the plane ---- it may not even be that. Babies can catch anything at anytime just from breathing in bacteria or germs floating in the air in their day to day routines.
DO NOT give her any vitamins or pedialite: she doesn't need them, and they may make her sick as an overload of vitamins is just as harmful as too little. As long as she is eating and drinking milk fairly normally (it is hard, afterall, to eat as much as you usually do when your nose is all stuffed up). A trip to the doctor at this point would be a waste, as they would tell you she has a cold and to take her home. She does not exhibit any signs of food or milk allergy. Give it a week or two, and if the cold hasn't gone away, then take her to the doctor.

Hi E.,

I can understand why you are concerned about hosting a sick baby. I think most moms would be. I can't speak to what might be causing her symptoms, but I can tell you that the nurse practitioner at my pedi's office told me that the main reason they recommend against cow's milk for the first year is NOT because babies can't tolerate it, but because it doesn't contain enough additional nutrients (vitamin, minerals, etc.) like formula. And, because it is so much cheaper than formula, they are concerned moms will substitue cow's milk for fomula to save money. Some babies, like adults, do have allergies to cow's milk or are lactose intolerant. From my own experience I can tell you that my in-laws introduced yogurt to my son (without me knowing) when he was 4 mos. old. This is common in France, where my in-laws live. My son loved it and has been eating it ever since. He is now 14 mos old, loves yogurt, cheese and cow's milk. He was only breast-fed for the first 3 months and then went to formula. (He is tall, strong, and healthy.) I have been concerned about my son not getting enough nutrients now that he is off formula and on cow's milk. My pedi gave me three suggestions. First, they make formula for toddlers 9-24 mos that is fortified and expensive). You can replace some servings of milk with that. He also mentioned another kind of fortified drink -- I can't recall the name. And finally, she could give her baby mulit-vitamin drops, which is what I do. Hope this helps some.

N.

This does not sound like a food allergy at all. My son has food allergies, and the symptoms include swollen eyes and hives. It sounds like this baby has cold symptoms, which are not related to food. It's never a bad idea to see a doctor if you are concerned.

E.,

My pediatrician said not until one year. His concern seemed to be more that the baby wouldn't get the nutritients she needed from other food sources because they aren't eating a ton of varied foods. The formula is designed to round out their diets. If the baby is drinking cow's milk, she probably isn't getting the vitamins she needs. What about a supplemental vitamin?

I would definitely suggest taking her to a doctor although I'm sure that could be touchy...

Good luck,
K.