To identify whether your baby is allergic to cow’s milk proteins, symptoms should appear after drinking milk, which are usually redness and itchy skin, severe vomiting, and diarrhea.
Although it may also occur in adults, milk allergy usually begins during childhood and tends to disappear from age 4, as soon as the first symptoms appear, the pediatrician should be consulted to diagnose the disease and start treatment so as not to interfere with the child. Growth.
- Depending on the severity of the allergy.
- Symptoms may appear minutes.
- Hours.
- Or even days after drinking milk; in the most severe cases.
- Even contact with the smell of milk or cosmetic products containing milk in the composition can cause symptoms.
- Namely:.
Because cow’s milk protein allergy can cause stunting due to poor nutrition, it’s important to seek medical attention if these symptoms are present.
Diagnosis of cow’s milk allergy is based on symptom history, blood tests, and oral provocation test, in which milk is given to the child to evaluate the onset of the allergy, and your doctor may also ask you to remove the milk. of the child’s diet to assess the improvement of symptoms.
It’s also important to remember that diagnosing a milk allergy can take up to 4 weeks, as it depends on the severity of the allergy and the rate at which symptoms appear and go away.
The treatment of cow’s milk allergy is done with the elimination of milk and its derivatives from the diet, and it is also prohibited to consume foods containing milk in the recipe, such as biscuits, cakes, pizzas, sauces and desserts.
The right milk to drink for the child should be indicated by the pediatrician, as it should be a complete milk, but without presenting the protein of cow’s milk that causes allergy, some examples of milk formulas indicated for these cases are Nan Soy, Pregomin, Aptamil and Alfaré: find out which milk is best for your baby.
If the formula your baby takes is not complete, your pediatrician should indicate certain supplements to use to avoid a deficiency of vitamins or minerals that can cause diseases such as scurvy, which is lack of vitamin C, or beriberi, for lack. vitamin B, for example.
Breast-only infants may also have symptoms of milk allergy, as some of the cow’s milk protein consumed by the mother passes into breast milk, causing an allergy in the baby.
In these cases, the mother should avoid consuming cow’s dairy products, preferring soy milk-based beverages and foods, preferably fortified with calcium.
To find out if your baby has an allergy or lactose intolerance, you should look for symptoms, as lactose intolerance only has symptoms related to poor digestion, such as increased gas, intestinal cramping, and diarrhea, while milk allergy also has respiratory symptoms. skin.
In addition, your baby should be taken to your doctor for tests that confirm the diagnosis, such as blood tests and lactose intolerance tests, to find out how this test is done.
It’s also important to remember that your baby’s chances of having a cow’s milk allergy or intolerance are higher when close relatives, such as parents or grandparents, also have the problem. Learn how to feed your allergic baby to avoid health problems and stunting. Growth.