This file is based on milk proteins but you can use it for all food allergies
It is very common for some babies to have a sensitivity to cow’s milk protein (whey or casein are most common ones). You can typically diagnose an intolerance on your own but of course, you should inform your pediatrician of your suspicions and ask to see an allergist.
So ask yourself: Fussy baby or allergy?
Symptoms of Food intolerance
Some babies can have a food intolerances and show little symptoms, while other babies have more serious symptoms.
Skin rash/hives
Breathing troubles
Swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
Closure or tightening of the throat
Post nasal drip (resulting in ear/throat infections)
Projectile vomiting/severe reflux
Abnormal gassiness
Runny green poop
Bloody poop (visible or microscopic)
Colic behavior
A need to be carried all the time (kept upright)
Bad sleeper (short naps throughout the day and waking often at night)
Note for dairy specifically: if your baby is sensitive to a dairy in your diet, it will not help to switch to lactose-free dairy products. The problem is the cow’s milk proteins, not the lactose. Cooking dairy products may reduce but will not eliminate the allergens.
If your baby is only a little sensitive to dairy proteins, you may be able to eliminate only the obvious sources of dairy (milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, ice cream, cottage cheese, etc.). You may even be able to eat small amounts of dairy without it affecting the baby.
If your baby is highly sensitive, it will be necessary to eliminate all sources of dairy protein, which requires a careful reading of food labels.
Many dairy sensitive babies outgrow their sensitivity by 6-18 months, and most outgrow it by 3 years. If you reintroduce dairy into your diet and baby reacts, cut out dairy again for at least another month. If baby’s allergy to cow’s milk protein via breast milk is severe, it’s best to wait another 6 months before trying to reintroduce dairy. For allergic babies, avoiding the allergen makes it less likely that baby will develop a lifelong or life threatening allergy.
How long does it take to notice a difference?
A published medical study that measured how long cow milk protein remains in breastmilk after ingestion of dairy could not be found. Some websites claim it can take 2-6 weeks to clean your own system, but that is contradicting to home studies some mother’s conducted. A conclusion from these studies is that it takes 48 hours to remove dairy from your system. This is one reason why it is totally absurd to pump and dump for a while after going dairy free. The question arises why the websites refer to 2-6 weeks? Depending on the amount and time of exposure to dairy, your baby’s gut needs 2-6 weeks to heal. Compare it to sunburn – if you have light skin, you are “sensitive” to sunlight. Small exposure will cause a small “reaction” (skin changing red), though repeated or prolonged exposure will cause severe damage to your skin (blisters, severe pain, bleeding, etc.) Once you remove the cause (sunlight), your skin will not heal within a day or two. It takes a while for the new skin to form and the old skin to peel off. Though as long as you stay out of the sun, your skin will slowly heal and become healthy again. The same goes for your baby’s gut – the damage made by the dairy protein does not disappear as the protein moves out. After removing dairy from your diet and thus your baby’s diet, their gut takes the time to heal and that can take up to 6 weeks. So in short – after going dairy free you should see some difference within 2 days and a big improvement after 2 weeks, although it can take up to 6 weeks for your baby’s gut to heal completely. Until then, invest in a good probiotic and feed your baby breastmilk as usual.
Hidden dairy
We all know the obvious dairies, but many processed foods may also contain dairy.
Artificial sweeteners
Baby formula
Bakery goods (many fresh bakery goods do come labeled with ingredients)
Baking mixes (cakes, biscuits, pancakes, etc.)
Bread (whey is a common preservative in bread)
Breath mints (not all, but a few do contain casein related ingredients)
Candy (chocolate)
Canned tuna fish (some contain hydrolyzed caseinate)
Caramel
Cereal
Chewing gum
Chicken broth (several brands use milk proteins or solids)
Coffee creamer
Cookies & crackers
Custard/pudding
Fat replacers
Fried foods
Ghee
Goat’s milk
Granola & nutrition bars
Hot dogs
Imitation maple and other syrups
Lunch meats & sausages
Peanut butter (a very few may contain milk solids)
Potato chips
Salad dressings
Sherbet
Soup
Soy “meat” products
Soy cheeses
Spice mixes
Whipped toppings
What can I eat?
PRODUCE
Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Leafy Greens
Meats/fish
Nuts/seeds (avoid seasoned nuts may contain hidden allergies)
Potatoes
Sauces, dressings, extras (vegan mayonnaise, basic marinara sauce, homemade ketchup, vegan butter)
Stand-bys (salads, hummus, chili, roasts, unprocessed unpackaged foods, organic foods, coconut milk, almond milk, vegan cheese.)
http://kellymom.com/health/baby-hea…
http://www.godairyfree.org/food-and…
www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts…
