Allergy to homemade milk in a child. Milk allergy in a child, symptoms and development. Baths with beneficial herbal infusions

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A milk allergy in a child is a negative reaction of the immune system. The pathology occurs in infancy. The disease cannot be cured, and therapeutic measures are aimed at getting rid of symptoms.

If symptoms of a milk allergy appear, it is recommended to consult a doctor, otherwise the most unpleasant and serious consequences may occur.

Allergy to milk occurs for the following reasons:

poor state of the immune system;
underdevelopment of the gastrointestinal tract;
genetic predisposition;
poor nutrition;
poor environmental situation in the child’s region of residence;
the presence of antibiotics in milk, if the animal providing this product was treated with such medications.

Symptoms with photos

Milk protein is a strong allergen, which often causes allergies in children. The reaction appears already in infancy, when the mother, after the onset of lactation, breastfeeds the baby. Rejection by the body does not always manifest itself as an allergy to milk. Milk protein intolerance is another reason for not accepting milk.

Symptoms of a milk allergy in a child on the epidermis:

the appearance of peeling;
severe itching of the skin;
the appearance of eczema;
hives;
red spots without changing the shape and surface of the epidermis;
the appearance of swelling of soft tissues, which is most often observed in the neck area.

The localization can be completely different, on the limbs, on the body and face. Below you can see photos of the most common symptoms of this disease.

Other signs of pathology not related to the epidermis:

disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, which manifest themselves in the form of increased gas formation, stool disorders and colic;
nausea accompanied by vomiting;
pain in the abdominal area;
wheezing and cough;
allergic rhinitis;
labored breathing.

Symptoms may appear separately or together. In any case, when the first signs appear, it is recommended to consult a specialist.

Diagnostics

A dermatologist can diagnose an allergy to cow's milk protein. First, the doctor begins interviewing the parents. If it turns out that dad or mom suffers from the same problem, then the specialist makes a note for himself. Next, the dermatologist examines the child and prescribes tests. Only a comprehensive diagnosis helps determine the presence or absence of pathology.

Milk allergy in children is determined using the following tests:

blood, stool and urine tests;
epidermal prick test;
analysis of the epidermis for allergens.

Treatment

If a child has an allergy to milk, only a doctor can prescribe treatment. Typically, therapy is based on the intake of sorbents. Such products free the body from allergens, which improves the baby’s condition and eliminates the symptoms of the pathology. Treatment is also prescribed depending on the area of manifestation of the disease.

Gastrointestinal system

Due to pathology, the baby often develops intestinal problems. The child begins to pull his legs towards his stomach due to pain in the abdominal area. This indicates the occurrence of dysbiosis. Probiotics help tidy up the intestinal microflora.

Parents also need to consult with a specialist on how to replace milk if you are allergic to milk protein, so that there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract. In such a situation, doctors advise introducing fermented milk products into the baby’s diet.

Skin lesions

Epidermal therapy depends on the nature of the lesion:

Milk scab. It is the formation of a crust on the epidermis of the child’s head. Therapy consists of regularly treating the rash with Vaseline or vegetable oil;
. With this pathology, plaques of different sizes appear, covered with white scales. Locations: lower and upper extremities. The rash becomes wet, and the child experiences itching in the affected area of the epidermis. Therapy is based on the use of antihistamines and treatment of the epidermis with zinc ointment;
. These are blisters that cause severe itching in the baby. Externally, the rash resembles a burn left by nettles. This is where pathology got its name. To get rid of the rash, the patient is prescribed antihistamine medications;
. This is a deadly manifestation of a milk allergy. The baby's mucous membranes in the throat and nose swell. As a result, the child begins to choke. If angioedema occurs, immediate hospitalization is required. Therapy is based on the use of hormonal medications.

Respiratory system

If the baby suffers from this pathology, then problems with the respiratory system rarely arise. If this does happen, the baby develops allergic rhinitis and wheezing. The child also finds it difficult to breathe. Lack of timely assistance can cause suffocation, so at the first signs of respiratory damage, it is recommended to call an ambulance.

Nutritional Features

What to feed a child with a milk allergy? There are special mixtures that will replace this product. The hypoallergenic food mixture can be replaced with fermented milk products. Special age-appropriate products have been developed for children - kefir, yoghurt and others. For a child over 1 month old, the daily dose is calculated by a specialist.

During the diet, cow's milk should be excluded from the diet. It can be replaced with goat's milk. For better absorption of the product, it is recommended not to give it in its pure form, but to add it to tea. If a child is allergic to goat's milk, then it should be excluded.

It is impossible to structure the diet of children in such a way that it does not contain dairy products. Animal milk can be replaced with plant milk - oatmeal, soy, rice.

It is recommended to start consuming dairy products after three to five years of age. By this time, the child’s fermented and immune system matures and the body begins to accept milk protein normally. There is no need for a child to adhere to a special nutritional system all his life.

Skin care during an exacerbation

During an exacerbation of food allergies in children to milk, it is important to provide special care to the epidermis:

Daily bathing of the baby. Water procedures are recommended to be carried out for 20 minutes. This time is enough for the epidermis to become saturated with moisture. Recommended water temperature is 35 degrees. During water procedures, you should not use a washcloth or any detergents. After finishing bathing, you should not rub the child’s skin too much, otherwise you can injure the epidermis, which will lead to aggravation of the situation;
Moisturizing the skin. It is recommended to use special products that relieve inflammation.

What diseases can a milk allergy be confused with?

Milk allergies are often confused with allergic reactions to other pathogens. The disease also has similar symptoms to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This manifests itself in bloating, increased gas formation, nausea, which is often accompanied by vomiting, as well as problems with stool. Milk allergies are also confused with colds.

Each pathology is accompanied by cough and rhinitis. The disease is also confused with lactose intolerance. Only a dermatologist can correctly determine the disease after conducting appropriate research. At the first symptoms of an allergy, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

Difference between milk allergy and lactose intolerance

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of milk allergy and lactose intolerance, since the therapy of the pathology depends on this.

Lactose deficiency is a congenital pathology of the enzyme digestive system. This condition cannot be treated. The child’s body cannot tolerate any type of milk. Even a special diet for several years will not help change the situation. A person with lactose intolerance will have to avoid consuming dairy products for the rest of his life. There are no other dietary restrictions.

If you are lactose intolerant, your symptoms will be severe. The baby has bowel movements, increased gas formation and colic.

A special test helps distinguish between milk allergy and lactose intolerance. Its essence is to limit the consumption of dairy products, or rather, to exclude them from the child’s diet. If after this the symptoms disappear, a milk allergy is diagnosed.

Any allergic reaction of the body requires treatment. Milk allergies are no exception. Lack of timely treatment threatens not only the baby’s health, but also his life. For this reason, at the first signs of pathology, it is recommended to show the child to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Sometimes, due to a number of factors, infants do not receive their mother’s healthy milk and are forced to eat an adapted formula. These babies are more likely than others to suffer from food allergies. Breastfed children are more protected in this regard and have negative allergic reactions much less often. The body of a baby who feeds on mother’s milk can also sometimes “rebel” when the mother drinks milk.

Formula-fed children are often susceptible to food allergies

Allergy to lactose is quite rare. Only 5-7% of children suffer from this predisposition. This may be due to two reasons: milk intolerance or allergy to milk protein. The first problem is caused by the baby’s body’s inability to digest cow’s milk, namely the protein – casein. In the second case, this protein is perceived by the immune system as foreign and the production of antibodies begins to protect against it.

Relative or complete lactase deficiency. The baby’s body lacks lactase, a special enzyme that can break down lactose, that is, milk sugar. In this case, animal protein is only partially broken down, and a number of molecules fall into the category of harmful and are perceived negatively by the body.
Intolerance to the protein of cow, goat, sheep and other milk.

The children's digestive tract is very sensitive to allergens of various kinds. Any type of nutrition other than breast milk is extremely difficult for a baby to accept.
There is no beneficial microflora in the baby’s intestines; it is loose and immature. The stomach and intestines become stronger closer to two years and learn to confidently resist the effects of harmful organisms.

Until the age of two, the child’s stomach accepts mother’s milk best.
A child is more susceptible to allergic reactions if:
a nursing mother is prone to allergies;
a pregnant woman living in areas with poor environmental conditions (excess exhaust gases, emissions from enterprises, “harmful” work);
there were dangers and illnesses during pregnancy (fetal hypoxia, risk of miscarriage, stress, gestosis, etc.).

Summarizing all of the above, we obtain information that external conditions greatly influence a child’s susceptibility to allergies. For the birth of a healthy baby, everything is important - a good environmental situation, proper nutrition of the expectant mother, genetic prerequisites, bad habits of one of the family members, the age of the woman in labor, the process of gestation. Children who receive an adapted formula instead of breast milk, if such deviations exist, should be fed with formulas that do not contain milk or it is replaced with plant-based options (oatmeal, rice, soy, coconut and others).
Main symptoms
A negative response from the body is usually not immediately noticeable. One dose of a dairy product usually does not produce such a reaction. The allergy manifests itself when consuming the food a second time. Each organism is unique, so the speed at which the reaction spreads will vary: from one hour to two days. This circumstance should be taken into account when visiting a doctor to make a correct diagnosis.
The following allergic manifestations on the skin are typical for infants:
flaky areas;

Peeling skin is one of the signs of allergies
sores, eczema;
itchy sensations;
rash;
areas of redness on the face and chest, as manifestations of atopic dermatitis (photos of what dermatitis looks like can be found on the Internet);
swelling of the head and neck - Quincke's edema.

The digestive organs can give a negative response with the following symptoms:
colic, diarrhea, sour stool smell, bloating;
excessive regurgitation;
abdominal pain;
nausea and vomiting;
decreased appetite.

The respiratory system can also malfunction due to allergies:
runny or stuffy nose;
cough;
whistling when breathing, heavy breathing;
wheezing.

From the respiratory system, allergies are manifested by a runny nose and sneezing
weight gain stops and this indicator lags behind the norm;
in rare cases, anaphylactic shock occurs.

Determining protein allergy
It is very difficult for an ignorant person to understand the true cause of allergies. Only an experienced allergist can assess the baby’s condition, prescribe a series of tests and tests, and then make a diagnosis.
Rash, dryness and irritation on the skin are the main companions of food allergies. It is quite simple to understand whether milk or another food caused such a reaction. You can find the culprit of allergic manifestations by keeping a food diary: you need to eliminate all dairy products and mixtures from your diet.
If there are other allergy symptoms (digestive, respiratory), diagnostics should be carried out only in laboratory conditions. To establish the true “culprit”, tests are needed to determine the reaction of immunoglobulin E to various products and skin tests.
Collecting information about family history can help determine whether milk is the cause of an allergy. When one of the family members has milk intolerance, it is very likely that a similar problem awaits the child.

If adult family members suffer from milk intolerance, the baby may also develop it.
Detect lactase deficiency
You can determine whether a child has lactase deficiency or the cause lies in a protein allergy using a test that doctors usually recommend. During the diet, you should exclude all products with lactase from the menu:
artificial type of feeding involves switching to lactose-free adapted formulas (we recommend reading:);
during lactation, lactose products are completely excluded from the diet of the nursing mother;
For older children, their diet is regulated by excluding any dairy-based products from the menu.

Seeing that during this time the baby did not develop any negative reactions, a conclusion is drawn about lactase deficiency. If you have a protein allergy, the symptoms do not disappear immediately, but gradually disappear day by day.
It is infancy that most often suggests the appearance of an allergy to protein. This disease most often goes away by the age of three. In the case of lactase deficiency, we can talk not only about the congenital form, but also about the acquired one. A baby may begin to suffer from this disease as a result of a rotavirus infection or as a result of intestinal lambiasis. In the last two cases, the disease can be cured with diet.

Acquired intolerance can be cured with a specially selected diet.
How to treat milk allergy?
For artificial people
Most of the powdered infant formulas offered today are made from cow's milk. When a child is allergic to it and is fed artificially, goat milk-based formulas or hydrolyzed options would be the ideal option (see also:). This transition should be made for at least six months, then you can try to return to your usual diet again. If symptoms recur, hydrolyzate mixtures should be reintroduced. The next attempt is made after another 6 months.
Goat milk formulas, such as “Nanny” and “Kozochka,” are well absorbed by the child’s body, but their price is higher than regular formulas. It is important for parents to know that changing the formula does not guarantee that the problem will not arise again. The situation may repeat itself now with goat's milk.
Hydrolyzed Protein Blends
Hydrolyzate mixtures are based on proteins split into dipeptides (more details in the article:). As a rule, there is no lactose in such mixtures, due to which they are well absorbed. The following types of hydrolyzate mixtures exist:
used when very severe forms of allergic manifestations occur: “Frisopep AS”, “Frisopep”, “Nutrilon Pepti TSC” (we recommend reading:);

mixtures that are based on partially hydrolyzed protein are considered preventive: “Nutrilon GA”, “NAN GA” (we recommend reading:);
prescribed for lactase intolerance and to prevent allergies: “HiPP GA”, “Nutrilak GA”, “Humana GA”.

An older child should not be given milk or products containing it. Severely allergenic foods, such as cottage cheese, nuts, fish, eggs, should be introduced into the diet with a long delay relative to existing standards.
When profuse and itchy rashes occur, you should not neglect the help of ointments that can reduce discomfort. When using antihistamines, you should choose those that have minimal effects on the central nervous system (desloratadine).
Sorbents are capable of removing protein from the stomach and intestines. These medications should be used no longer than 2-3 days, otherwise there is a risk of constipation in the baby.
For babies
The best food for a baby is breast milk. It contains enzymes that help the body absorb food almost 100%. Pediatricians and breastfeeding specialists strongly recommend maintaining lactation for as long as possible, especially when the child has allergies. In this case, the doctor prescribes a low-allergenic diet for the nursing mother. The diet should not contain lactose or products that contain its minimum dose: condensed milk, cream, chocolate, baked goods, butter, dry soups, milk or cream, ice cream.

Mom will have to exclude even harmless ice cream during breastfeeding.
A nursing woman who has an allergic child should responsibly approach a complete change in her diet. Small doses of milk, which are usually recommended during lactation, should be completely abolished. When a baby's allergy to lactose is not very severe, the doctor may suggest trying to drink fermented baked milk, yogurt, kefir and eat cottage cheese. A tangible effect will be noticeable after about 3 weeks. Seeing that the diet does not bring visible results, doctors sometimes advise switching the baby to artificial mixtures produced by deep hydrolysis of protein.
It is possible that a child with cow's milk protein intolerance will have a similar reaction to goat protein. When doctors have determined that a baby is severely allergic to lactose, they may recommend limiting the consumption of nuts, fish and eggs.
Sour milk in complementary foods - yes, but be careful!
Milk intolerance does not put an end to all dairy products. It is allowed to introduce fermented milk products into complementary foods, but this should be done with extreme caution. Start with kefir and do this no earlier than 7 months. As an alternative, homemade yogurt is perfect, the base of which can be any type of milk. Children over 10 months of age should begin to introduce cottage cheese. Children will be able to have eggs and fish until they are one year old. Dr. Komarovsky, however, generally recommends starting complementary feeding with fermented milk products.

Why are fermented milk products less allergenic? The fact is that they all undergo hydrolysis - a reaction when protein is broken down into simpler compounds (amino acids), and they are absorbed much easier and faster. There are almost no allergens in such compounds.
You need to be careful when buying store-bought curds, even for children, as they can also cause allergies. It is optimal to feed children homemade cottage cheese. You need to put a tablespoon of sour cream in a glass of milk, stir and let it stand for several hours out of the refrigerator. As soon as the product has slightly acidified, it should be put on the fire, first pouring it into a saucepan. You need to heat the milk until the curds begin to separate from the whey. Using a spoon, scoop the curd into cheesecloth and allow excess liquid to drain. Squeeze the resulting cottage cheese and enjoy the natural product. The product should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day.
For older children
As soon as the enzyme and immune systems complete their formation, allergic manifestations disappear. If there is a rash or other allergic manifestations, milk should be completely excluded from baby food. You can replace cow's milk, to which your child is allergic, with hypoallergenic milk in the menu. Its prominent representative in Russia is goat milk. You can buy it in farm shops or large supermarkets. It costs about 150 rubles per liter.

To replace cow's milk, you can buy goat's milk in the store.
Those interested can choose alternatives to animal milk. Herbal products will also be appropriate:
Soy. Beans are a storehouse of protein and minerals. To prepare the drink, soak the beans in water and boil them, then grind them in a blender. Strain the puree to obtain soy milk.
Oats. It contains many vitamins and minerals. It is advisable to take oats in the husk for cooking. Wash the grains and cook in water for about an hour. Strain the porridge and you will end up with oat milk.
Rice. Preparing milk is simple: boil the rice in water, and when ready, grind it in a blender and strain.

Such recipes can make a child’s diet more varied. If possible and desired, pamper your baby with new products.
What to do during an allergy exacerbation?
Medications
Allergies are a reason to take action and be proactive. Waiting for further manifestations can be dangerous, as cases of anaphylactic shock are not uncommon. As soon as you notice the first signs of an allergy, you should immediately treat your baby by giving him an antihistamine. Always follow the age restrictions specified by the manufacturer:

Suprastin tablets are not suitable for newborns less than one month old
Suprastin tablets can be used for children from 1 month, the maximum dose per day is ¼ tablet;
Fenistil drops are recommended for children older than one month; a child under one year old can be given no more than 30 drops per day, a single volume is 3-10 drops (we recommend reading:);
Peritol syrup is suitable for infants over 6 months; the dosage is calculated individually according to the attached instructions, based on the baby’s weight;
Zyrtec drops are recommended for children over six months old; they should be dosed as follows: 5 drops once a day.

Important information! Newborn babies under 1 month of age should use any antiallergic drugs strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
When an allergy appears within the first two hours after taking a “harmful” product, you can use the help of enterosorbents. Such medications are able to capture and remove the allergenic product from the body.
For children of any age, Dr. Komarovsky recommends the following medications:
Enterosgel (we recommend reading:). You should take half a teaspoon of the product, after diluting it in breast milk or water. The medicine should be taken up to 6 times a day before each meal.
Polysorb. The dose is calculated based on the child’s weight: with a body weight of up to 10 kg, the daily volume of the product should range from 0.5 to 1.5 teaspoons.
Smecta (more details in the article:). Take 1 sachet per day.

Enterosgel is perfect for detoxifying the child’s body
Hygiene
Milk allergies in most cases affect the skin. Children's skin becomes covered with a rash and redness characteristic of atopic dermatitis. The surface of the epidermis loses its moisture and becomes dry, cracks, and itches. Parents should protect damaged children's skin as much as possible and help it regenerate faster. Some parents mistakenly believe that it is impossible to bathe babies during the period of exacerbation of allergic manifestations, but in fact the truth is the opposite.

Select the section Allergic diseases Symptoms and manifestations of allergies Diagnosis of allergies Treatment of allergies Pregnant and lactating Children and allergies Hypoallergenic life Allergy calendar

Allergies in children are a common disease that every mother needs to know about. Due to the fact that a child’s body does not function exactly like an adult’s, the problem of allergies is so important and relevant.

The peculiarity of food allergies in children is that it is mainly due to the immaturity of the digestive system. Due to the insufficient activity of enzymes and their small quantity, as well as the unformed intestinal biocenosis, allergens entering the stomach and intestines actively affect the body.

This mechanism underlies the formation of food allergies in a child. However, if identified and treated early, and as the child grows and matures, the allergy may disappear over time.

Causes of milk allergy in children

In this article, we will take a closer look at the most common type of food allergy in children – milk allergy.

Allergy to cow's milk

Cow's milk is the most highly allergenic type of milk. Another name for this allergy is milk protein allergy (cow's milk protein).

Photo: Food allergies most often manifest themselves as various rashes on the face

This concept is general and non-specific, since cow's milk contains more than 20 proteins that can cause an allergic reaction. The most important of them are casein. (causes an allergic reaction more often than others), α- and β-lactalbumins.

Goat milk allergy

It is much less common than cow's milk allergy due to the low content of allergenic proteins. Goat's milk is considered hypoallergenic and is included in many food products for allergy sufferers and infant formula.

Therefore, if an infant is allergic to goat’s milk, you should carefully read the composition of specialized products and exclude those products that contain it.

Allergy to breast milk

With an allergy to breast milk, the reaction does not occur to substances produced by the mother's body, but to allergens that come from her diet. Thus, if you follow a hypoallergenic diet, mother's milk will also not contain allergens and will not cause a reaction in the baby.

More information about breast milk allergies.

It is important not to confuse a milk allergy per se with lactose (or other milk components) intolerance.

If in the first case we are talking about the immune mechanism of the development of the reaction, and the manifestations can be very different, from gastrointestinal to skin, then in the second we are talking about enzymatic deficiency.

In this case, the manifestations will only be food. Of course, allergies can occur due to lactase deficiency, but this does not always happen.

Allergy in older children more often occurs in response to a specific product/substance, and is associated with persistent sensitization of the body. Such an allergy has nothing to do with the immaturity of the body and, as in adults, will be observed every time it is exposed to an allergen.

Another possible cause of milk protein allergy in a child is dysbacteriosis, in which in the digestive tract the number of “beneficial” bacteria involved in the processing of allergen proteins is reduced. Dysbiosis can occur after an infection, against a background of weakened immunity, or after taking a course of antibiotics.

Gastrointestinal symptoms are a common manifestation of an allergic reaction to milk.

Treatment of dysbiosis involves taking probiotic medications that restore normal intestinal microflora:

Bifiform Baby,
Linux for children,
Acipol.

In this case, allergy is also a temporary concept, and with the restoration of the microflora it will disappear.

If children are allergic to milk, it must be replaced with other products containing sufficient amounts of calcium and other essential substances, without which the child’s body will not be able to fully grow and develop.

How does milk allergy manifest in children?

In infants, milk allergy is manifested mainly by skin and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Photo: Red rash around the mouth as a symptom of milk allergy in a baby

From the gastrointestinal tract:

The most common is vomiting after feeding;
In addition, it manifests itself in the form of regurgitation, colic and stool disturbances.

Another possible manifestation is changes in the skin:

dry skin;
red itchy rash around the mouth;
eczema, urticaria.

A child with allergies behaves restlessly, cries a lot, and sleeps poorly. In addition, breathing problems may occur immediately after consuming the product.

Treatment and diagnosis of milk protein allergy in children

Due to the fact that a small child will not tell us what is bothering him, and also due to the similarity of the symptoms of allergies and many other diseases, when diagnosing milk allergy in children, preference should be given to laboratory methods:

skin allergy tests,
determination of specific immunoglobulins IgE, IgG to cow's milk.

The cost of this study in various laboratories varies from 400 to 1000 rubles.

When an allergy is confirmed, two important areas of therapy should be followed: a hypoallergenic diet and treatment of the allergic reaction itself.

What to do if the allergy has already manifested itself? You should not wait until it goes away on its own - with this tactic, complications are possible in the form of a dangerous systemic allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock).

At the first manifestations of an allergy, the child should be given an antiallergic (antihistamine) drug approved for use at the appropriate age, for example:

Suprastin– approved for use in children over 1 month (daily dose - ¼ tablet).
Fenistil(drops) – for children over 1 month; daily dose for children 1-12 months - from 9 to 30 drops, single dose 3-10 drops.
Peritol(syrup) – for children over 6 months, the dose is calculated according to the instructions, based on the child’s weight.
Zyrtec(drops) – for children over 6 months, dosage – 5 drops 1 time per day.

Attention!

For children from birth to 1 month, antiallergic drugs can be prescribed, but with caution and under the supervision of a doctor!

If a short amount of time has passed from the moment of taking an allergen-containing product until the allergy manifests itself (up to 1-2 hours), enterosorbents - medications that bind and remove harmful substances (including allergens) from the stomach and intestines - will help stop or slow down the allergic reaction.

Photo: Possible manifestations of an allergy to cow's milk in a child

The following are allowed for use in children from birth:

Enterosgel- mix 2.5 g (0.5 teaspoon) of the drug in three times the volume of breast milk or water and give before each feeding - 6 times a day.
Polysorb– for a child weighing up to 10 kg – daily dose 0.5-1.5 teaspoon
Smecta– 1 sachet per day.

Also, if you have an allergy, it is most important to eliminate exposure to the allergen on the body. So, if you are allergic to cow's milk, you must follow a hypoallergenic diet (read below) and not consume milk and all products containing it.

In this case, allergies to fermented milk products may not be observed, since during their production most antigens are deactivated. In this case, eating yoghurt, kefir, cottage cheese, cheese and other fermented milk products is acceptable.

Dietary food for allergies

A diet for a child with an allergy to cow's milk should be balanced and contain a sufficient amount of nutrients, vitamins, and microelements.

The first complementary food for children with allergies is introduced later, from the seventh month of life, the second - from the eighth month. According to Tatyana Maksimycheva, a pediatrician and employee of the Department of Nutrition for Children and Adolescents of the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, the proteins in fermented milk products are much less aggressive, and in some cases such products are suitable for feeding children with allergies.

Calcium for children with cow's milk allergy is a very important and often deficient microelement, and a hypoallergenic diet should contain a sufficient amount of calcium-containing foods in the diet.

An example of a diet for allergies to cow's milk protein is given on his website by Dr. Komarovsky.

Sample menu for cow's milk allergy:

When it comes to children over three years old It is useful to include prunes, figs, canned fish with bones, and beans in the menu if you are allergic to milk. It is acceptable to eat any meat, but without sauces containing milk.

Prohibited any baked goods that contain milk: pancakes, donuts, pancakes, biscuits, etc. Cocoa is prepared with water or replaced with other drinks - tea, fruit juices.

Replacing cow's milk with milk from other animals

approximate cost 150 rubles/liter.

An allergy to goat's milk is possible, but extremely rare due to the low allergen content. In the absence of an allergic reaction to goat's milk, it is recommended to include it in the child's diet.

It contains a large amount of nutrients, macro- and microelements, and its beneficial properties even surpass cow's milk.

A more exotic product – hypoallergenic camel milk. It can be purchased at camel farms, which are not found in all cities of our country, costing about 3,000 rubles/liter.

However, Dr. E.O. Komarovsky argues that if a child has an allergy to cow's milk, most likely it will also develop it to goat or sheep, so replacing one with the other is not advisable.

Review of formulas for a child with milk allergy

An allergy to milk in an infant is an important problem that can be solved by feeding the child hypoallergenic formulas.

Due to allergies in children, it is often necessary to use. Nowadays there is a wide range of hypoallergenic products on sale from different manufacturers. In this article we will take a closer look at the most popular of them and figure out what the differences are.

Nutrilak Nutrilak Peptide MCT

Hypoallergenic mixture for feeding children from birth.

According to reviews, the mixture is well suited for children with an allergy to goat's milk and intolerance to other hypoallergenic mixtures. The disadvantages include a specific smell and bitter taste, which is why some children refuse this product.

Approximate cost: 780 RUR/300 g.

NUTRICIA Nutrilon Nutrilon Pepti TSC

Hypoallergenic formula for feeding children from 0 to 12 months.

Due to the high degree of protein hydrolysis, it is low allergenic. The mixture, due to its fairly high glucose content, is more palatable to the taste, but at the same time, this impairs its beneficial qualities. In addition, the mixture contains a fairly high content of maltose and galactose, which can cause allergies and intolerances.

When using this mixture, the color of the child's stool may change (take on a greenish tint).

Cause and symptoms

Allergy to dairy in infants during artificial feeding

Probably everyone knows at least one baby who has an allergic reaction to cow's milk, although this phenomenon is very rare. Typically, cow's milk protein intolerance or milk allergy in infants develops in about three children out of a hundred, and it occurs in the first months of a child's life, when his digestive system is still weak.

When one of the family members (or both at once) has an intolerance to dairy products, it is likely that the child has a tendency to allergies, therefore it is not worth feeding him with cow's milk-based milk formulas from birth. Breastfeeding can prevent the occurrence of allergic reactions, so breastfeeding should be continued for as long as possible.

Some babies may also react to the fact that their mother eats dairy products, so an allergy to cottage cheese may appear in a baby if the mother constantly eats it.

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allergy to dairy products photo

Typically, allergy symptoms appear in a child immediately after the allergen enters the bloodstream, but this process can occur several hours after feeding. Most often, the baby develops colic, diarrhea or vomiting; symptoms such as bleeding of the digestive tract and constipation are less common.

Sometimes dairy intolerance can cause problems with the respiratory system: runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing. In addition, allergies can cause hives, itching, a rash in the areas where the milk got in, as well as swelling and eczema.

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You should definitely inform your doctor about your allergy

If parents notice that their child is allergic to milk protein, they must inform the attending physician about this. In addition, the doctor must be told that the parents suffer from this type of allergy.

Urgent medical care is required for a baby if the allergy causes difficulty breathing, bluish or pale skin, weakness, hives, swelling of the neck and head, or diarrhea mixed with blood.

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Antihistamines may be prescribed for treatment

Only a pediatrician can establish with a higher degree of probability the presence of an allergy to cow's milk protein. For the purpose of treatment, it must be completely excluded from the child’s diet in order to understand that improvement is occurring. Moreover, if there is milk intolerance, then, most likely, an allergy to kefir in an infant, an allergy to cheese in an infant, and an allergy to other fermented milk products may also occur.

After this, milk and dairy products should be introduced into the baby’s diet very carefully under the supervision of a specialist. Children who have allergic reactions to milk protein will feel ill from even a very tiny dose.

Treatment of cow's milk protein intolerance is complex. As medications, the doctor may prescribe antihistamines, as well as medications for edema and asthma, if shortness of breath occurs as an allergic reaction.

The most important element of treatment is the complete exclusion of all dairy products from the baby’s menu. If a mother is breastfeeding, then dairy products are also completely excluded from her diet. If this point in the treatment of allergies is followed, then most children get rid of allergic reactions to milk protein by about one year.

Not only milk in its pure form is excluded from the diet of an infant and nursing mother, but also all products based on it: cheese, yogurt, ice cream, infant formula, and other products. In addition, parents will have to ensure that the product packaging does not contain casein or whey, which are also considered dairy products. The milk formula is changed to a soy-based formula if the baby is not allergic to it. If it is still available, the pediatrician will help you choose a different mixture.

A mom who excludes dairy products from her diet needs to consider that she will need to take calcium and some vitamin supplements in addition to her diet to ensure that the diet remains balanced. When a baby stops breastfeeding, it is necessary to introduce him to cow's milk carefully, postponing this process for as long as possible.

It is impossible to deceive the body that is on a dairy-free diet, since allergy symptoms will appear immediately after the smallest amount of milk protein enters the body of a child or nursing mother. As a result, the chances of getting rid of this type of allergy are reduced to almost zero.

If you completely ignore a dairy-free diet, the allergy will develop to the point of complications from it: dehydration of the child’s body will begin due to constant diarrhea, vomiting, as a result of which the baby will begin to lose weight, anemia may occur, as well as bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. The worst complication of allergies is anaphylactic shock, which causes death, although it is rare.

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The best prevention of allergies to dairy products is long-term breastfeeding

Naturally, the best prevention of allergy to cow's milk protein is breastfeeding the child. Therefore, the mother should plan to feed the child for as long as possible, especially if one of the family members has such an allergy. It is best to breastfeed your baby for up to six months, or even longer. At this time, the mother will have to monitor her diet herself, eliminating all dairy products from her diet.

After a year, you can gradually introduce dairy products into the baby’s diet, but this must be done very carefully, monitoring the condition of the baby while doing so. It is better if a doctor monitors the process of introducing dairy products into complementary foods.

If a mother does not have the opportunity to breastfeed her baby, then she should ask a specialist to help her choose a formula that will best suit her baby. The occurrence of allergic reactions can be prevented by a mixture based on protein hydrolysate (hypoallergenic mixture).

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gastrointestinal tract;
skin;
respiratory system.

Stool analysis.
Skin tests.

Allergy to dairy products in infants. Dairy products are the main food for children of the first year of life. For a growing body, it is very important to receive proteins of animal origin, which are found in large quantities in cow's milk.

Allergy in children to dairy products

They play a decisive role in the formation and construction of all life processes in the baby.

Their regular use contributes to the development of all organs and systems of the growing body. The absence of products of this category in the diet can lead to serious consequences, the occurrence of serious diseases or even mental retardation.

Therefore, it is very important for the full growth of a child, at this age, to receive all the necessary substances. An allergy to milk in an infant is one of the most common types of allergies that affects children under one year of age.

A breastfed baby receives food allergens through mother's milk. If a woman has consumed a large amount of dairy products, then after 46 hours the antigens identified in her milk are in high concentration, which negatively affects the condition of the child.

If this disease is detected, under no circumstances should you stop breastfeeding. One of the surest ways to combat it is to follow a hypoallergenic diet.

If an allergy to dairy products is detected, it is recommended to completely switch the mother to a dairy-free diet. Therefore, while the baby is breastfed, it is best to also exclude beef from the diet. Only butter is allowed.

There are several reasons why an allergy to dairy products may be detected. First of all, it is heredity. If one of the baby’s parents suffers from this disease, then the child has a predisposition to this disease.

Formula-fed babies also have increased sensitivity to milk. Infants usually react to cow's milk. For breastfeeding, much less often.

An allergic reaction to breast milk may be caused by the fact that during pregnancy a woman consumed cow's milk and casein, which is part of it, could penetrate the placenta, and then into the bloodstream of the fetus.

If the mother eats foods that can cause an allergic reaction, the likelihood of the baby being sensitive to them increases significantly. Therefore, a woman who is breastfeeding a child should exclude seafood, coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits, honey, nuts and other equally dangerous products from her diet.

The symptoms of this disease are varied. This may be a rash on the child’s skin in the form of atopic dermatitis.

They appear in the form of a rash, redness of the skin in the form of spots or diaper rash in the folds of the skin. This may cause watery eyes and a stuffy nose.

Quite often in such children, disorders associated with the digestive organs are noticed.

Most often, they manifest themselves in the form of frequent regurgitation, the child’s tummy is constantly swollen, unstable stools, alternating constipation and diarrhea. There is an admixture of blood or mucus in the stool.

Typically, in children of the first year of life, the most common are dermal and gastrointestinal symptoms, which involve a combination of both intestinal and skin manifestations. It is not difficult to identify this disease. At the first symptoms, it is necessary to take a blood test or skin test to determine the allergen.

An allergy to milk in an infant, or more precisely lactose intolerance, is a categorical intolerance to dairy products, which occurs due to the complete absence or reduced activity of the enzyme that breaks down milk sugar - lactose. In other words, it is the inability to digest it.

In order to avoid the occurrence of this disease and its unpleasant consequences, it is necessary to completely exclude products containing lactose from the diet.

Only a specialist should diagnose the disease, since both diseases have similar symptoms.

The cause of this disease may be the introduction of additional complementary foods or artificial feeding. An allergy to milk in infants is a fairly common phenomenon.

If it appears, you should consult a doctor before transferring your baby to a new formula, as it can also cause allergies. Of course, mother's milk is the best nutrition for children in the first year of life. But situations arise where it has to be replaced.

If your baby is predisposed to allergic reactions to cow's milk, then it is better to include in his diet adapted mixtures that are made from soy protein or the protein found in goat's milk. In addition, you can find hypoallergenic mixtures on sale in which the protein is partially or completely broken down.

Their disadvantage is a bitter taste, which children do not like.

Intolerance to cow's milk can cause an allergic reaction to products that contain animal protein. This is sour cream, cottage cheese, cream, cheese, beef.

Pediatricians recommend introducing it into the baby’s diet no earlier than 8 months of age, starting with small portions. If your baby is prone to an allergy to the protein contained in cow's milk, then before you start drinking it, you should consult your doctor. In most cases, it is better not to use it.

Since this very useful and seemingly harmless product can provoke an allergic reaction, not only due to the reasons listed above, but also due to various types of preservatives contained in this product.

Allergies to cheese and dairy products in infants occur for the same reasons, so if the baby is prone to this disease, it is better to exclude not only milk, but also all products that contain it.

In most cases, with proper nutrition and treatment, the allergy goes away with age, and the child will be able to eat most of these foods.

Formula-fed children are often susceptible to food allergies

Allergies can be caused by two main factors:

Relative or complete lactase deficiency. The baby’s body lacks lactase, a special enzyme that can break down lactose, that is, milk sugar. In this case, animal protein is only partially broken down, and a number of molecules fall into the category of harmful and are perceived negatively by the body.
Intolerance to the protein of cow, goat, sheep and other milk.

The children's digestive tract is very sensitive to allergens of various kinds. Any type of nutrition other than breast milk is extremely difficult for a baby to accept.

There is no beneficial microflora in the baby’s intestines; it is loose and immature. The stomach and intestines become stronger closer to two years and learn to confidently resist the effects of harmful organisms.

Until the age of two, the child’s stomach accepts mother’s milk best.

A child is more susceptible to allergic reactions if:

a nursing mother is prone to allergies;
a pregnant woman living in areas with poor environmental conditions (excess exhaust gases, emissions from enterprises, “harmful” work);
there were dangers and illnesses during pregnancy (fetal hypoxia, risk of miscarriage, stress, gestosis, etc.).

Summarizing all of the above, we obtain information that external conditions greatly influence a child’s susceptibility to allergies. For the birth of a healthy baby, everything is important - a good environmental situation, proper nutrition of the expectant mother, genetic prerequisites, bad habits of one of the family members, the age of the woman in labor, the gestation process. Children who receive an adapted formula instead of breast milk, if such deviations exist, should be fed with formulas that do not contain milk or it is replaced with plant-based options (oatmeal, rice, soy, coconut and others).

A negative response from the body is usually not immediately noticeable. One dose of a dairy product usually does not produce such a reaction. The allergy manifests itself when consuming the food a second time. Each organism is unique, so the speed at which the reaction spreads will vary: from one hour to two days. This circumstance should be taken into account when visiting a doctor to make a correct diagnosis.

The following allergic manifestations on the skin are typical for infants:

flaky areas;

Peeling skin is one of the signs of allergies

sores, eczema;
itchy sensations;
rash;
areas of redness on the face and chest, as manifestations of atopic dermatitis (photos of what dermatitis looks like can be found on the Internet);
swelling of the head and neck - Quincke's edema.

The digestive organs can give a negative response with the following symptoms:

colic, diarrhea, sour stool smell, bloating;
excessive regurgitation;
abdominal pain;
nausea and vomiting;
decreased appetite.

The respiratory system can also malfunction due to allergies:

runny or stuffy nose;
cough;
whistling when breathing, heavy breathing;
wheezing.

From the respiratory system, allergies are manifested by a runny nose and sneezing

It happens that a baby’s allergy to cow protein manifests itself as follows:

weight gain stops and this indicator lags behind the norm;
in rare cases, anaphylactic shock occurs.

It is very difficult for an ignorant person to understand the true cause of allergies. Only an experienced allergist can assess the baby’s condition, prescribe a series of tests and tests, and then make a diagnosis.

Rash, dryness and irritation on the skin are the main companions of food allergies. It is quite simple to understand whether milk or another food caused such a reaction. You can find the culprit of allergic manifestations by keeping a food diary: you need to eliminate all dairy products and mixtures from your diet.

If there are other allergy symptoms (digestive, respiratory), diagnostics should be carried out only in laboratory conditions. To establish the true “culprit”, tests are needed to determine the reaction of immunoglobulin E to various products and skin tests.

Collecting information about family history can help determine whether milk is the cause of an allergy. When one of the family members has milk intolerance, it is very likely that a similar problem awaits the child.

If adult family members suffer from milk intolerance, the baby may also develop it.

You can determine whether a child has lactase deficiency or the cause lies in a protein allergy using a test that doctors usually recommend. During the diet, you should exclude all products with lactase from the menu:

artificial type of feeding involves switching to lactose-free adapted formulas;
during lactation, lactose products are completely excluded from the diet of the nursing mother;
For older children, their diet is regulated by excluding any dairy-based products from the menu.

Seeing that during this time the baby did not develop any negative reactions, a conclusion is drawn about lactase deficiency. If you have a protein allergy, the symptoms do not disappear immediately, but gradually disappear day by day.

It is infancy that most often suggests the appearance of an allergy to protein. This disease most often goes away by the age of three. In the case of lactase deficiency, we can talk not only about the congenital form, but also about the acquired one. A baby may begin to suffer from this disease as a result of a rotavirus infection or as a result of intestinal lambiasis. In the last two cases, the disease can be cured with diet.

Acquired intolerance can be cured with the help of a specially selected diet.

Most of the powdered infant formulas offered today are made from cow's milk. When a child is allergic to it and is fed artificially, goat milk-based formulas or hydrolyzed options would be the ideal option. This transition should be made for at least six months, then you can try to return to your usual diet again. If symptoms recur, hydrolyzate mixtures should be reintroduced. The next attempt is made after another 6 months.

Goat milk formulas, such as “Nanny” and “Kozochka,” are well absorbed by the child’s body, but their price is higher than regular formulas. It is important for parents to know that changing the formula does not guarantee that the problem will not arise again. The situation may repeat itself now with goat's milk.

Hydrolyzate mixtures are based on proteins split into dipeptides. As a rule, there is no lactose in such mixtures, due to which they are well absorbed. The following types of hydrolyzate mixtures exist:

used when very severe forms of allergic manifestations occur: “Frisopep AS”, “Frisopep”, “Nutrilon Pepti TSC”;

mixtures that are based on partially hydrolyzed protein are considered prophylactic: “Nutrilon GA”, “NAN GA”;
prescribed for lactase intolerance and to prevent allergies: “HiPP GA”, “Nutrilak GA”, “Humana GA”.

An older child should not be given milk or products containing it. Severely allergenic foods, such as cottage cheese, nuts, fish, eggs, should be introduced into the diet with a long delay relative to existing standards.

When profuse and itchy rashes occur, you should not neglect the help of ointments that can reduce discomfort. When using antihistamines, you should choose those that have minimal effects on the central nervous system (desloratadine).

Sorbents are capable of removing protein from the stomach and intestines. These medications should be used no longer than 2-3 days, otherwise there is a risk of constipation in the baby.

The best food for a baby is breast milk. It contains enzymes that help the body absorb food almost 100%. Pediatricians and breastfeeding specialists strongly recommend maintaining lactation for as long as possible, especially when the child has allergies. In this case, the doctor prescribes a low-allergenic diet for the nursing mother. The diet should not contain lactose or products that contain its minimum dose: condensed milk, cream, chocolate, baked goods, butter, dry soups, milk or cream, ice cream.

Mom will have to exclude even harmless ice cream during breastfeeding.

A nursing woman who has an allergic child should responsibly approach a complete change in her diet. Small doses of milk, which are usually recommended during lactation, should be completely abolished. When a baby's allergy to lactose is not very severe, the doctor may suggest trying to drink fermented baked milk, yogurt, kefir and eat cottage cheese. A tangible effect will be noticeable after about 3 weeks. Seeing that the diet does not bring visible results, doctors sometimes advise switching the baby to artificial mixtures produced by deep hydrolysis of protein.

It is possible that a child with cow's milk protein intolerance will have a similar reaction to goat protein. When doctors have determined that a baby is severely allergic to lactose, they may recommend limiting the consumption of nuts, fish and eggs.

Milk intolerance does not put an end to all dairy products. It is allowed to introduce fermented milk products into complementary foods, but this should be done with extreme caution. Start with kefir and do this no earlier than 7 months. As an alternative, homemade yogurt is perfect, the base of which can be any type of milk. Children over 10 months of age should begin to introduce cottage cheese. Children will be able to have eggs and fish until they are one year old. Dr. Komarovsky, however, generally recommends starting complementary feeding with fermented milk products.

Why are fermented milk products less allergenic? The fact is that they all undergo hydrolysis - a reaction when protein is broken down into simpler compounds (amino acids), and they are absorbed much easier and faster. There are almost no allergens in such compounds.

You need to be careful when buying store-bought curds, even for children, as they can also cause allergies. It is optimal to feed children homemade cottage cheese. You need to put a tablespoon of sour cream in a glass of milk, stir and let it stand for several hours out of the refrigerator. As soon as the product has slightly acidified, it should be put on the fire, first pouring it into a saucepan. You need to heat the milk until the curds begin to separate from the whey. Using a spoon, scoop the curd into cheesecloth and allow excess liquid to drain. Squeeze the resulting cottage cheese and enjoy the natural product. The product should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day.

As soon as the enzyme and immune systems complete their formation, allergic manifestations disappear. If there is a rash or other allergic manifestations, milk should be completely excluded from baby food. You can replace cow's milk, to which your child is allergic, with hypoallergenic milk in the menu. Its prominent representative in Russia is goat milk. You can buy it in farm shops or large supermarkets. It costs about 150 rubles per liter.

To replace cow's milk, you can buy goat's milk in the store.

Those interested can choose alternatives to animal milk. Herbal products will also be appropriate:

Soy. Beans are a storehouse of protein and minerals. To prepare the drink, soak the beans in water and boil them, then grind them in a blender. Strain the puree to obtain soy milk.
Oats. It contains many vitamins and minerals. It is advisable to take oats in the husk for cooking. Wash the grains and cook in water for about an hour. Strain the porridge and you will end up with oat milk.
Rice. Preparing milk is simple: boil the rice in water, and when ready, grind it in a blender and strain.

Such recipes can make a child’s diet more varied. If possible and desired, pamper your baby with new products.

Medications

Allergies are a reason to take action and be proactive. Waiting for further manifestations can be dangerous, as cases of anaphylactic shock are not uncommon. As soon as you notice the first signs of an allergy, you should immediately treat your baby by giving him an antihistamine. Always follow the age restrictions specified by the manufacturer:

Suprastin tablets are not suitable for newborns less than one month old

Suprastin tablets can be used for children from 1 month, the maximum dose per day is ¼ tablet;
Fenistil drops are recommended for children older than one month; a child under one year old can be given no more than 30 drops per day, a single volume is 3-10 drops;
Peritol syrup is suitable for infants over 6 months; the dosage is calculated individually according to the attached instructions, based on the baby’s weight;
Zyrtec drops are recommended for children over six months old; they should be dosed as follows: 5 drops once a day.

Important information! Newborn babies under 1 month of age should use any antiallergic drugs strictly under the supervision of a doctor.

When an allergy appears within the first two hours after taking a “harmful” product, you can use the help of enterosorbents. Such medications are able to capture and remove the allergenic product from the body.

For children of any age, Dr. Komarovsky recommends the following medications:

Enterosgel. You should take half a teaspoon of the product, after diluting it in breast milk or water. The medicine should be taken up to 6 times a day before each meal.
Polysorb. The dose is calculated based on the child’s weight: with a body weight of up to 10 kg, the daily volume of the product should range from 0.5 to 1.5 teaspoons.
Smecta. Take 1 sachet per day.

Enterosgel is perfect for detoxifying the child’s body

Milk allergies in most cases affect the skin. Children's skin becomes covered with a rash and redness characteristic of atopic dermatitis. The surface of the epidermis loses its moisture and becomes dry, cracks, and itches. Parents should protect damaged children's skin as much as possible and help it regenerate faster. Some parents mistakenly believe that it is impossible to bathe babies during the period of exacerbation of allergic manifestations, but in fact the truth is the opposite.

Children simply need daily hygiene to moisturize and cleanse their skin. It is better to carry out bath procedures for at least 20 minutes. During this time, the outer layer of skin will have time to be fully saturated with water.
Make sure the water temperature fluctuates around 35°C.
It is better to refrain from using washcloths at this time, and do not rub your skin with a towel, just blot lightly.

It is likely that a child's milk allergy will go away on its own within the first three years. The digestive organs, the formation of enzymes, the functioning of the immune system - everything comes to a more advanced phase, which means the body becomes stronger and more resistant to external irritants. The baby’s body is already able to independently break down sugar into galactose and glucose. Protein in such a digested state is not capable of harming the child’s body.

The relative form of lactase deficiency may go away over time and as the child grows older, but if there is complete lactose intolerance, this pathology will remain with the baby for life. To compensate for the lack of calcium in such babies, it is important for parents to think about other ways to obtain this mineral.

Babies who, for certain reasons, cannot receive breast milk and are bottle-fed are more likely to suffer from food allergies. Infants who receive mother's milk are less likely to suffer from allergic reactions, however, the presence of cow's milk in a nursing woman's diet can negatively affect the child's well-being and provoke allergies.

Milk allergy in childhood occurs in 5–7% of all food allergies. There are two concepts - intolerance and allergy to milk in infants. The first definition is based on the problematic digestion of a large molecule of cow's milk protein (casein), and the second is the perception of this protein by the child's immune system as a foreign agent and the production of protective antibodies in response to its entry into the body.

There are two reasons that contribute to the development of allergies in childhood:

Complete or relative lactase deficiency - this condition develops in the body of those babies who, from birth, do not produce enough of the special enzyme lactase, which is involved in the breakdown of milk lactose. As a result of such incomplete breakdown of animal protein, substances are formed that can be perceived by the body as harmful (foreign).
Intolerance to the protein itself contained in cow's (goat, sheep, etc.) milk.

For artificial feeding of children with this pathology, special formulas prepared on a dairy-free basis or using plant milk (soy, rice, oat, coconut, etc.) should be used.

As a rule, a reaction of any type develops after more than one consumption of a dairy product. A true allergy does not appear immediately, but after the re-entry of cow's or other milk into the digestive system. The process of allergization of the body takes at least 1 hour; in some children, the first symptoms of food allergy may appear after 1–2 days. This must be taken into account when collecting anamnesis at a doctor’s appointment.

Common symptoms of milk allergy in infants are:

Skin manifestations - rashes, peeling, areas of redness, diaper rash, itching.
Loss of appetite – a decrease in the volume or frequency of feedings, the baby’s complete refusal to eat.
Dyspeptic disorders - frequent regurgitation immediately after feeding, periodic vomiting.
Intestinal symptoms - frequent stools with a sour smell, diarrhea, intestinal colic, bloating.
Stopping weight gain, body weight deficiency.
Pathology of the respiratory system - increased production of nasopharyngeal mucus, swelling of the airways, leading to difficulty breathing for the baby.
Rare forms of milk allergy are anaphylactic reactions.

It is quite difficult to recognize the cause of an allergy on your own without special knowledge. Only an allergist can help in diagnosing the causative factor. He will be able to determine the final verdict after collecting all the complaints, conducting a detailed examination of the baby, conducting additional research and specific tests.

Frequent symptoms of food allergies are skin manifestations - rash, irritation, dryness of certain areas of the body. To identify causal connections between skin rashes and milk allergies, it is enough to keep a food diary and exclude milk and milk-based formulas from the child’s diet. It is also possible for trained medical personnel to perform a “challenge test”.

If the baby has other symptoms (intestinal, respiratory), diagnosis between different types of allergens is possible only with the help of special examinations (skin tests, determination of immunoglobulin E for various products).

Hereditary history also supports milk allergy in infants. Most members of one family can clearly trace food intolerance to dairy products or various types of allergic reactions when consuming them.

Highly adapted formulas made on a dairy-free basis using soy or hydrolyzed protein help prevent the development of allergic reactions in young children.

Preventive mixtures include: “Nutrilon hypoallergenic 1, 2”, “NAN hypoallergenic 1, 2”. For therapeutic purposes, highly adapted mixtures are used: Alfare, Frisopep, Nutrilon-Pepti TSC, etc. Lactose-free products for artificial feeding help cope with lactase deficiency.

As the child grows older and complementary foods are introduced, products made from milk and dairy components should be avoided. Also, ingredients with a high percentage of allergenicity - eggs, fish, cottage cheese, nuts - should be given later than usual.

For obvious skin rashes and itching, the use of external ointments that reduce these manifestations, as well as antihistamines, is justified. Preference should be given to drugs with minimal effects on the central nervous system (desloratadine).

Sorbents help eliminate protein from the digestive tract. Their use should not exceed 2-3 days, so as not to cause constipation in the child.

Over time, a baby's milk allergy may go away on its own. As the baby grows, differentiation and improvement of his digestive organs, enzymes, and immune system gradually occur, which allows the body to completely break down milk sugar into glucose and galactose. Completely digested protein is not able to stimulate an atypical immune response.

Relative lactase deficiency, in certain cases, can be compensated after puberty, but complete lactose intolerance remains with the child for his entire life. Such children need additional calcium supplements so that the skeletal system can develop fully.

Babies in the first year of life are vulnerable to the negative effects of external and internal factors, which contributes to the emergence of all kinds of pathological processes and conditions. Sometimes an increased reaction of the body occurs when consuming products containing milk protein and the baby develops an allergy to milk.

The benefits of dairy products cannot be underestimated. What should you do if your baby has symptoms of an allergy to cow's milk? How to reduce their severity and get rid of the disease? You will find answers to these questions in the article.

About 5% of babies suffer from lactose intolerance. Allergy to milk casein in young children develops regardless of what kind of feeding they are on. However, according to statistical data, children receiving breast milk are much less likely to suffer from hypersensitivity, moreover, the severity of clinical manifestations in infants fed formula is higher.

An allergic reaction develops as a response to the ingestion of food products containing a foreign protein into the gastrointestinal tract. Cow's milk contains more than 25 types of protein, the most active of which are casein, alpha and beta lactoglobulins, and albumin.

Due to the fact that certain groups of enzymes may be absent in the stomach of a small child, animal proteins entering the gastrointestinal tract are not broken down into monomeric components. As a result, beneficial substances cannot be completely absorbed through the mucous membrane. The baby's body perceives them as foreign cells and reacts by developing an allergy to the protein.

There are two types of reactions. True hypersensitivity develops even when consuming a small volume of milk due to a deficiency of digestive enzymes. A pseudoallergic reaction occurs due to excessive consumption of the product when the stomach cannot cope with processing such an amount of milk.

An allergy to cow protein in an infant appears in two cases:

when the baby is breastfed and the mother has eaten a dairy product;
when feeding with a formula based on milk powder.

The best food for a newborn in the first six months of life is breast milk, which contains all the necessary substances for the baby and is also easily digestible. Any foreign proteins easily penetrate the insufficiently formed mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestine, and therefore can lead to an allergy to milk protein in an infant.

The likelihood of an increased reaction of the body in a child increases in the presence of predisposing factors:

One of the parents is prone to allergies.
During intrauterine development, the baby was exposed to the adverse effects of the environment or harmful substances.
The mother had pathological conditions while carrying the baby, such as toxicosis, gestosis or fetal hypoxia.

Antigens are carried through the bloodstream to various organs, so there are no clear signs of how an allergy to cow's milk manifests itself in infants. After all, pathology can affect both the skin and be expressed in dyspeptic disorders.

Symptoms of hypersensitivity can become more pronounced when acute respiratory viral infections occur, a weakening of the protective reaction, infectious pathology, and in stressful situations.

Milk allergy in infants is characterized by specific symptoms from certain systems:

gastrointestinal tract;
skin;
respiratory system.

Malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract that occur as a response to an allergy to cow's milk in an infant:

Diarrhea. The baby has loose stools containing food particles and curdled milk.
Vomit. Looks like profuse regurgitation, accompanied by crying and anxiety.
The admixture of blood in the stool indicates a serious course of allergy symptoms.
Abdominal pain. The baby signals discomfort in the intestines by anxiety, crying or whims. This symptom must be differentiated from colic.
Children after one year may indicate that they are bothered by unpleasant sensations in the epigastrium. This condition is typical for allergies, because upon contact with a foreign protein, histamine is released, which leads to hypersecretion of hydrochloric acid.

How else does a milk allergy manifest in a baby?

It can occur on the skin, which is expressed by the following symptoms:

Atopic dermatitis is a rash in the popliteal region, on the elbows, cheeks, forehead, and chin.
Milk scab - often appears in bottle-fed children and is manifested by the formation of dense white crusts on the scalp.

Symptoms from the respiratory system are rare. It can be manifested by mucus discharge from the nasal passages, sneezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing. In exceptional cases, bronchial asthma develops.

How to determine milk allergy in a baby? You should contact your pediatrician with this question. After examining the child, the doctor will ask some questions regarding situations when a reaction occurs, and will also inquire whether there are any allergies in the family.

To determine whether the allergy is a response to the intake of cow's or goat's milk, laboratory and clinical tests should be performed on the infant:

Stool analysis.
Blood test for antibodies to allergens.
Skin tests.

An allergy to cow's milk protein in an infant is similar to lactase deficiency; the presence of the latter can be determined using a test to detect stomach enzymes.

The key to preventing the re-development of the body’s increased reaction to cow’s milk protein is a special lactose-free diet recommended for allergies. When artificially feeding the baby, it is necessary to choose a dairy-free formula that contains protein hydrolysates.

To combat hypersensitivity to casein and albumin, medications are also used:

antihistamines - remove external signs of the reaction, have a hyposensitizing effect (Suprastin, Loratadine);
corticosteroids – prescribed for severe symptoms (Hydrocortisone);
enterosorbents – effective in the development of intestinal disorders, remove toxins (activated carbon, Enterosgel).

When the baby does not tolerate lactose protein, mothers have a question about whether the child may be allergic to goat’s milk, whether it will be possible to give it to the baby and thereby compensate for the missing nutrients contained in dairy products. Hypersensitivity sometimes develops to goat's milk, but this occurs much less frequently.

Unfortunately, the number of children with allergies increases every year. However, medical diagnostics make it possible to establish the cause of the body’s hyperreactivity and select ways to get rid of it.

According to statistics, by the end of the first year of life, about half of children suffering from milk allergies completely get rid of this problem. And by the age of three, the pathology remains in no more than 10-15% of children.

To avoid the occurrence of an allergy to cow protein in an infant, as well as to reduce the severity of hypersensitivity symptoms, you should follow some rules:

Monitor your diet during pregnancy and avoid foods that can cause allergies.
Remember that nicotine and alcohol not only have a negative effect on the fetus, but can also cause hypersensitization of the body - increased sensitivity to certain substances.
When breastfeeding during the first months, a young mother should exclude from the menu foods to which allergies may develop. Read more about nutrition for a nursing mother →
If your baby has problems digesting milk protein, switch to lactose-free or fermented milk formula.

A developing allergy to milk protein negatively affects the condition of the body, which is why the baby may develop symptoms of various pathologies in the internal organs. Dermatological problems also appear quite often.

If hypersensitization has not been eliminated, then the likelihood of developing bronchial asthma, as well as suppression of the infant’s immune system, increases. It is for this reason that it is important to detect allergies in a timely manner and take measures to get rid of them.

Food allergies happen when the body's immune system gets confused and reacts to something that for most people is harmless. A milk allergy in a child, the symptoms of which can be found in this article, appears after the release of the chemical histamine, which causes typical signs of the disease.

Causes of the disease

Can you be allergic to milk? Doctors say that such a reaction is possible at any age. Why is a child allergic to milk? A similar reaction of the body in a child develops when the immune system reacts inadequately to milk protein or lactose. Allergies can be triggered by many factors. Doctors put forward several theories leading to its occurrence:

The first is that children are born and raised in very sterile conditions. The child is less exposed to dirt and germs. Due to the lack of “real” threats to fight, the body begins to attack harmless proteins.
The second theory is that the bodies are so toxic that the fetus in the womb becomes overloaded and subsequently cannot cope with some of the natural chemicals. The result is an allergy to milk protein.
The third and final theory is that, for unknown reasons, the baby's body simply does not produce enough enzymes necessary to break down various foods.

An allergy to cow's milk protein can occur if the mother or father also suffers from it. This disease has a genetic predisposition.

Symptoms of the disease from the gastrointestinal tract

An allergy to milk in children can manifest itself as loose stools and other gastrointestinal reactions. The main symptoms of the disease include:

colic;
undigested milk in stool;
abdominal pain;
disturbance of intestinal motility;
loose stools;
vomit;
diarrhea;
increase in the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

Your baby's stool may be green. A cow's milk allergy can manifest itself with one or more symptoms.

Important! Remember that the baby may be allergic to goat's or cow's milk in combination with intolerance to other products. For example, such a reaction is possible with simultaneous intolerance to milk and eggs.

How else does the disease manifest itself? Food allergies rarely cause bleeding, but often lead to dehydration. Another manifestation of the disease is insufficient weight gain compared to the age norm.

External signs of an allergic reaction - photo

An allergy to breast milk in babies immediately manifests itself as milk scabs. They serve as the first signal about a malfunction in the body. Most often, such signs occur when there is an allergy to powdered milk, that is, in children who are bottle-fed.

Allergy to whole milk in infants and other types of product is manifested by eczema, a common symptom is limited atopic dermatitis and Quincke's edema. A common sign of the disease is a pinpoint rash. An allergy to breast milk is manifested by rapid swelling, especially in the neck and head (Quincke's edema). The child develops large red spots in the folds, chest and face.

Diagnosis of the disease

To determine whether a child is allergic to lactose or protein, it is necessary to undergo a series of diagnostic tests. How to detect a milk allergy? Testing for protein intolerance:

Skin examination. The test involves pricking the skin with a small pin filled with milk protein. If blisters (swollen red spots) appear, it means that the body is reacting poorly to it.
Allergy analysis. A blood draw will show allergen antibodies if the disease is present.

To determine an allergic reaction to lactose, a hydrogen breath test is performed to test for intolerance and acidity of the stool.

How to treat this disease?

How to treat the disease? Treatment of allergies begins with changes in diet and the use of antihistamines. The doctor tells parents in detail what to do and how to take medications. Each case is individual, especially when the disease is diagnosed in a child. Antihistamines relieve respiratory, skin and nutritional symptoms.

Important! Medications are prescribed taking into account the age of the baby.

Therapy for an allergic reaction also involves the use of various creams, ointments and gels to relieve itching, flaking and redness of the skin. Some children are prescribed hormonal medications if their heart function is impaired.

Enterosorbents promote rapid removal from the body of toxins formed during an allergic reaction. Their use is mandatory.

Hidden Dairy Products and Sources of Calcium

So, you finally found out about the problem and discovered that your child has an allergy. How can I replace milk to keep the nutrients in the form of calcium supplied? First of all, you shouldn’t do anything yourself. Secondly, it will be difficult at first, but later the child will understand that his parents do not wish him harm.

You can replace milk with baby formula. They are sold in stores and pharmacies depending on the age of the baby. In addition, the choice of formula also plays an important role for bottle-fed babies. They must be chosen with a soy base. For adult children, it can be replaced with the following products:

Soy or rice milk.
Yogurts, ice cream, cheese, margarine that do not contain cow's milk. They can be found in any store and contain calcium and other vitamins.
Goat's milk for allergies is also a good alternative if the child has a good reaction to it.

There are now many gluten-free products that can be used to replace cakes and cookies made with milk. What to feed the child? The diet should not contain dairy products, as this can worsen the situation and lead to a full-blown allergy. Parents should know if their child is allergic to milk: what to feed? The diet should be rich in calcium and beneficial microelements. The menu for a child must be compiled correctly; the following products must be present in the diet:

whole wheat bread;
green vegetables;
sesame seeds;
mackerel, salmon, halibut;
oranges, kiwi, tangerines, bananas and other fruits;
cereals and soybeans.

The hardest thing about dairy intolerance is diagnosing it. The menu of a one-year-old child should consist of many fruits, vegetables, baked and stewed dishes. Komarovsky recommends excluding eggs until the cause is determined; if the reaction occurs after eating sweets, the baby may be allergic to them. Your doctor will tell you more about what to give your child.

Is it possible to have kefir? You can give your baby fermented milk products for breakfast, but with sourdough, allergenicity is not completely reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the child’s reaction. Recipes are selected based on the baby's preferences. A dairy-free diet doesn't last long. Usually a child adapts to this product by the age of one year.

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