Wow that was a long question. ha.
anyways, because of past intolerance's to dairy in my diet (through nursing, symptoms were spit-up, mucus-y diaper and tummy ache) we have avoided dairy so far in my one year old. I did try to give her yogurt a month or so ago, but that night she got a fever and had a couple diarrhea diapers, so it was a failed experiment, probably the flu since allergy does not cause fever.
We just did the blood test that tests for a milk allergy to the milk protien, casen, and soy. They all came back negative! I am so excited to feed her some yogurt (just think of all the protein and fat!), but nervous that she will get diarrhea or sick (we can't afford her to lose any more weight here, she's tiny).
Has anyones child had a negative allergy blood test to milk, but still showed symptoms of an intolerance after eating it (mucus diaper, tummy ache, ect) ?
I thought I was lactose intolerant. Then I tried organic milk. I haven't had a problem since!! I recommend it for everyone.
Are you using USDA organic dairy? If not, I'd try that. Also, why do you NEED to give her dairy anyways? Veggies have more calcium than cow's milk ever can.
a milk allergy involves an allergic reaction to milk, a "milk" or lactose intolerance means you lack the enzyme to digest the milk protein resulting in digestive disaster. They are different things and if you think that she's intolerant, it's probably true and I'd avoid milk products. I kept my son off milk until he was 2 for the same reason slowly introducing it in low fat forms (less fat = less milk protein) and he can tolerate low-fat milk products just fine.
I agree with everyone below. Intolerance is not the same as allergy. If your child breaks out in hives when she has milk, she might have an allergy. If she gets an upset tummy, it's likely intolerance. When we wanted to test my son to see if he could tolerate milk at 18 months (he was clearly intolerant as an infant), our pediatrician told us to start with a small amount of lactaid milk. This could help us distinguish between being intolerant of milk protein versus having lactose intolerance.
Unfortunately for us, a 4 ounce cup of lactaid milk with dinner led to a night without sleep for everyone due to crying from a tummy ache and gas. But since it was only a small amount, it was limited mostly to gas and only one night, and he did not end up with diarrhea. So, my advice is to start very slowly with lactose-free milk - just a small amount at first. If she tolerates that for a week, then try adding other dairy - one food at a time, not more than one food per week, so you don't overdo it and have a really miserable child. Good luck!
Yes, it is very possible. Blood tests only pick up actual allergies. Determining intolerance is more a matter of careful observation tracking response to various foods. Just proceed step by step, keep a food journal for her.
Not only is it possible, it's probable. Those tests don't seem to be as accurate as everyone claims.
We don't feed our kids much dairy and absolutely no milk, very little yogurt and minimal cheese, if we are out or have pizza. We also add a good probiotic that works better than any of the other recommended ones - PB8, which helps keep yeast, etc in balance in the intestines. We open the capsule and either dump some into their mouths or mix it in some food. Now they all can swallow, even the 3 year old, but they still like opening up the capsules. It also helps to keep their immune system up.
Cow's milk is awful for so many people. Goat's milk doesn't seem to have the same impact for many babies. I've told a few friends mix goat's milk in with the formula instead of water and all of their baby's illnesses go away. Their pediatricians freak out, but the parents saw an immediate difference, so they ignored their ped's ridiculous warning, which is based on nothing - because none of the peds had any solid reasoning when asked. Regardless of the FDA, raw still seems to be absorbed better for any dairy - cow or goat.
An allergist told me that the blood test is not a effective way of measuring allergy or sensitivity until after the age of 10+ or so because up until that point the mast cells bind to the IgE and do not give accurate results.
If you truly want to know what she is allergic to than you will need to have allergy skin tests.
Perhaps you might start with just a little bit of whole cow's milk before going to yogurt? Maybe just a few oz a day for a week or so...no more. See how she does with that before you add anything new.
Then add another dairy product. Perhaps some cottage cheese?
Work your way up.
It might just be the probiotics in the yogurt are upsettng her system.
