Does my 5 month old have a milk allergy?

[Olivia2012]

I am mentally and physically exhausted from fighting for help. I have been to my GP 6 times and health visitor 4 times. I Have finally been referred to a dietitian!! But my appointment is not for a while
Olivia has suffered terribly from reflux since about 6 weeks old. After her feed and sometimes during, she would scream and arch her back in pain. We would burp her and she would without fail, puke. The problem is she is sick for up to 3 hours after her feed. She is constantly sick. It's most of the time a flow of dribble sick and sometimes serious projectile vomit everywhere. Either way there is constantly sick coming out of this girl's mouth!!! She drenches so many clothes a day.
We have tried SMA, Cow and gate, prescribed reflux milk called enfimil, comfort milks, reflux milks (which helped a little with the sick but caused dreadful constipation.) We are now on Aptamel hungry baby. She seems happy in herself but her stomach is still dreadful! She has wind a lot as well. She currently has diarrhoea where it's all down her legs. Sometimes it has stretchy mucus in it and sometimes lumps of milk in it. Its like she releases wind and then a burst of diarrorea follows! Then the next day it's hard like she is constipated. It goes from one extreme to the other on a regular basis. But either way the sick is always the same... clear with lots of white lumps (basically curdled milk) she is gaining weight slowly. She's on the 9th centile now. But doctors just say as she is gaining weight, she does not have an intolerant. So why is she soooo sick. It's constantly dribbling out her mouth all day long. What could it be? She doesn't have a rash or skin condition. However when she screams or crys, she gets red patches over her eyes and forehead. Please help us!!

 

[Rickles]

Not sure if this helps or not - we've been referred to a paediatrician because we think Maddie allergic to cow's milk. I'm breastfeeding and have been off dairy for about 7 weeks and it seems to have made a huge difference. What made us suspect intolerance included:

Constant sneezing
Wheezing
Congestion
Red eyes
Vomiting (occasionally - not like you describe)
Hard protruding belly
Constant battles with wind
Diarrhoea

Maddie has always gained weight fine, so I don't think that is a measure of anything - it's more your child's comfort whilst doing so... Maddie also has reflux and a touch of echema, which is common in kids with intolerances.

Not sure what to advise, other than the standard - tilt the cot / moses basket so the head is higher than the feet. Hold baby up for 15-20 mins after every feed. Your GP should be able to give you gaviscon, it was a right faff if your breastfeeding, much easier to give by the bottle.

I would say that at 5 months old Olivia's digestive system should be maturing and you shouldn't be having this many problems. If she was 2 months old, I'd say don't worry she'll grow out of it.

There's no scientific proof that it helps but anecdotally some mums swear by baby rice as helping their kids reflux settle down... it's a bit weightier in their tummies...

Hope you get some answers - it's bloody frustrating I know!!!

 

[sunnydazegirl]

We suspect my son had a milk allergy. He would get really congested, red eyes, and projectile vomit after eating. My husbands family all have milk allergies so we told the doctor and she gave us some soy formula(which caused other issues). We finally got some Nutramigen with Enflora for him. That really helped him out so much. He went from a fussy, congested baby to a very happy little boy, he doesn't even projectile anymore. If your doctor won't listen to you then maybe you should try to find another doctor, after all do you want your child to see this person if they won't take this seriously.

 

[MrsButterfly]

I have many of the same issues with my lo. Constant sick and like you describe up to 3hrs after a feed, moving from diarrhea to harder poo and lots of wind. I've wondered if its some intolerance but he's always gained weight well and seems very happy in himself so have given up asking for medical advice. He's just had a tummy bug and was definitely lactose intolerant afterwards so moved onto lactose free milk but the vomiting persisted. And now I've moved him back to normal milk he's vomiting a lot still but I'm not sure if that's cos he's still slightly lactose intolerant.

So a lot of rambling and zero advice but just wanted to say I feel your pain! I'm now hopeful weaning in the near future will ease some of the issues.

 

[_Mouse_]

What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?
People with lactose intolerance may feel uncomfortable 30 minutes to 3 hours after consuming milk and milk products. Symptoms range from mild to severe, based on the amount of lactose consumed and the amount a person can tolerate.
Common symptoms include
abdominal pain
abdominal bloating
gas
diarrhea
nausea

It's very painful if your an adult so you can imagine what it would be like for a baby try a cow milk free formula or soya and see if it make a difference.

 

[mommy0629]

I agree that it wouldn't hurt to try a lactose free formula at this point. Worst thing is that it wouldn't help and you'd for sure rule out a dairy intolerance. I don't think the fact that she's gaining weight is a reason to rule it out, that's rediculous actually if you ask me.

 

[belle254]

If it helps my friends baby had some of these symptoms and she changed her daughter to cow and gate reflux milk (it's very thick so needed bigger teats!) and got gaviscon prescribed to add to her bottles and she's been a different baby since. Xx