FA Moms: Enlighten me

[boltfam]

DD just turned 1, and about a couple of weeks after she was born, she was SUPER crabby. She would also spit up enough to soak me and her. So, the doc suspected a dairy sensitivity, and I (bfing) gave up dairy. It helped a TON. She was so much happier and didn't have the large spitting up episodes. People commented on how she was a totally different baby.

Once in a while, I would "cheat" and eat some dairy. When I did that, she would have those huge spit ups again. She also has been dealing with a bad eczemenous rash, which the dermatologist tells me isn't dairy related but I'm not sure. DD seems to do okay with hidden diary but, if I have real dairy like cheese, ice cream, etc. she spits up again. She only spits up if I have dairy; otherwise, no spitting. Tonight, I had some dairy at a b-day party, and after I bfed her, she spit.

People say, "All babies spit up", which is true but her spit up and the dairy seem to be connected. I don't know what to make of it and where to go from here. At DD's 1 yr appointment, the ped said it sounds like an intolerance (and not an allergy), so I'm wondering if you would agree.
Should I have her tested? I know that only a real allergy will show up on a test - not an intolerance. If it is an intolerance, will she outgrow it?

[mytwosons]

Yes, intolerances can be outgrown.

If I were you, I would avoid all dairy except the hidden since she seems ok with that. But, I would keep a close eye on her because IME, intolerances can turn into allergies. I know this isn't true in a lot of cases, but it was in ours. I probably wouldn't do allergy testing now, as it isn't 100% accurate. I would probably wait until she was at two and then give her a bit of dairy and see what happens.

ETA: For us, eczema was dairy related. You might want to cut out even the hidden dairy and see if it goes away.

[MamaMolly]

Lula had an allergy to milk (vs. intolerance) and outgrew it, so it can happen. Doesn't always, but it can.

We had her tested with a CAP-Rast blood test after hives, vomiting, & diarheea problems with dairy & egg and a hive reaction to cats. She came back positive to all of them AND peanuts. She'd outgrown her dairy and egg allergy by 3 years old.

Flash forward to this year and she had her first SPT (skin prick test) and tested + to peanut, cat and some environmental allergens.

IMO it is totally worth asking your Ped for a referral to a *pediatric* allergist with experience in food allergies and getting a CAP-Rast test done. Nothing wrong in knowing what you are dealing with. It will require a blood draw.

[KpbS]

IMO it is totally worth asking your Ped for a referral to a *pediatric* allergist with experience in food allergies and getting a CAP-Rast test done. Nothing wrong in knowing what you are dealing with. It will require a blood draw.

This is what I would do as well but also request skin prick testing. I would also avoid consuming any dairy while nursing and definitely not let her have any dairy, hidden (cooked, minimal amounts) or obvious.

[DrSally]

So, she hasn't had *any* dairy via formula, cheese, yogurt, etc? I found out DS had a dairy *allergy* via 2 oz of formula at 6 months. Major vomitting, hives, face swelled up, etc. Testing confirmed this. I eliminated all visible dairy from my diet, and I could tell a difference. When I consumed dairy (in a dairy allergic kid), he got bright red cheeks. When I didn't consume dairy, this effect disappeared while nursing. I just happened to know he had a dairy allergy b/c of the formula consumption. Around 18 months, I gradually intro dairy into my diet and he didn't have the red cheeks. At 2 yo, we retested, and he passed the test and the food challenge for dairy.

I don't think it could hurt to ask for a blood or skin prick test for dairy. That way, you will know if you're dealing with an allergy or intolerance. Perhaps if it's an intolerance, he'd be able to tolerate dairy in baked goods/hidden, which can make a huge difference in how you live your life/convenience, etc.

[Simon]

Ds1 was sensitive to dairy and egg in my diet when he was nursing. He only spit up when I ate egg though he had painful reflux for a long time even after I eliminated milk, egg and soy. For milk he has a sensitivity/intolerance but not a true allergy.

We did not pursue allergy testing but took a cautious approach. We started offering him soy milk around 1yo as a substitute for cow milk but mostly I nursed him a looooong time and kept my diet clean. Ds1 has long been okay with processed dairy (yogurt, cheese) but not milk or ice cream. He was okay with egg around 2 yo.

At 5yo we have recently tested him out on ice cream again (informally at home) and though he didn't have an immediate recation as he did at 1yo (gas, cramping, loose bm), he did start with stomach issues the next day and it lasted nearly a week! So I don't think its over yet but it isn't really having such a negative impact on his life. He knows what he can't have and doesn't really complain about it so we just don't bring it up often.