Feb
18
2010
Is My Son Gonna Be Allergic To Milk When He Is Older?
Posted by: Alan in Milk Allergies, tags: Allergic, Gonna, Milk, Older, When
My son is 7 months old and has been using the Similac Sensitive formula. Its milk based but lactose free (however that works?), this formula was the one that he had no problems with. My question is, because he hasn’t had any lactose or anything will his chances of having an allergy be more likely? Should I be trying to change his formula now to regular to get him used to it?
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February 18th, 2010 at 2:14 am
Your son’s chances of being allergic are not higher because he is not allergic to regular formula he is intollerant to the lactose in it. There is a big difference between an allergy to milk which can be life threatening and an intollerance which just causes annoying symptoms. The symptoms of an allergy are hives, blood in stool, rashes, diarrhea, vomitting, breathing problems, asthma, watery eyes, runny nose, wheezing, etc. The symptoms of lactose intollerance are gassiness, vomitting, diarrhea, and excessive spit up. Lactose intollerance is not life threatening, but an allergy can be because people with a true allergy can go into anaphalactic shock which can be deadly if not treated immediatly. You should keep him on the lactose free formula and follow the doctor’s advice when he turns one. The doctor might recomend trying milk at that time to see how he does, or keeping him on a lactose free milk like Lactaid which has the lactase enzyme added in it but is cow’s milk. People with lactose intollerance either do not make enough of that enzyme or do not make it at all like most people do naturally in the body.
February 18th, 2010 at 4:11 am
Alot of babies dont tolerate a lactose baesd formula because babies dont make as much of theenzyme lactase which breaks down the lactose (this is the fat of the cow milk. As they get older their body makes more lactase and will digest the milk just fine. If he is more sensitive you might wait until a year for him to start on whole milk, because you should never give a baby fat reduced milk. If they tolerate skim they can most certainly tolerate whole and the fat and vitamin d in milk are the most important parts of milk for a child
February 18th, 2010 at 4:41 am
Having a lactose free milk is not going to make him allergic to regular milk. If he is allergic then the formula had nothing to do with it. You don’t need to change his formula keep him on what works best for him and then when you change him to regular milk then just notice if he is having issues.
February 18th, 2010 at 10:23 am
My son was on soy formula and when he was about a year old his pediatrician told me to start giving him fat-free milk and he tolerated it just fine. I think it depends on the child and don’t switch without talking to his pediatrician first.
February 18th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Please breastfeed him. Human milk for human babies.