Milk Allergy in breastfed baby?

[MomInBC]

Thank you Veronica for your great Podcasts! I recommend it to all new Moms and wish it had been around after the birth of my first child. I now faithfully listen in the wee hours of the night while breastfeeding. Now to my question.

My son is just over two months old. He has developed a rash on his face, mostly on the sides of his face from the temples to the jaw. It feels dry and rough and is red, but not raised. The rest of his face is rough as well, but I think that is more from dryness as it is going away now that I have applied some Glaxal Base. It may be itchy as he rubs his face on our chest and with his fist. However, he only does it when he is sleepy, so it may be a sign of sleepiness. He is solely breastfed and is doing well, albeit quite gassy. The rest of his body is clear of any rashes.

The rash appeared when he was about a month old. Until then, his skin was clear. My diet hasn't changed much and I was eating a lot of yogurt when he was born since I had been on antibiotics and we were dealing with thrush. This is what makes me question that it is a milk allergy. Is it possible to develop an allergy to milk protein after not being allergic at birth? Or do you think it could be something environmental?

Thank you for any advice.
Sincerely,
Kyoko

[tingzon72]

Kyoko,
Good question. Milk allergies tend to appear after the baby has been exposed over and over again. It's usually not an immediate thing. This sounds typical of the rash experienced by milk protein allergies, but it could also be a heat rash or contact dermatitis. The best way to find out if your baby is truly allergic is to eliminate ALL bovine (cow) dairy from your diet and/or have him allergy tested by his physician.

I will elaborate more on Mommy's Milk & More.

Thanks for the compliment on the podcast. Don't forget to post that kind of feedback on iTunes.

Warmly,
Veronica Tingzon

[MomInBC]

Thank you for answering my question on the forum as well as on the podcast. Since posting this question, I have tried eliminating wheat and dairy from my diet for a few weeks. It didn't seem to help, so I went to see a naturopath. She has been extremely helpful and I am glad I went to see her before seeing our family physician.

Turns out he has eczema and it got quite bad for a while. But, after a lot of moisturizing, double rinsing the laundry, probiotics, some homeopathics and eliminating a lot of foods from my diet, his rash has almost completely disappeared! He has a few dry spots still, but nothing a bit of moisturizer can't handle. He is a much happier guy now that he isn't bothered by all that itching.

As I suspected, our family physican prescribed a cortizone cream and couldn't offer any suggestions on how to prevent the rashes from happening. I would think that the cortizone cream would have healed the rash, but it would just keep recurring. If we had gone that route, he would still be suffering and would probably become allergic to a lot of foods when he grows up.

The next step is solid foods as he is six months old in a month. We plan to start very slowly under the guidance of our naturopath.

Thanks for all you do on your great podcast and keep up the great work.
Kyoko

[tingzon72]

Kyoko,

This makes me very happy! What great news to hear that your baby isn't suffering any longer. It's torterous not knowing what to do for a baby that is in obvious discomfort- especially when he's your own! I know elimination is difficult and can be sacrificial for yourself, but it is only for a short time. It's not forever, so it is manageable! Good luck and congrats!

Namaste,
Veronica

[MomInBC]

Dear Veronica,
Things are still going well and I'm still enjoying your podcast. Keep up the great work! I have a question relating to breastfeeding and allergies.

My son is still sensitive to the foods I eat. I find it easiest when we eat at home and I can control exactly what I eat. Of course, this isn't always practical, although it reminds me of how much hidden ingredients are in processed foods.

Anyways, we have a few special events coming up this summer (weddings and such) and I would like to eat whatever is being served, without my son suffering the consequences. I am thinking that the only way to do this is to pump and store "allergen free" breastmilk beforehand and to discard the whatever I produce after eating these foods. Sort of like what some Moms do when they want to enjoy a drink. If I do this, how long would my breastmilk be "tainted"? Would it depend on what foods I was eating?

Thank you and have a great summer.
Kyoko