American writer Jason Thurber once joked, “I used to wake up at 4 am and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness”. Oh! If we could only laugh at our allergies!
Most of us know how terrible it is to break out in a rash for wrongly nibbling on something that we have an allergic reaction to – peanuts, eggplant or even, heaven forbid, alcohol. The forbidden fruit, that has the possibility of making us land in hospital for just a slight interaction with our tongue, just seems to make it even more irresistible. However, we contain ourselves, bite our tongues and look the other way at a dull alternative.
If we adults are stubborn to our own allergies, what more children? Tell a child not to eat prawns for it will swell his eyes, and you can see him stealing away in a corner, nibbling on prawn crackers. It’s every parent’s worse fear to have a child with even a slight allergic reaction to anything. If so, then having an infant develop a milk allergy must be an absolute nightmare!
Food allergy has become an international problem, spanning from USA to Europe, Asia and more. Cow’s milk is a common cause of food allergy around the world. Statistics show that in the United States alone, up to 2.5% infants are allergic to milk. Here, on home grown soil, such an allergy is as common as it is in North America.
The tendency to be allergic is often one that is inherited, judging from a collective manner of two parents, may cause the grounds to vary. For example, if you are allergic to peanut butter but your spouse is not, then there are chances, of course, that your little one may or may not have such an allergy. However, developing an allergy to dairy products or cow’s milk, in particular, could stem from neither of the parents.
So, what exactly are the symptoms of this milk allergy in infants? You should look out for the following in your infant if you suspect he/she may be having a milk allergy.
The Skin: Rashes – hives/eczema
The Gastrointestinal Tract - Vomiting, at times, diarrhea
The respiratory tract - Sneezing, wheezing, runny nose
If your infant does suffer from a milk allergy, not to worry! Over time, most infants lose this milk allergy. Older studies suggest many tolerate milk by 4 years of age. However, contradicting evidence of recent, suggests many persist into teen years. If it does, then well, there is still no reason to worry as the market carries many substitutes for milk. This is, in fact, a global recognition of the condition and therefore you would be able to find milk product substitutes, worldwide.
Below are some substitutes that theAsianparent has picked out to assist you in making a safe choice for your little one.
Abbott’s Isomil 2 Advance Follow-On
The gentle formula is Asia’s first soy protein formula that is good for growth and kind to sensitive babies. This soy-protein formula solution works well for children with lactose intolerance, allergies to regular cow’s milk-based formulas or suffering from diarrhoea.
Friso 1 - Soy Milk Powder
This soy protein based infant formula is free of lactose and milk. It can be fed to the baby from birth onwards.
Nursoy Powder Milk
This soy protein infant milk powder is also suitable for babies from birth onwards. It is intended to meet the nutritional needs of infants and children who are lactose intolerant, allergic to cow’s milk or suffering from the runs.
You may wish to go eau de natural if powder milk just is not your cup of tea, or rather, your infant’s cup of tea. The common switch would be to goat’s milk, sheep’s milk and rice milk. However, such alternatives have, similar proteins so infants who are allergic to one will be allergic to the other. Thus, it is necessary to have a consult with your paedtrician before making any ‘natural’ switch.
Related: Is my baby allergic to formula?
Related: When Allergy Kills
Related: Are any babies allergic to their mother’s milk?