How to Find Out if Your Baby or Child is Allergic to Dairy

Did you know dairy allergies are some of the most common food allergies for babies and children? As we get older, our production of the enzyme lactase decreases, meaning we can’t process lactose and lactose-based dairy products as well as we used to. This happens to all of us as we age and is one of the top reasons why plant-based dieters oppose consuming dairy. But sometimes children stop producing lactase at an earlier rate, resulting in dairy intolerances and allergies. Figuring out if your kid is allergic to dairy might be tricky at first, but there are definitely some lifestyle modifications you can follow to determine the cause of your child’s symptoms.

Dairy Allergy vs. Dairy Intolerance

It seems that people use these two terms interchangeably, but in the medical world, they have totally different meanings. Allergies usually refer to full blown anaphylactic attacks. These are the kinds of episodes that require immediate medical care and hospitalization. Symptoms of anaphylactic attack in children include but are not limited to:

• Hives or skin rash that starts around the mouth/face but can spread to the whole body
• Itchy skin or eczema
• Wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing
• Severe vomiting or diarrhea
• Swollen eyes, hands, and throat,
• Colic, in babies

Dairy intolerances might not be as life-threatening as anaphylactic attacks, but they are just as painful and scary. Usually symptoms begin with a few minutes to a few hours after your child consumes dairy and revolve around digestive issues. Diarrhea, constipation (or bouts of both), and changes in stool color or texture are some of the most common symptoms, but your child can also experience respiratory problems like coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and excess mucus production.

*Please note that if your child has severe dairy allergies, the best medicine is avoidance. Avoiding dairy products is especially important if your child experiences anaphylactic reactions to dairy. Please do not try exposing your child to dairy if you think your child has an anaphylactic allergy to dairy.

Lifestyle Modifications for Dairy

If your child doesn’t have life-threatening reactions when he or she consumes dairy but still experiences uncomfortable symptoms, you need to figure out if dairy is the cause of their allergies or perhaps another food. Try these steps based on the Elimination Diet and see if symptoms improve.

• Eliminate dairy completely from your child’s diet for 7-10 days and see if symptoms improve. Is he moving his bowels better? Does she have fewer runny noses and chronic coughs? If your child overall indicates better health and the symptoms you’re concerned about subside, dairy could be the culprit.
• Gradually introduce dairy back into your child’s diet. As little as 1-4 ounces of cow’s milk will suffice. Note if any of your child’s old symptoms reoccur or if new symptoms develop. This could indicate your child has a dairy allergy.
• If your child does indeed have a dairy, consider a dairy alternative like soy, almond, coconut, hemp, or oat milk. Rice milk is also one of the safest dairy alternatives for children with the lowest chance of allergy/intolerance and makes an exceptional substitute for infant and baby formulas. Also make sure your dairy alternative is fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
• Remember that often children with dairy allergies have other food allergies. You might eliminate dairy from your child’s diet only to find that he or she is actually allergic to wheat, nuts, shellfish, certain fruits or veggies, etc. Some children are even allergic to the skins of certain fruits and veggies. Use the same elimination method by abstaining for a set period of time, then gradually reintroducing and seeing if symptoms reemerge.
• Monitor your child’s allergies closely in the coming months, especially if they have multiple food allergies. Many children also outgrow allergies as they get older (ages six and 11 are the prime ages for changes in allergies).
• Establish a good and open relationship with your child’s pediatrician about dairy allergies. Most doctors are willing to work with you and won’t be surprised to hear your kid has food allergies. Doctors also have several different tests you can’t perform at home that can help identify allergies and help you avoid them.

If your child has a dairy allergy, don’t panic! There are a ton of alternatives out there that your son or daughter can still consume. As much as it’s been ingrained in our culture to drink milk, especially during childhood, there are other options for getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and protein in your child’s diet.

Image source: Chip Harlan/Flickr