An allergy to a cow’s milk protein is much more serious than most people imagine. It is NOT lactose intolerance!! (I get people saying that all the time). It is when a person has an allergic reaction (be it rash, vomiting, anaphylaxis, etc.) to ingesting (or in Flynn’s case just coming in contact with) a substance (food or drink) which contains a cow’s milk protein. A severe allergic reaction could end up as serious as an anaphylactic reaction (her stopping breathing or even worse).
I’ve read that 50% of babies outgrow the milk allergy by two. Flynn was tested most recently at 27 mos & on a scale of 1-4, had a 4+. She is supposed to be tested every 6 mos, but because they have such a hard time putting a line in her vein (they ended up cutting her finger & squeezing the blood out), we’re opting to test her yearly instead. We PRAY she’ll outgrow this.
Ours has been a learning experience. We didn’t personally know anyone w/ a milk allergy, so it wasn’t even something in the back of our mind. At 6 mos, for the first time she was given formula (combined with breast milk) & had a horrid reaction. Again, totally unaware of what it could be, we UNDER-reacted (later learned she should’ve been given an EPI-pen & taken to the ER). I wasn’t w/ her, but she sneezed, swelled, wheezed, & eventually vomited. This happened 2x more before we made a connection. Our HORRIBLE pediatrician (we’ve since switched back to our original one), said that it wasn’t indicative of an allergy & try lactose free (WRONG!). He also didn’t recommend an allergist (wrong again!). I figured out the allergy – even in foods, when she ate Gerber graduates meat sticks. They contain whey & after eating just one, her face was filled w/ welts.
It’s still so bad that last year, Jeff ate an ice cream sandwich & failed to wash his hands afterward. He picked her up from the bath & everywhere his hands touched her, left red spots with white bumps.
The most frustrating thing is trying to find a variety of foods that are safe. I didn’t wean her from the breast until 14 mos (I couldn't continue to nurse as I was entering the 2nd trimester of pregnancy). When I wasn’t w/ her, she got NUTRAMIGEN (a very broken down formula & expensive!!) Now she drinks SILK. It’s the mildest tasting soy milk (in my opinion) & I can cook w/ it (as a sub for reg. milk) & Jeff / I don’t notice.
A very helpful source when it comes to this, is the vegan website (never thought I’d say my 1-yr old was a vegan!!)
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
This list, combined w/ some other foods that I know are safe, is the list I carry w/ me (particularly when grocery shopping).
Beware of employees at healthfood stores, who appear to be knowledgeable on the subject. When Flynn was 2, we gave her rice cheese from THE NATURAL WAY. The employee there, advised Jeff to purchase this & give it to Flynn. It contained a milk ingredient & after a TINY corner of the sliced cheese, Flynn began to drool & wheeze. When I contacted them later, they simply sent a letter of apology (they didn’t even refund our $5 spend on the cheese!!).
What we finally ended up doing was always carrying a can of CAMPBELL’S CHUNKY chicken noodle soup in her diaper bag. That way, wherever we end up (friends or family), we know we have a safe meal for her to eat. We also rely heavily on McD’s plain hamburgers. Their fries are safe for her as well.
I'm happy to answer any questions based on our experience. I would've loved a resource like this while I was going through the initiation of this. Good Luck!
Helpful Websites:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/misc/milkallergy_cutout.html (this page is great to print out & pass out to the people who might be caring for your milk allergy child)
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/milk_allergy_diet.html
http://www.wegmans.com/health/nutrition/MilkAllergy.asp (this kinda explains the kosher symbol & how that helps us)
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_milkall_hhg.htm (after looking @ this particular page, a little helpful hint, we ask the deli counter if they’ll hand slice us some meat for Flynn – they’re usually understanding)
http://www.allergicchild.com/default.htm (a page by parents of 2 allergic kids)
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppallergies (a message board I found helpful)
*Amy’s disclaimer: I am in no way a medical professional nor have I had formal training on this matter. Please consult your child’s pediatrician before trying any of my ideas.
