when i go to the grocery store and look at the lables everything has milk as an ingredient and im not sure how much of this he is allowed to have. Some of the percentages are very low but im not sure what to do. I am giving him soy milk now is this correct? Some people say that soy is just as bad as whole milk. Pleas help im confused.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Sunsolei 4 Obama // Nov 5, 2008
A casein allergy is VERY serious. If your child has one you need to read all ingredients on every box of food and MAKE SURE that the foods you are buying DO NOT CONTAIN MILK.
((typically, at the bottom, it *should* say something like "product contains wheat milk and eggs or something))
There is some concern that Soy Milk can cause problems. If I were you I would try alternating between Soy Milk and Rice Milk (Silk is good for Soy, Rice Dream is good for Rice).
You might want to get some Calcium fortified orange juice for your daughter to make sure she is getting enough Calcium.
2 Caryn M // Nov 5, 2008
If you want to give him soy, that is fine, be sure you are getting the vitamin fortified though, be sure it has vitamin D in it. It is better than whole milk. You can also see a specialist about it as a protein allergy is very hard to diagnose correctly. He may even just have a minor allergy if any. I have a protein allergy myself and My 19 month old son is currently doing diet and nutrition tests for this allergy. I can have milk in small amounts, mostly fat free, but as for baby, You may want to ask for a prescription for a soy nutrition formula. It is the same as Pediasure, but with soy instead. And it has all the correct nutrients needed for a toddler. If my son does have this allergy he will have to drink this, until we get his GERD under control and he can tollerate normal foods, better. If your child is a healthy eater, the soy formula may not be necessary. My son’s doctors are trying to diagnose him with milk protein allergy (different than lactos intollerance) even though he did well on whole milk before, it was when we gave him the Pediasure, that he started to have problems, but they insist this is not possible, so doctors dont always have the right info, try to see a specialist. I have had this allergy from about age 12 and it is really not fun and quite uncomfortable at times, but its mostly trial and error, small amounts of milk may have no affect, I can eat cheese all I want, but cannot handle milk or ice cream or yogurt. Be sure to check with a specialist first thought to avoid any possible reaction that could be serious. None of mine have ever been thought.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_allergy
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/563463
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/37296/understanding_milk_allergies.html?cat=5
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/80156/milk_protein_allergies_a_guide_for.html
3 malwilhist // Nov 5, 2008
It gets SO much easier as you go through it. The first few weeks is tough, but it becomes second nature. Bday parties will be the hardest–you'll have to pack him special foods. Most labels nowdays do say This may contain milk or this contains milk. I have a whole list of dairy free foods for my nephew (I made it for his school and his daycare) if you're interested. I'll definitely give it to you if you want it. I have it in a Word Document with a list of the common "dairy" words in ingredient lists. I'd give him none, so he has a chance of outgrowing it eventually. Here is my guy's list:
Chase’s Food List
Meats:
Ian’s Fish Sticks (frozen)
Tyson Chicken Breast Nuggets (frozen)
Grilled chicken
Hamburger meat (do not mix with milk or egg)
Bacon
All beef hot dogs
Lunch meats—ham, turkey, salami
Breads/Grains:
Wonder Bread
Thomasville Plain Mini Bagels
Boboli Pizza Crust
Rice
Elbow macaroni/spiral pasta/spaghetti noodles—double check label for egg
Organic blueberry/whole grain waffles
Homemade mashed potatoes using plain Silk in place of milk
Snacks:
Pretzels
Pretzel Goldfish
Ritz Crackers
Saltines
Oyster Crackers
Wheat Thins
Original Pringles
Snappea Crisps
Sweets:
Golden Oreos
Fruit Snacks
Sugar free Jello
Fruit Roll Ups
Air Heads
Graham crackers
Funfetti frostings—vanilla and chocolate
Cherrybrook Kitchen’s cake/cookie/frosting mixes
Popsicles
Non Dairy Dessert (soy/rice ice cream)
Dairy Substitutes:
Smart Balance margarine
Vanilla Silk—to drink
Plain Silk—for mixing
Silk Yogurt
Soy pudding
Fruits (any-the following he will eat without question):
Strawberries
Bananas
Apples
Blueberries
Applesauce
Pears
Tomatoes/sauce
*limit fruit/juice intake due to reflux
Vegetables (any-the following he will eat without question):
Green beans
Broccoli
Peas
Corn
Carrots
Condiments:
Mustard
Ketchup
Grape Jelly
Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ
Maple Syrup
Eating out options (if uncertain, give benadryl with his meal):
Mc. D’s: hamburger and fries
Culver’s: chicken strips and fries
Burger King: chicken nuggets and fries
Potbelly: salami on white bread
Fodrak’s: gyro and fries (give benadryl)
Slotts/Max’s: Hot dog, no bun, fries
**Do not give:
Nuts/Peanuts
Eggs
Dairy (milk, whey, cheese, butter, cream, yogurt, lactose, Albumins, Calcium caseinate, Calcium lactate, Calcium stearoyl lactylate, Casein, Lactalbumin, Lactic Acid, Potassium lactate, Sodium stearoyl fumarate)
4 Proud Mama of 4 // Nov 5, 2008
My son had a protein until he was 8 years old. I took him off of dairy products completely for the first 3 years. Even if there were trace amounts. That is the only way to eliminate the allergy (if possible.) Then I would only give it too him if the item was at the end of the ingredient list. He is on soy milk. People will tell you not to, but that is what the pediatrician told be to do, and there isn't enough fat in other types of milk for their needs. Do not use goats milk, it is very similar to cow's milk. Soy works well in many recipes too. It was a huge challenge. I had no idea that things like hotdogs had milk in them. Check everything.
5 Nessa // Nov 5, 2008
In addition to what everyone else said, make sure you look at ingredients closely, esp at fast food restaurants. McDs chicken nuggets and fries BOTH have dairy. Their fries are cooked in a beef broth that contains dairy and their nuggest have whey in them. I won’t take my daughter out to eat at a restaurant unless their allergen info is on their web site and I check it thoroughly before we go out.
6 All Natural // Nov 5, 2008
There are many non-dairy items, you just got to look :]
We are vegan and have a wide variety of foods in our home! Trader Joes and Whole Foods have a lot of non-dairy options.
There is also almond milk, rice milk, hazelnut milk, and hemp milk to choose from.
7 starfire978 // Nov 5, 2008
It all depends on how severe of an allergy he has. My son was diagnosed with that as a young infant. I know for him the soy formula was puked up just as fast as regular formula. It’s all in how the protein is digested from what I was told. Personally the best thing to do is go cold turkey on all soy/dairy products. After a few weeks you add one thing in at a time. You are right that many things that have dairy is a trace amount.
With my son he was not able to drink regular or soy milk once he was old enough to stop formula. He was able to eat the occasional cheese stick but none of the processed cheese things like mac and cheese. He handled most of the foods that had traces of milk as long as it wasn’t a cheesy or creamy type of food. Hang in there, you’ll learn very quickly what he can or cannot handle. Always keep benedryll in your purse/diaper bag and educate anybody who spends time supervising your little boy. You’d be amazed at how often it’s a family member or the baby sitter who doesn’t even realize they’ve just given a child something the kid is allergic to. Hopefully he’ll outgrow this fairly quickly. By 3 years old my son had no more obvious signs of reaction. He now drinks milk and has all the cheese he wants with no problems.