A milk allergy in infants is not very easy to deal with, unless the baby is being exclusively breastfed. However, some mothers voice concerns about breastfeeding and milk allergy as they worry about their babies being allergic to their breast milk.
The good news is that there are almost no chances of breastfeeding milk allergy in infants. In fact, most health experts claim that breast milk is easier to digest and better tolerated than artificial baby formula.
This means that even if your little one is allergic to cow's milk or soy milk, he should be able to tolerate your breast milk.
At times though, you may notice milk allergy symptoms after breastfeeding your baby. These symptoms could include -
If your baby happens to show any of these signs in spite of being exclusively breastfed, it is possible that he intolerant to certain proteins in your milk from the foods that you have eaten.
Though any regular feature in your diet could be the culprit, Cow's milk is one of the most common milk allergens to affect babies.In case you are breastfeeding and milk protein allergy is a concern in your little one, you may need to eliminate certain foods from your diet, such as -
This could be quite a challenge for those breastfeeding moms who follow a dairy-based diet as it is a bit difficult to find food items that do not contain any milk products.Even those products that are labeled "non-dairy" and "milk-free" could contain allergy-causing milk proteins. Some of the hidden sources of milk allergens in your diet could be -
The chances of your baby being sensitive to foods in your diet are slim, so be careful about eliminating too many items. If you're following a diet that is quite restrictive, without seeing any improvement in your baby's symptoms, it means that your baby is not allergic to any of the foods you are consuming.
Moreover, a restrictive diet may deprive you and your baby of essential nutrients. To counter this problem, you may need to take supplements that provide your body with calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin and other essential nutrients. Therefore, it is best for you to consult a doctor and a dietician if you suspect that your baby is allergic to certain foods in your diet.
For more information on breastfeeding and milk allergy, you can log on to www.foodallergy.org.
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