Whats REFLUX?and can a baby be allergic to breastmilk?!

[kutilputil]

hi, started a conversation in health yesterday about my 14 week old nephew who is suffering with eczema and constant crying and am here today to get an understanding of reflux, what it is and what can be done and also to discuss your opinion on this...my sis in law hads been told by a doc that my nephew may be allergic to her breastmilk and thus making his eczema worse and to convert to soya!is this possible?i have a nine month old myself who is still exclusively breastfed and since he was 5 weeks he had mild eczema which has now completely cleared up...it may come back but for now its gone...i have always believed that breastmilk helps babies with allergies and is best for them..am i wrong?his crying...can it be reflux as he cries so much, even at night...and her eldest had severe colic for the first three months....is there a link and what are the signs of reflux can she look for...?pls help

[sallyrosie]

Breastfeeding mums can transmit cows milk protein through their breastmilk so may be worth excluding dairy and soy from her diet for a bit and seeing if that makes a difference.My DD had cows milk intolerance and cross reacted to soy - this is pretty common.
If he is lactose intolerant though I think that breastmilk contains lactose so it wouldn't be helping him.
I don't think that soy is advised for children under 6 months anymore and would suggest that your sister tries excluding the dairy and asks to be referred to a paediatrician with an interest in this.
She needs specialist advice if her child is allergic to milk/lactose.

[sallyrosie]

p.s reflux is where stomach contents flow back into the gullet - like heartburn/indigestion. Can be exacerbated by food allergy/intolerance. Sometimes kids cry/vomit, especially when lying down flat.
WIth my daughter it disappeared with cutting out milk from my diet.

[livelife]

babies can definitely react to their mums milk but as sallyrosie says it is likely to be reaction to the cows milk protein in the breastmilk. your sis-in-law should definitely cut out all dairy if she wishes to continue breast feeding. if thats the problem it should stop the reflux. would not advise soya tbh, a prescribed milk like peptijunior would be better. hope it all goes ok for her x

[texasrose]

HI - if it helps at all I was reading about food allergies today and the doctor writing said that it is possible for babies to be allergic to breastmilk but it's extremely rare. He also goes on to say that brfing is the best way of avoiding either food allergies (which can cause excema symptoms) or food intolerances (likewise).

Some babies are so susceptible to things like excema and allergies that by brfing you are just doing damage limitation. I should know - I brfed my dd until she was 1 and she's had severe excema since birth and multiple food allergies that have only just been diagnosed as the source of the excema (hence my reading these clever doctorish books!)

BTW - the 6 most common allergens which could be passed through brmilk are eggs, soya, nuts, milk, wheat and fish. It may be worth limiting or excluding some of these (not all at the same time I guess!) and seeing if it makes a difference.

[tatt]

soya milk has been linked to nut allergy - best avoided.

I've just been searching the net for some lactase enzyme, which is good for dealing with milk intolerance. That is often temporary lactose intolerance - they grow out of it but lactase may speed the process. I found this website - if it's not recommended for little babies then breastfeeding mums can have it themselves.

66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:SeqqB9TeBhEJ:www.positivehealthshop.com/itemdetl.php/itemprcd/BIO-12415+%22+liquid+lactase%22+baby&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=8