Lactose issue?

[DetentionGrrrl]

My 19wk old has a rash- red and blotchy, slightly rough feeling. (He's very well, no scratching or temp)Haven't changed washing powder, and haven't been using soap/wipes etc. Only different thing we've done is introduce a bottle of formula every day, as we're slowly moving from breast to bottle. Could it be a lactose intolerance? (I get very minor eczema, made worse by dairy)

[barney2]

Hi - I certainly think you should speak to your GP or Health Visitor on this one because my youngest had exactly the same problem. She was breast fed initially and then put onto formula because she was such a hungry baby but within days of using it she had a rash that went all around the trunk of her body - ie back and front - and then went very snotty and then began bringing every bottle up. I went back to my GP a number of times because I was sure there was something wrong and each time I was told not to worry and babies often vomit etc etc - I then took her for a weigh-in and she'd lost a huge amount of weight for a child of her age so the HV advised I take her off of formula (which was SMA at the time) and try her with soya milk which is lactose free and she was absolutely fine - the rash disappeared and she stopped being sick. She was on soya for about 18months.

I did a lot of research into lactose intolerance and it is very common with children, especially from birth. Each time we gave my DD a yoghurt she'd get a rash so I had to give her lactose free yoghurts which were absolutely fine - or cheese or anything that contained milk.

If you suffer with eczema which is made worse by dairy and you think your baby is intolerant I would certainly go and talk to your HV about it. I found it all started with a rash and then progressively gets worse - with the sickness and very stuffy nose.

I found out that when a baby is lactose intolerant and they have lactose in their food their stomach reacts by lining itself with phglem which in turn makes the child sick - we found with DD that she would bring all her food/milk up and then bring stacks of phglem up which was all thats left in the stomach.

Crikey, I'm waffling on now aren't I?!!! My advice to you is get some professional advice. I did and it helped tremendously. Good luck.

[bluejelly]

My dd went bright red all over when I gave her a bottle of formula at 4 months.
She was lactose intolerant and developed excema.
Very common, particularly with asian babies apparently
She had soya milk (and breast milk) till she was 18 months, then gradually reintroduced milk-based products
She is fine now, no allergies and drinks milk happily
Also no excema

[DetentionGrrrl]

Have booked for doctor's Thursday.

He's a bit snotty too Should i stop using the formula until i see Doctor do you think?

[barney2]

Hiya - I think you should consider taking your baby off formula because from what you've written, and now added about being snotty, it sounds quite likely he's intolerant to lactose - the rash my dd had was a raised rash that when it became less inflammed it left her skin quite rough and dry - to the extent we had to get a special bathing solution to go into her baths and cream to go on at night. Have you tried feeding your baby with normal yoghurts? Maybe try the Alpro Soya yogs - they aren't quite as sweet/tasty but they soon become adjusted.

Also beware about eggs - I found that a lot of children that were lactose intolerant were also egg intolerant.

You're not alone on this one. I discovered a lot of children, for some weird reason, can't take formula/normal cows milk.

Let me know how you get on...!!

[bluejelly]

I'd second that. take her off the formula for now and keep breastfeeding. for ages even touching milk to my dd's lips made her go red all round her mouth, amazing to see her guzzling down glasses of milk now

[CanSickWillSick]

My DD is milk intolerant, but it's the cows milk protein that affects her, rather than the lactose. It's actually far more common to be CMP intolerant than lactose intolerant.

Just wanted to pick up on the recommendations to give soya. It's not recommended that soya is given at all before 6 months. Apart from being a common allergen in itself (30-40% of babies with CMPI are also soy intolerant), there is thinking (more detailed research still being carried out I believe) that soy may affect fertility if given too young, because it contains a substance called phyto-oestrogen, which may interfere with a baby's own oestrogen production.

[bluejelly]

Alas the soya advice only came out after my dd had been on soya for a year!
Am hoping that she doesn't have any ill effects. I breastfed her throughout the time as well and she only had soya formula when I was at work

[CanSickWillSick]

oh bluejelley I didn't mean to worry those of you who have already used soya , just wanted to make DetentionGrrrl aware of current advice.

[barney2]

I had absolutely no option other than to give my dd soya formula at 4 months old - she couldn't take any other formula and refused other liquids such as water so my GP and Health Visitor both agreed soya was the only other option to give her because she'd lost so much weight and was becoming a bit on the lifeless side - the only 'risk' I was advised about was that soya (whether its formula or the ready type you can by off the shelf) has a certain amount of sugar in it which could be damaging to teeth but I was then told not to worry about it because, as I've already stated, I had no choice. I could not have carried on giving normal baby formula because she was becoming so ill with it (regular visits late at night to a&e due to vomitting and gagging) and I could not just sit and watch her go down hill and lose weight - she lost so much we even had to go down a size in nappies.

It was lovely to be able to give my baby a bottle of milk (soya formula) and watch her sit and enjoy it, have no vomitting, be clear of rashes and no snotty nose, it was sheer bliss!

I now have a very happy lively 3 year old who loves her dairy produce and has a beautiful set of white teeth!

I would advise any Mum to follow her instincts - I've often found with both my children that Mum knows best and if you're not happy about something or the advice you are getting just go and get a second opinion and make yourself a nuisance - the times I've not been happy about a diagnosis of some description and I've made an appt with someone else only to have the problem re-diagnosed and the correct medication given.

DetentionGrrrl - good luck with your appt on Thursday and please let us know how you get on. Don't be fobbed off - if you're not happy with what you're advised (believe me, I was told to carry on with normal formula because all babies can be sicky snotty babies...) go and get a second opinion - sometimes us Mums know better than the professionals!! XXX

[DetentionGrrrl]

Is there any other formula option apart from Soya?

(He's been sick alot more the last few days too- don't know if that's related?)

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Yes DG, but you need to get it on prescription. The ones I'm aware of are Pepti, Nutramigen and Neocate. They don't smell/taste as nice as 'normal' formula, but babies thankfully don't know any better!

[barney2]

My Health Visitor advised that if soya didn't suit that rice/goats milk was an option?

Good luck with your appt tomorrow. X

[CantSleepWontSleep]

As a main food/drink for a 19wk old Barney? Your hv should be shot if so!

The protein in goats milk is very similar to the one in cows milk, so most, though not all, who are intolerant to one are also intolerant to the other.

Do let us know how you get on tomorrow DG.

[PeachyClair]

you can get goats milk formula, is that what she meant? Do hope so!

Ther are other options.... my DS3 has enfamil lactofree formula on prescription, which I can and willr ave about- he had quite bad growth issues until he started on this formula. DS1 was on soya (wasn't allergic to it unlike many), but soya formula is high in sugar and as such he has lost teeth from the formula, still it was all that was vaialable back then and it saved his life.

I'm dairy intolerant, and so are 2 of my 3 sons. The main symptoms for us were weight loss, severe cramping, diarrhoea, vomiting- all lovely stuff.

[PeachyClair]

(BTW Enfamil tastes lovely, I have it on cereal- yum)

[worleyone]

hi, we have the same problem with our youngest. at 6 weeks our hv suggessted we give him a bottle in the eve to try to get him to sleep longer as only going 1+1/2 hours sleep. but after a few days of the formuls he began to get a rash all over which our locum dr said would be fine, but then 2 days later he was being sick and the rash seemed to blister, so we took him to A&E where they admitted him and decided he had a food intolerance. he didnt have any more formula till last week when at 17 weeks we tried him with some aptimil, he only had 4oz and the same happened again. we didnt give him any more and i took some photos of the rash and showed them to the hv at next visit and she agreed to speak to our GP about him, so today he has prescribed some pepti-junior to try. if it doesnt work then we will be referred to the hospital. I have to go back to work in 8 weeks so need him to go on to some type of formula but will still be bf am and pm. SO my advice is take photos of the rash so the hv and gp can see it and stop the formula now, if youre still bf will that keep him going till thursday?

[DetentionGrrrl]

Still going to take him tomorrow, although rash almost totally gone now he's not had any formula. Bought some Cow and Gate Soya formula tonight, so will offer him a bottle tomorrow.

And i thought you weren't meant to give goat's milk because it doesn't have enough nutrients for babies??

[barney2]

Goats milk was suggested to me because my baby was so poorly - she was losing weight so drastically, bringing everything up - at one point she was blue - that I had goats milk FORMULA suggested to me NOT goats milk you can buy in the shops. When you are confronted with a poorly child who is rapidly going down hill and you can't get your GP to agree there is a problem and to basically go home and ignore it and your HV suggests trying this or that formula then out of desperation I followed her advice. Fortunately soya formula was the solution.

And did I say goats milk was suggested to me with a 19wk old baby? I know DG's baby is 19 weeks but I didn't say mine was! At this point she was about 6mths. I merely answered the question as to what other options were there out there, that's all! As for nutrients in goats milk etc etc - I had prescribed 'abidec' for my daughter which is a liquid formula of all the vitamins and minerals a baby needs which went into her milk each morning.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Oh my goodnes - calm down Barney!! You might have meant goats milk formula, but you actually said goats milk, so I think it's quite right that we were shocked.

And now you're just being stupid and arsey about the age. You didn't actually say what age you were talking about, but since the idea of this thread is to help a 19 week old, what was the point in posting your 'suggestions' if they aren't suitable for a 19 week old, especially if you don't say that they aren't suitable.

Honestly, it does sound like your situation was very extreme, and I'm glad that you found a solution to suit you and your daughter, but if you're going to tell a story which you now say isn't relevant then please try to make it clear that it shouldn't be taken as advice, so that we know to ignore that part of your post.

And on the soya thing, just because you weren't told about the other risks of soya doesn't mean that they don't exist, so I hope that you weren't implying that (am loathe to assume that you were since it now seems you were just telling us your story for interest).

[DetentionGrrrl]

Barney2: I was only adding what i'd been led to believe about goats milk and babies, nobody meant anything by it.

AND- An update: doctor seemed VERY unconcerned. As it was so faded, he prescribed a moisturiser for the dry patches. He said it was eczema, and if it flared up again he'd prescribe something else. I explained about the milk because he hadn't asked about any changes to his diet etc, and he said yes, it could be lactose issue, and they usually grow out of it and just b/feed instead (very flippant!) I asked if i could give soya formula in place of regular, he said yes and that was that.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Oh dear - another disappointing GP then DG! Are you happy with his response or not? Did you ask him specifically about the links to infertility associated with soya milk?

He is right that they do usually grow out of it (most I'm told by age 2), but our paed said that he would want to see us again if DD is still intolerant at age 2. In the meantime you will need to avoid giving dairy at all, either in solids once you start weaning, or in milk format. The paed advised us to try giving her a couple of teaspoons of yoghurt once she reaches 18 months, and to see how she reacts then.

You started a sleep thread earlier too didn't you. I didn't look at what responses you'd had, but my DD was a dreadful sleeper until we sorted out her intolerance (still wasn't great afterwards, but turns out she has silent reflux too, which is common in milk intolerant babies). You may find that your DS is too uncomfortable to sleep well too - he will be getting some dairy through your breastmilk unless you cut it out of your diet as well (I haven't had dairy for 5 months now).

Are you happy to carry on breastfeeding?

[worleyone]

does anybody had any trouble trying to get their babies to drink pepti-junior? we have tried when he is really hungry, stopping halfway through a bf feed, after a bf feed? or do you know of any other formula which can be prescribed for the lactose/dairy intolerance? my doctor just prescribed what the hv suggested. i have to go to work in 8 weeks so need some back up whilsy hes at nursery as i cant express enough to keep up with him, hes a hungry baby! he still feeds every 2 hours at 18 weeks and only just made it to 10lb 4 oz. ( i had severe pre=eclampsia and he had stopped growing at 35 weeks , so is a tiny baby)

[bluejelly]

Dr's advice sounded okay to me-- that's exactly what happened with my dd and the dr was right, she grew out of it

[CantSleepWontSleep]

worleyone - I'm still bf'ing as DD won't drink more than a couple of sips of anything from a bottle/cup. There are others (Nutramigen and Neocate) but unfortunately they all taste pretty grim (we use Nutramigen to try and entice DD to use a cup occasionally!). I've seen others on here mention that you can get flavoured Neocate, but don't know much about what flavours, or when they are suitable from - might be worth a search through the archives or a new post.

[worleyone]

thanks csws.i wonder if the dairy coming from me is upsetting him also. hes quite snuffly sometimes and does have some reflux, can i ask what silent refux is?