Baby: Cow's milk allergy also possible when breastfeeding

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Fully breastfed babies can also suffer from intolerance to cow's milk

Babies who are exclusively breastfed can also show symptoms of cow's milk allergy. This happens when the nursing mother drinks cow milk herself, like the pediatrician Ms. Dr. med. Claudia Saadi told the magazine "Baby und Familie".

Milk allergy is one of the most common allergic reactions to food. In principle, it is to be distinguished from lactose intolerance (lactose intolerance). The symptoms of an intolerance to cow's milk can be very diverse and differ in their expression. Most patients experience abdominal pain, skin reactions such as hives or swelling, coughing, gas, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep, diarrhea or constipation. Since the complaints listed can also indicate other diseases, it is sometimes difficult for parents to recognize a cow's milk allergy in good time. Around six percent of young children in Germany are affected.

Refraining from cow's milk and improving symptoms indicates cow's milk allergy
If babies who are allergic to cow's milk are breastfed and mothers drink milk themselves during this time, symptoms of intolerance may appear, as the pediatrician Dr. Claudia Saadi reports in the pharmacy magazine "Baby and Family". Because the ingredients of cow's milk can pass into breast milk and thus trigger symptoms in the child. A sign of this is blood in the stool because the baby often develops rectal inflammation. "It is usually a temporary problem," explains the doctor. The complaints disappear in most children up to school age.

For example, to find out whether the symptoms are caused by animal milk, doctors recommend stopping milk consumption for two to four weeks. If the child shows fewer symptoms, a probable diagnosis can be assumed. To be sure, further investigations will follow. Parents should discuss how to proceed with their pediatrician. It is important that a cow's milk allergy is quickly identified so that the baby is free of symptoms. (sb)

Also read:
World Breastfeeding Week: "Breastfeeding - talk about it!"
Cow's milk allergy occurs in babies after 4 weeks
Drink lactose-free milk if you are lactose intolerant
Food intolerance in children
Unknown cause of sudden infant death

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