How can you tell if you have a cow's milk allergy?
Children with a cow’s milk allergy often experience multiple symptoms at the same time.
These symptoms may include:
- Stomach pain or severe cramps
- Diarrhea, blood or mucus in the stool, or constipation
- Poor feeding, refusing the bottle
- Not growing properly
- Persistent stuffy nose, shortness of breath, or coughing
- Red rash immediately after drinking cow's milk
- Worsening of eczema. Eczema itself is not an allergy, but it can be exacerbated by an allergy
Sometimes the symptoms are mild, and sometimes they are severe. Does your child experience these symptoms every time they drink milk or eat dairy products? Always see your family doctor or pediatrician.
What can you do on your own?
Have a doctor determine whether it is actually an allergy. Make an appointment with your pediatrician or family doctor. Sometimes the pediatrician or family doctor will refer you to a pediatrician. Use hypoallergenic foods only on the advice of a doctor or dietitian.
Can you prevent a cow's milk allergy?
You can’t always prevent a cow’s milk allergy. However, there are things you can do to reduce the risk:
- Breastfeeding: It is recommended to breastfeed for the first 6 months.
- No Diet for Mothers: Avoiding milk during pregnancy or breastfeeding does not help prevent allergies.
- Early introduction of solid foods: Start introducing solid foods between 4 and 6 months of age. Do not delay introducing dairy products unnecessarily.
- How to Treat Eczema Effectively: Apply ointment or cream daily; take a short, lukewarm shower (32–35 °C).
- Avoid skin contact with dairy products: Especially for children with eczema.
- Do not use hypoallergenic food without medical advice: Use only as directed by a doctor or dietitian.
When should you see a pediatrician?
If your child has symptoms that could be consistent with a cow’s milk allergy, always see your family doctor or pediatrician. The family doctor or pediatrician will determine whether your child needs a referral to a pediatrician.
What do we do?
At De Kinderartsenpraktijk, we take the time to listen carefully to your story. The pediatrician explains how a diagnosis of cow’s milk allergy is made and determines whether a cow’s milk allergy is actually present.
If your child is diagnosed with a cow’s milk allergy, they will be given a special diet:
- Extensively hydrolyzed formula: milk in which the proteins have been broken down into very small pieces.
- Amino acid-based nutrition: if symptoms are severe or persist.
Breastfeeding can almost always continue, but sometimes the mother has to eliminate cow’s milk from her own diet. Most children outgrow their allergies. Often around the age of 1.