are these signs of dairy allergy in a toddler?
BeachMama7693
member
my lo is about 15 months now and we are experiencing a few things that leads me to believe she may have a dairy allergy. as an infant she had dairy intolerance with my breastmilk (EBF) so i cut out all dairy and that seemed to solve the issue. when we started her on solids we slowly introduced dairy (cheese, yogurt etc) and she did well with it. but lately, she has started having belly aches when i put her to bed (squirms like her tummy hurts and clenches, plus i can hear gas) and cries out when she toots. she is a VERY wakeful sleeper (waking 4-5 times a night still) which i thought may be from the dairy. it seems to be more when she eats yogurt or ranch dressing, and not so much from mac and cheese (which i guess is because it is so processed!) twice this week she has tried ranch dressing and has a red rash immediately breakout around her mouth.
she doesnt throw up or have green poops that would indicate allergy, however she is quite fussy and just doesnt seem that comfortable. her poops are soft and not formed like they were a few months ago, they are more mushy?
does this sound like a dairy allergy or intolerance to those of you who have experience with it? if so, should i just cut out dairy all together from her diet or just the foods that seem to bother her? and how long does it take to see a difference? thanks!
Re: are these signs of dairy allergy in a toddler?
The rash around her mouth sounds like an allergic reaction. DD1 is allergic to dairy (and soy, and eggs). We introduced yogurt around 11 months, and she'd get red around her mouth. Then when we gave her cheese, she'd get hives where it touched her skin. At her 1 yr check up, I told the pedi about those reactions, and she ordered a blood RAST test to check for allergies. Her numbers were really high for dairy and egg, so we were prescribed Epipens to have on hand (we've thankfully never had to use them).
Anyway, we were able to just cut obvious dairy and egg from her diet. She can handle dairy and eggs if they're cooked into foods like bread, crackers, etc. She just can't have yogurt, cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, milk, or eggs by themselves.
I would talk to the pedi and ask for a RAST test. You can also see a pediatric allergist for a skin test and for more info.
DD1: allergic to eggs & dairy
c/p 4/1/11
DD2: milk and soy protein intolerant, allergic to eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, bananas
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