For Parents Whose Babies Were Dairy Sensitive

[elle's mom]

Can anyone tell me how long before their dairy sensitive infant could tolerate it, even in small amounts? My dd seems to have been pretty sensitive, she even reacted to my putting butter on one slice of gluten-free toast a few months ago. Well, now she is four and a half months (I need to change my signature), and I'm thinking about trying a little bit of cheddar on something. I don't want to hurt her tummy though, so I wanted to get some insight.....thanks.

[Ahorsesoul]

My dear sweet babies are 39 and 33. The 39 yr old tolerates dairy just fine now that's she's been on a gluten free diet for over two years. Dairy Queen is now a friend not a foe. The 33 yr old won't go gluten free (yet) so he stay away from dairy. He'll come over to this side of the fence when he's ready to accept it.

Wish I had known what the problem was when they were young.

[taweavmo3]

None of my kids can tolerate dairy. With my last child, I had to cut out dairy to ease her reflux. She still gets reflux symptoms if she has some dairy, and she's three.

I'm sure some kids do grow out of it, it just didn't happen for us! We've done a few dairy trials, and it never goes well. I honestly don't think they'll ever grow out of it, and really since they have been so healthy w/out it I don't think I'd add it back now even if I could.

[runningcrazy]

i think it depends on if its lactose intolerance or casein.

If it is lactose, then she may have grown out of it.

If its casein, she wont, just like gluten.

Cheddar is very low in lactose so if it is lactose problem, she probably wont be bothered. if its casein she will.

Have you had testing for casein or lactose?

[jststric]

speaking of myself as a child....I was very intolerant of dairy and other things for several years (2-3) and then seemingly outgrew it. I did fine with dairy till I was about 35...then it started bothering me alot. It was another 15 yrs and alot of the other intolerances that I had when I was young kicked in again. I am gluten-free, dairy-free...along with many other food groups now. I have read that is not an unusual thing to happen if you were intolerant/allergic when you were little. I'm hoping I will "grow out of it" again, lol! I'm not holding my breath tho.

[elle's mom]

i think it depends on if its lactose intolerance or casein.

If it is lactose, then she may have grown out of it.

If its casein, she wont, just like gluten.

Cheddar is very low in lactose so if it is lactose problem, she probably wont be bothered. if its casein she will.

Have you had testing for casein or lactose?

No, she was never tested.......I actually didn't even really know there was such a test. Is it a blood test? If so, I'll probably just wait it out for now and see. We live an hour from the lab, and well babies don't really like needles, so I try to minimize them when possible (although all my kids do get their vaccinations). Anyway, thanks for the info, I am new to all this so I appreciate it. I HOPE it's just the run of the mill infant/lactose thing. I never knew this either but apparently lots of "normal" babies are sensitive to dairy for awhile & that's what I was wondering if anyone could comment on. The information I've read online refers to it subsiding between 3-12 months typically. Kind of a large window of time when mom is eliminating it from her already gluten free diet! I was totally fine for awhile but lately have really had the hankering for a few things dairy.

[CMG]

We figured out that my daughter was sensitive to dairy when she was about a year old - long before we determined that she was gluten intolerant (she is now 6). We tested her with dairy periodically, and by about 3 1/2 I thought she was able to tolerate occasional cheese or yogurt. She started gluten free at about 4 1/2. She has continued to have periodic intestinal problems, and her current pediatrician said that dairy is the most common cause. This is the 3rd pediatrician who has told us no dairy. So finally, I have accepted that I need to be as strict about dairy as I do about gluten.

The current doctor did say that clarified butter (or ghee) should be ok. Also, on the lactose issue, she said there is an easy breath test for that if we want to do it. Probably difficult for a little one, but you eat some dairy (at the doctor's office) then breathe into a tube, which detects some gases that the intestines produce if it is a lactose issue. If this test is negative, then assume casein. We haven't done it yet, but I plan to.