I often speak with parents of milk allergic babies and I hear a lot about rashes that appear on the baby’s face and body.  It is heartbreaking to hear how much they itch and scratch uncontrollably. And for many parents it is hard to determine if their child has just a typical baby rash or if it is a symptom of something more serious – like a rash caused by an allergic reaction to cow’s milk.

Atopic Dermatitis or eczema are two types of rashes that are commonly caused by a milk allergy. But without a diagnosis from the doctor of a cow’s milk allergy, how would a parent know that this is the cause?

You should always refer to your pediatrician to help you understand what is causing your little one’s eczema, but it’s also important to look at the big picture. Sometimes a baby with cow’s milk allergies, will also display other symptoms in addition to a rash. For instance, you may also see symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, gassiness, wheezing, runny nose, and colic.

If you do see a rash accompanied by any of these other symptoms, make sure to keep detailed notes and share all symptoms with your doctor so that your little one can get diagnosed and treated faster.

Also, make sure to work with your pediatrician to come up with a plan for healing your baby’s skin –  no matter what is triggering the rash, it is important to heal your baby’s skin as soon as possible. Some recommendations the doctor might suggest include:

• Bathing your baby in soothing lukewarm water

• Using a milk soap or non-soap cleanser

• Avoiding bath oils and perfumed powders

• Applying an over-the-counter lubricant to your baby’s skin

• Keeping your baby’s fingernails filed short so the scratching won’t do as much damage

• Dressing your baby in soft cotton fabrics to prevent possible fabric irritation

• Keeping your baby cool and avoiding hot, humid environments

• Trying to keep your baby distracted from the itchiness with fun activities

Did your little one have a rash due to a milk protein allergy? Tell us about your experience and what you did to treat it.

-Christine

One of my favorite parts about being a nutrition specialist is talking to parents. While sometimes I just answer questions, other times I am able to hear a family’s actual allergy story. This is great because it helps me understand what parents are really going through.

Unfortunately, one thing I constantly hear from parents is that it took months and several doctor visits before their child was finally diagnosed with milk protein allergy.

Since there seems to be a lack of awareness about the symptoms of milk protein allergy, I wanted to quickly run through some of the most common symptoms – the more allergy parents or soon-to-be parents know, hopefully the better the diagnosis process.

Because one of the symptoms of a milk protein allergy is extreme fussiness, doctors often dismiss the other symptoms and diagnose the baby with colic. This happens all too often, causing little ones to suffer for far too long.

For more information on colicky babies and milk allergies, check out the article: What is Colic.

Other common symptoms of a milk protein allergy include:

• Diarrhea
• Bloody stool
• Vomiting
• Skin rashes
• Fussiness
• Low or no weight gain
• Gassiness
• Wheezing
• Failure to thrive

If you’re baby is experiencing any of these symptoms, visit your doctor. And in the mean time check out testforallergy.com to take a free test online that will help you determine if your baby has a milk allergy.

- Nita
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