Does your Child have a Cow’s Milk Allergy?

When Rachelle tried to breastfeed, baby Nate would arch his back and turn away from her. He slept for only 30 minute at a time, day or night, and Rachelle was on her knees with exhaustion. Nate’s skin was itchy and red with eczema, and something just didn’t seem right. At ten days of age, Nate stopped feeding entirely, and the family moved to formula – but Nate’s feeding still didn’t improve. It could take an hours to get Nate to take just a couple of ounces of milk from the bottle. Then he would sleep for half an hour before waking and the cycle would start again.

There were repeated visits to the GP, who would insist everything was fine. Meanwhile, Rachelle and her husband were on their knees with exhaustion. Rachelle was stressed, worried and struggling to care for her baby and toddler.

After 14 weeks, Rachelle finally saw a specialist consultant who confirmed that Nate was one of just two percent of children who are born with Cow’s Milk Allergy.

Cow’s Milk Allergy is not the same as lactose intolerance. While someone with an intolerance might suffer delayed reactions to milk, such as bloating, constipation, rashes and fatigue, an allergy tends to be more severe, and the reaction to milk much faster. Symptoms of Cow’s Milk Allergy include:

    Skin reactions/rashes
    Sickness and vomiting
    Diarrhoea
    Difficulties breathing

Around half of babies with CMA will develop reactions and allergies to other foods as they get older. The good news is that CMA usually disappears of its own accord by the time a baby is one year old, but for some it may continue – 87% of children will outgrow CMA by the age of three, and 92% by the age of five.

The key thing to remember is you’re not alone – CMA affects up to 30,000 babies and children in the UK, and nothing you do as a parent will cause or create CMA.
Coping with CMA

Babies with CMA are allergic to regular formula, and may also react to breastmilk – the proteins from cow’s milk can be carried through into breastmilk if the mother consumes them. And cow’s milk protein isn’t only found in cow’s milk – this sort of milk is commonly used as an ingredient in all sorts of foods, from biscuits to sausages, chocolate and most commercially-prepared breads.

Once diagnosed your baby will be prescribed an “extensively hydrolysed” formula by the GP – this is a formula where the cow’s milk proteins have been broken down into smaller parts that your baby won’t react to. It’s important to use this formula rather than soya or rice milk – which experts say don’t provide enough nutrition for your baby’s needs. Some babies may initially refuse these formulas, but newer formulas are being developed all the time, and the latest have been shown to be much more palatable in research from Abbott Healthcare.

Getting a diagnosis of CMA can be difficult – most GPs will only see one or two cases in their career, and it isn’t easy to spot. In a recent survey conducted by Abbott Healthcare, parents said it took an average of six and a half weeks for their baby to be diagnosed with CMA, and parents need better access to information, guidance and support during this time – and post-diagnosis.

If your child has CMA, eliminating milk proteins from their diet is a huge step – but one that might not be easy. Your baby may reject the specialist formula, while weaned babies will be unable to eat many of the meals you’re used to serving the family. If a child has CMA, they’re more likely to develop other allergies to things like soya, eggs and peanuts – and cooking may become much more stressful as a result.
Help is at Hand

MomenTUMS is a brand new website from Abbott designed to provide support and guidance for parents of babies and children with CMA. The site has tips and checklists for parents from the earliest days – including things you can take to appointments with doctors to ensure you get all the information you need. The site also has a range of family-friendly recipes that are suitable for children with CMA, and other allergies.

MomenTUMS has been developed with input from psychologists, doctors and dieticians and Rachelle Anderson says she wishes this sort of resource had been available when Nate was born. “I remember one night when Nate screamed from 7pm to 3am without stopping. It was a very stressful time for my husband and i; we were suffering from a lack of sleep on top of the anxiety of not knowing what was making Nate so uncomfortable and unhappy. Having more resources and information available to parents could have meant Nate being diagnosed earlier, which would have made a huge difference to our family.”


Courtesy: http://www.tots100.co.uk/2013/11/25/does-your-child-have-a-cows-milk-allergy/