Diagnosis, treatment and management
Caused by the body’s immune system reacting strongly to milk proteins, milk allergies are some of the most frequently reported allergies for young children. While research shows that children are able to outgrow this by the time they reach two or three years old, this condition should be treated with care to ensure safety.
Warning signs
As with all allergies there’s a spectrum of reactions that may present themselves if your child is allergic to milk. These range from belly pain to an anaphylaxis shock, other symptoms to look out for include:
• trouble breathing
• wheezing / coughing
• hoarseness /throat tightness
• belly pain
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• itchy, watery, or swollen eyes
• hives
• swelling
• lightheadedness or loss of consciousness
Anaphylaxis shock generally presents with some of the symptoms listed above, but devolves into a much more intense reaction that can affect a child’s ability to breathe.
Ask an expert
If you suspect your child may have a milk allergy, talk to your family doctor. They may refer you to a specialist such as an allergist, who will assess your child’s symptoms. Some tests involved in this work include a skin test which checks for a physical reaction on the skin to a milk protein. Another test could include a blood test which check for ‘IgE antibodies’ in the blood. If these tests still remain unclear, sometimes a ‘food challenge’ will be undertaken – this involves assessing the bodies reaction as small amounts of milk are consumed.
Once diagnosed, your doctor can provide an allergy action plan, which can be shared with caregivers, school and daycare teachers, relatives etc. You may also consider fitting your child with a stylish medical alert bracelet that can be ordered online at medicalert.ca.
What to avoid
If your child has a milk allergy it is vitally important that they don’t consume food products that contain milk protein. If your child is breast feeding, it is important that the mother does not consume any dairy products. If they are on formula you should ensure they are soy based or hydrolysate formulas. Foods to avoid include soy products that contain cow’s milk, pre-mixed cereals that contain dairy, ‘Lactaid’ (milk specially designed for lactose intolerant people) as it often still contains cow’s milk protein, butter, buttermilk, cheese, yogurt, and ice-cream. Look for terms like casein, casinate, lactalbumin, or whey on ingredient labels– all these terms indicate a product contains milk proteins. It is also important to consider the risk of cross-contamination if certain products are manufactured in a facility that also processes milk. Labels will say ‘may contain milk” or other phrases alerting to this risk – these products should also be avoided.
For more information, check with the Canadian Paediatric Society Position Statement. For quick facts, feeding guidelines, and ways to deal with a lactose intolerance or milk allergy while maintaining a healthy diet check out: https://foodallergycanada.ca/allergies/milk.
Lactose Intolerance vs. Milk Allergy
While they may have some similar symptoms, a milk allergy is not just lactose intolerance, they are very different things.
Lactose Intolerance: occurs when a person cannot completely digest lactose, a component of milk – lactose – which can then cause abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea if milk is ingested. This is not life-threatening.
Milk Allergy: occurs when a individual has a reaction to cow’s milk, symptoms range from belly pain, diarrhea, vomiting to anaphylaxis shock. This can be life-threatening.
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