Dear Wise Ones,

I've had a question about infant sensitivity to bovine proteins 
coming through the mother's milk, and specifically querying whether 
beef as well as dairy products can cause problems.   My experience is 
that it definitely can, and that a total elimination of both dairy 
products _and_ beef from the mother's diet can result in complete 
resolution of "colic", eczema, reflux, extreme wakefulness, and 
general irritability in the exclusively breastfed baby.  The enquirer 
suggests that the allergic protein in cow's milk isn't present in 
cow's meat - beef.    I've just done a search of the archives and 
found plenty of anecdotal reports, dating back to about 1995 
(including my own!) attesting to the value of the mother doing a 
complete elimination of all dairy products and beef in her 
diet.   I've also found the following in Breastfeeding and Human 
Lactation (Riordan & Auerbach) 1999:

"Although cow's milk appears to be the single most frequenyt offender 
in a mother's diet, other foods also have been implicated 
.......  They include beef, eggs peanut butter, wheat .... and 
high-acid fruits and vegatables."  (Ref: Chandra RK et al:  influence 
of maternal food antigen avoidance during pregnancy and lactation on 
incidence of atopic eczema in infants.  Clin Allergy 16:563-9, 1986).

Does anyone have any more information, or a more up to date reference 
to share that confirms what we intuitively know - ie that the more 
concentrated form of bovine protein in the meat is likely to also be 
a problem for some EBF babies who are sensitive to cow's milk 
proteins ingested by the mother?

Many thanks if you can help.

Pamela Morrison IBCLC
Rustington, England
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