Regarding this mother below, presented by Janice Reynolds:
I suspect dairy is the main issue here. Dairy is big offender when it
comes to gastrointestinal sx, eczema rashes, and other allergic sx. Most
likely, an allergy or "sensitivity" to dairy proteins that are passing
through the breast milk. True lactose intolerance is rare and a severe
medical problem that would result in a failure-to-thrive baby from
birth. Lactose intolerance can occur secondarily to other situations such
as gastroenteritis, celiac disease (intolerance to the gluten in wheat-
which typically presents with abnormal stools), and food
allergy/intolerance- basically anything that can damage the intestinal
lining where the lactase (the enzyme which digests *lactose*) is produced.
To test if dairy is truly the culprit, a total dairy elimination diet is
best. That is, no obvious dairy products such as milk, ice cream, butter,
cheese, yogurt, cream, cream cheese, etc. AND no "hidden" dairy proteins
such as any food made w/casein or whey (which are dairy protein). There
are also other names dairy proteins "masquerade" as, and I would be happy
to provide a list, if you'd like to email me off-list. This type of trial
requires label-reading of all food products, because dairy is included in
many food items that one would never consider (e.g., some canned tuna
brands contain "sodium caseinate," caseinate being a dairy protein)
The other alternative is to eliminate only the dairy "top guns" (milk,
cheese, ice cream, yogurt, etc.), as that might do the trick.
For a dairy elimination diet to be given a fair trial, it must be followed
for at least 2 weeks, preferably 3 weeks, before making any determination
as to its effectiveness in solving the problem. Dairy proteins can remain
in mom's system for 2-3 weeks.
It has been my experience that when a mom says she has eliminated dairy for
a period of time (and, again, 7 days would not be a long enough trial),
often there have been some instances of dairy consumption sometime in that
period (cookie made w/butter, scrambled eggs w/milk, etc.). This can be
enough to affect some babies who are sensitive to dairy. And, with the
dairy proteins from even one "dairy transgression" hanging out in mom's
system for a couple of weeks, the effect can be felt for days or longer by
baby.
Did or does baby receive any formula? If dairy is the problem, a cow's
milk -based formula is going to, obviously, be wreaking some havoc on his
little system. The post states that problem began around 6 weeks- did mom
return to work and formula entered picture then?
Also, does mom/dad or other family members have any food
allergies/issues? If so, then baby is more likely to be sensitive to these
foods also.
~Dianne Oliver, IBCLC, LLLL
Simi Valley, CA
>A 27 year old mother of a first baby, has struggled with her 9 month old
>since 6 weeks after he was born. He breastfeeds frequently (every 2 hours in
>the day and every hour at night) and is gaining well, but he is very gassy,
>very fussy and has episodes of screaming at nights since he was 6 weeks old.
>He is relatively happy and content in the day. There is no evidence of an
>oversupply or an overactive letdown. His latch is good. Mom has a good
>supply and her baby handles the flow well. Stools are yellow. She has tried
>eliminating dairy, eggs, wheat and nuts from her diet for 7 days with no
>improvement. She feels, however, that he is reacting to foods as she thinks
>his episodes of screaming are more severe and frequent if he takes wheat
>products or is she eats certain foods (for example, pizza). He is eating
>some fruit, vegetables and chicken. She has eliminated all cereal from his
>diet. She is seeing a pediatrician next week for a complete medical checkup,
>but is feeling exhausted and frustrated. We are feeling that he is receiving
>more lactose than his gut can handle, but are not certain of the cause. Any
>suggestions?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Holistic Lactation
805-582-2058
www.holisticlactation.com
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