Janet:
Is it possible that this baby has mild colic? Signs and symtopms to look for
are: family history of allergies of any kind, asthma and/or eczema, in baby -
nasal congestion, restlessness, general fussiness, wanting to eat then going
to breast and pulling away as if not wanting to feed, alot of gas, difficulty
burping or excessive burping, spitting up, reflux or pyloric stenosis, rash,
esp. on the cheeks, behind the ears and on the neck, butt rash, green or
mucousy stools, forceful stools, frothy stools, foul smelling stools, fussy
period, particularly in the evening, with possible unconsolable crying (but
not always), typically between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM. A baby can have one or
more of these signs and symptoms and have an IgE mediated reaction to
something coming through mother's milk, most likely cow's milk proteins.
Ask the mother to keep a diet log and a record of baby's behavior. You would
see about a six hour time lapse before an offending food creates the
behavioral effect in the baby. Elimination diet of the offending food is one
of the treatments and in my experience, the most effective.Dairy elimination
(of all dairy products, overt and hidden) must be done for 21 days, not 4 or
7. Now, these are generalizations and working with allergies (or "food
sensitivities" if you must) is tricky business with lots of nuances.
On the other hand, is baby on vitamin and flouride drops? Fluoride can cause
gastrointestinal upset.
On the other hand, maybe baby is hungry...
Alison Hazelbaker
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