I don't think this came through the first time, so I'm resending it. If so, my apologies.
Ann writes,
<<Marsha I do not know what your daughter's symptoms were but I am curious how the diagnosis was made that it was an "allergy" that was the cause and not a side effect to something in your diet.>>
I'm not sure I can remember all her symptoms, but let's see.... They started about one week after her birth and the first one I noticed was nasal swelling. When you tried to lay her down, her nose swelled shut. It wasn't mucus, it was swollen shut. I have environmental allergies and I came to
realize her nose was doing just what mine did when my allergies flare up. She was acutely colicky, to the point that she and I slept in a rocker/recliner (not recommended now, I realize, but you do what you have to.) for 2 1/2 months because she could not be still. Her belly was hurting and
movement helped. Some nights I put her in the wind-up swing (which I seldom used after baby #1. She was baby #4), which would go for 20 minutes at a time, just so that I could get 20 minutes of uninterrupted sleep at a time while I stayed in the recliner! When she'd start squirming in the
rocker/recliner, I'd start rocking. She developed a rash on her face (the last symptom to disappear 2 full weeks after elimination of dairy), had mucus in her diapers, very foul smelling gas and developed ear infections (which never reoccurred after dairy was eliminated). She did not grow
well-just enough to not be failure-to-thrive which was different from all my other children (at three months, she looked like they did at one month!) and was a miserable little girl. I sometimes gave her Tylenol with codeine (from her ear infection treatment) because it seemed to help her obvious
discomfort. My sister visited during this 2 1/2 month period before the mystery was solved and made the observation, "you can tell she doesn't WANT to be crying" meaning she's crying because something's wrong. I had developed a relationship with the local LC (who took the first certifying exam
ever offered) and she strongly believed it was a dairy allergy. My pediatrician, however, did not. After cutting out the obvious dairy and seeing my daughter's fussiness subside, my ped convinced me dairy wasn't the problem and so I starting using it again. Again the crying began. When I finally
cut ALL dairy out, at the LC's urging, all the above symptoms disappeared. My daughter started gaining weight. No more ear infections, BM's were normal. Her nose cleared up. The rash on her face disappeared and she SMILED (instead of fussed) all the time! I have always said that was because she
felt so good to just feel normal and not hurt anymore!
A few months later I consumed a product touted to have "real sour cream" in it and she started crying about 15 hrs later. I didn't make that mistake again! At twelve months or so, when I reintroduced dairy in my diet, the only symptom that came back was the "zits" on her face. Even that was
milder. At 10 yrs of age, she became lactose intolerant and now (at 15 yrs) has to have lactaid or she can't have dairy. She knows not to even try although she loves it, unfortunately. She also did not want solid foods until she was over a year old and I didn't push them.
<<Now, maybe cow's milk protiens are a contributing factor but I don't believe this should be the first assumption and action.>>
Hindsight is 20/20 as they say and now I realize that probably the reason my other children were so colicky was the amount of dairy in my diet. After all, breast babies are not supposed to be as colicky as formula ones, right? Well mine were! Now I recognize a history of dairy intolerance among
some of my family members, but it wasn't recognized back then. For instance, my younger brother wet the bed until he was 11 or 12 (he'd kill me if he knew I told anyone!). As a college student, his body finally rebelled once and for all and he got pretty sick for quite a while. Now he can't have
ANY dairy. My father also has a significant history. Until you've experienced it, you can't know how horrible it is to have a child suffer like this. What does it hurt, if a child has symptoms suggestive of food intolerance, to try forgoing dairy, which is the most common offender? I wish
someone had suggested it to me sooner. My daughter's first 2 1/2 months would have been much happier for all of us! In this type situation I tend to operate on the adage "can't hurt, might help".
Sorry this is so long,
Marsha, who wishes I knew then what I know now!
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Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations as all other earthly causes combined.
John S. C. Abbot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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