Milk allergy is one type of allergy that is common to babies. Nearly 2-3% of babies in this world have milk allergies. Symptoms of milk allergy in infants are also similar to general health problems, such as diarrhea or fever, so parents often miss them. Yes, knowing whether or not a baby has a milk allergy may not be as simple as you think. However, it's good to know what are the signs of milk allergy in infants.
Get to know the signs of a baby's milk allergy
Milk allergy usually develops when the baby has been introduced to formula milk or when the baby has started eating solid food. This is because most formula milk contains cow's milk protein.
It is very rare for babies who are breastfed exclusively to have a milk allergy. However, this could happen because the cow's milk protein taken by the mother enters the baby's body through breast milk.
There are two main types of milk allergy in infants. First, the direct type, where allergy symptoms begin to appear within minutes of the baby drinking cow's milk or formula milk. Second, the type of milk allergy is delayed, where allergy symptoms will begin to appear after several hours or even days since the baby consumes cow's milk.
Therefore, if the baby starts showing symptoms of milk allergy, the mother must be vigilant. Some symptoms that can arise due to milk allergy in infants are:
- Gag
- Stomach ache
- Fussy babies
- Diarrhea
- There is blood in the baby's stool
- Skin rashes
- Coughing or wheezing
- Watery eyes and stuffy nose
- Difficulty breathing, even the skin color becomes bluish
- Swelling, especially in the mouth and throat
Differences of milk allergies with lactose intolerance
Sometimes, milk allergies and lactose intolerance cannot be distinguished. Some mothers may think that their baby has a milk allergy, when in fact the baby has lactose intolerance. These are two different things.
In milk allergies, the baby's immune system reacts negatively to the protein in cow's milk. Babies fed on breast milk will react to milk consumed by their mothers (which reaches the baby's body through breast milk), while infants fed formula will react to cow's milk protein contained in formula milk.
The baby's immune system will react to proteins in cow's milk because they see it as a foreign substance. As a self-defense, the baby's body will release histamine and other substances that can cause allergic symptoms.
Unlike milk allergies, lactose intolerance has nothing to do with the immune system and cow's milk protein. The digestive system of babies who have lactose intolerance cannot digest sugar in milk (called lactose) properly.
Lactose intolerance is rarely found in infants. Lactose intolerance is more common in older children and even adults.
How to diagnose milk allergy in infants?
It's not easy to know if a baby has a milk allergy or not. Doctors also need to carry out further examinations, such as physical examinations and fecal examinations to be able to diagnose milk allergies in infants.
To find out more, the doctor will usually also ask you not to drink milk (if you are breastfeeding) or ask you to replace baby formula into certain types of milk.
After a week the baby is free of cow's milk, the doctor may ask you to give cow's milk back to the baby to see if the baby is still reacting to cow's milk.