Switching from cows to lactose free milk

[damzel]

We switched my 3yo from cows to lactose free milk a week ago (she has about a pint a day) in order to alleviate constipation issues. It doesn't seem to have helped in that area yet (still early days?) but her eczema has improved massively.

She has still had some cows milk in food (fish pie etc.) and a little cheese, I really don't want to ban it completely as she loves loves loves cheese!

She's been vomiting last night and today however, most likely it's a tummy bug but as she is rarely sick, I can't help wondering if the switch has made her a bit sensitive?

Does anyone have any thoughts? Also, how long before we should expect to see an improvement with the constipation? I don't know how long to give it before trying a different tact.

[sophiechristophy]

Hi damzel - why not just cut out the drinking milk altogether? S

[damzel]

Because she loves it and there are benefits to drinking milk

[nymom]

I thought my son was lactose intolerant. It turns out he has a milk protein allergy which is entirely different. We saw a massive improvement once cutting all milk products and soya products. We saw a dietician as my son loves cheese, yogurt and other dairy food. It has been hard but worth it. To make up for the calcium one thing he has is the tropicana calcium fortified juice everyday. He is just turning three as well so I know how hard it is to cut foods out. Are you sure it is the lactose? The reason I ask is that I was told by the pediatrician and dietician that lactose intolerance is rare in young children but the milk protein allergy is much more common.

[damzel]

No, I'm not sure that she is lactose intolerant and I'm not really suggesting that she is, just making a change that might help her digestion. How did you discover that your son had a protein allergy? I don't think my daughter has an allergy as we probably would have seen some more serious symptoms by now. I'm just trying to assist digestion in order to ease constipation. I'm groping around in the dark after getting no help at all last week at the GPs (when asking questions about constipation and what accounts for "normal" poos, she said "oh it's not my expertise and I'm not a mother so you really are asking the wrong person"!!)

[nymom]

My son has chronic diahrrea but no other symptoms like hives or anything. The GP never mentioned the protein allergy. It was initially the dietician that mentioned it as her daughter suffered from constipation for years and had no other "typical" symptoms. It turns out she has what is called a "delayed reaction" which can manifest itself in constipation or diahrrea. I ended up having to go private for testing as my sons NHS appt was 10 months in the making - it is this July. The GP had initially referred me to the community pediatrician last August. And I have been battling to get things sorted ever since.

[sophiechristophy]

Hi Damzel - the main perceived benefit to drinking milk is calcium, which is in fact derived from many other food sources most likely already in your daughters diet. Just wanted to make the point that milk is not essential in the diet at all, and so if you think it might be causing her some probs can be left out without concern. S

[damzel]

Hmm food for thought, thanks to both of you. Her constipation isn't chronic but she has had a weird habit since 9 months old where she brings her knees to her chest and tenses up. Can go on for hours/days. She's only recently been able to describe it - like a lizard going round in her tummy. She's had all the general tests at St Toms a while back and everything is working as it should apparently, although I have no detail about exactly what they were testing for (assume the biggies). Typical she's never doing it when we see a doctor (apart from our appt last week but the doctor just wasn't interested). We've not really looked at diet until now.

I have a feeling that it's now just something that she does for multiple reasons, tummy ache/hunger/stress/constipation/wind, rather than just one thing. It started before she was on cows milk, and after I had stopped BF.

I'm not a fan of cutting anything out of the diet completely, unless we absolutely have to, regardless of whether it's actually needed or not. A little of everything an'all that.