Most of the time, fussy or colicky babies are not reacting to any specific food their mothers eat; their digestive discomfort or gassiness is due to the immaturity of their gut and the normal flora (healthy bacteria) that help them digest food. Mother’s milk is always the best for babies. SOME babies’ symptoms improve when mothers eliminate cow’s milk protein from their diets. Cow’s milk protein can pass through breast milk to the baby, and can cause digestive distress in sensitive babies. If your baby is truly allergic to cow’s milk or other foods, they may be very fussy all the time, not growing well, have eczema flares or rashes on their skin, vomit regularly, and may have bloody or green mucousy stools on a regular basis (occasional green or mucousy stools are normal). In this case you should seek medical advice.

Infants are almost never lactose intolerant (and most of the time, it is a temporary condition that does not require stopping breastfeeding). Lactose intolerance and milk allergy are often confused; they are completely different things. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest milk sugar, while milk allergy is an immune system response to milk protein.

If you choose to eliminate dairy (or other suspected problem foods), here are some recommendations:

1. Eliminate all sources of the suspected problem food for at least 10 – 14 days. You will not be able to pinpoint the specific culprit if you eliminate more than one food at a time. If you do eliminate more than one food at a time, re-introduce them one at a time, with the food you suspect the least to be reintroduced first. Allow at least three weeks between reintroducing foods.
2. Dairy is the most common culprit and should be eliminated first. Eliminate all dairy products and foods that contain dairy, including baked goods, cream soups and butter. We recommend you read labels to ensure you eliminate all traces of milk protein as best you can.
3. Keep a log of your baby’s symptoms (suggest taking a daily photo if your child has a rash). Write down all fussy periods daily during the elimination period so you can look back and see objectively if baby’s symptoms are improving.
4. After 10-14 days dairy-free, drink a big glass of milk or eat a bowl of ice cream…(likewise if you are eliminating another type of protein). This step is crucial to see whether baby’s symptoms recur! If things have improved then get worse again when you reintroduce the suspected culprit, then continue avoidance for 2-3 months and try the challenge again. Babies usually grow out of dairy intolerance (and true allergy if that is the case) as they mature. NOTE: Other food reactions such as shellfish, egg and peanut, tend to persist longer, and may warrant allergy testing on your physician’s recommendation.

Feel welcome to contact us if you have any questions or you’d like to discuss your particular situation with our Registered Dietitian.

DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.