Milk is a valuable and very important product innutrition of a small child. It contains many useful substances necessary for the growth and development of children: these are fats, proteins, minerals, various vitamins, and carbohydrates. Therefore, many parents try to introduce their child to this product as early as possible. However, they do not take into account that fatty cow's milk is not at all suitable for babies who are still breastfed, while it has a beneficial effect on older children. And, as is known, proper and balanced nutrition in the first year of life affects the further development of the child and his health. Qualified pediatricians recommend not to give the baby whole milk until he is twelve months old. In some countries, this threshold is slightly lower - 36 weeks. As for Germany, for example, doctors there are against cow's milk in the diet of a child under two years old. If the mother, due to health or other problems, cannot feed her child on her own, then it is better to use baby formulas adapted for babies of different ages. And only then gradually introduce specialized milk into the diet, adapted to its taste and composition to the peculiarities of the infant's body. By the way, keep in mind that for a one-year-old child, the daily norm of cow's milk is no more than 200 grams. At the same time, it should not be given as an independent product, but as part of puree or porridge. Let's dwell in more detail on why cow's milk is not useful for children under twelve months. Firstly, it contains a large number of minerals that cause discomfort in the baby's body. In particular, this has an adverse effect on the urinary system - the child's kidneys are overloaded by an average of 25%. Secondly, cow's milk, unlike breast milk, contains more sodium and protein, which can cause various allergic reactions. Therefore, as experts say, if you regularly, starting from birth, give your child this product to drink, then there is a high probability that allergies will become a constant companion of the child.
Signs and symptoms of allergies
Allergy to milk and its derivatives -a type of food intolerance that is most often observed in infants and in most cases disappears by the age of two. The main symptoms include: frequent loose stools, nausea and vomiting, bloating, colic, nervousness and capriciousness of the child immediately after feeding. Other reactions may also appear: rashes on the face and other parts of the body (diathesis), discharge in the form of a runny nose, lacrimation, difficulty breathing. In addition, the stool is usually watery, sometimes liquid with mucus or with an admixture of dark blood. However, it should be taken into account that the symptoms of this pathology are not specific. Exactly the same signs can be a consequence of other diseases, including infectious ones. Therefore, first of all, when such conditions appear, you need to consult a pediatrician.
Causes and consequences of the disease
Doctors have proven that food allergiesis transmitted at the genetic level. That is, if the child's parents have an intolerance to certain foods, then the baby will most likely be susceptible to this disease. Usually, milk allergy is observed in children who are bottle-fed from the first months of life. In most cases, babies react sensitively to cow's milk, much less often to breast, sheep and goat milk. Cow's milk consists of proteins that are resistant to high temperatures, so even by cooking the product, you will not be able to reduce its allergenicity. The main culprit of the disease is casein, but sometimes the disease is provoked by lactose - milk sugar. However, milk allergy and lactose deficiency are two completely different things. The latter appears as a result of the absence or weak activity of the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Both anomalies have similar symptoms, so only a qualified specialist can correctly diagnose the disease. An allergy to mother's milk can be caused by a cow's milk product that a woman consumed during pregnancy, since casein can enter the fetus's bloodstream through the placenta. Increased sensitivity is also possible if a nursing mother eats food that provokes reactions (for example, shrimp, nuts, chocolate, etc.). In order to protect your child and prevent allergies, it is recommended to follow a strict diet. But in general, breast milk is the most hypoallergenic product, it is ideal for feeding children. Therefore, if there is intolerance during breastfeeding, you cannot immediately transfer the baby to special formulas. Usually, it is enough to just adjust the nursing mother's diet. In many children, milk allergy often goes away by the age of two to four years without any consequences, but sometimes the signs of the disease can persist for life. Such people need to constantly adhere to a certain diet. If you do not make adjustments to the diet, then various disorders in the body are possible, both from the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. If parents continue to feed the baby allergenic food, this may result in developmental delays (mental and physical). Also, an incorrect diet can further aggravate the allergy, which is fraught with an expansion of the list of intolerable products and the appearance of such reactions (for example, Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock), the consequences of which can be disastrous.
How to treat allergies?
Allergy is a disease that can berecognize among intestinal and infectious pathologies, therefore, before treating the child, it is necessary to conduct diagnostics. In this case, the doctor, having examined the patient and excluded lactose deficiency or another disease, prescribes a special diet, which usually includes a complete ban on the consumption of food containing casein protein. If the child is breastfed, the mother should refuse (or limit intake) products that cause such a reaction of the child's body. If even after the measures taken to adjust the diet, the symptoms do not disappear, then the question is raised about transferring the baby to adapted formulas. Note that allergies are often observed in children who were transferred from breastfeeding to artificial feeding very early (before six months) or were fed "from a bottle" from birth. This is due to the fact that most formulas contain cow's milk, which causes such a reaction. In this case, they should be replaced with a product based on hydrolyzed proteins or soy. Usually, food for hypersensitive babies is called hypoallergenic, which the manufacturer indicates on the label on the packaging. The formula should be selected in stages, constantly monitoring the child's reaction. If you have tried all possible options, and the symptoms of the disease do not go away, then most likely the cause of the malaise lies elsewhere. To determine what the problem is, consult a doctor. If the baby reacts sensitively to cow's milk, then after a six-month break, you can try to reintroduce formulas and products based on it into the diet and see how the child's body responds to this. Some pediatricians do not recommend doing this before one year. Doctors have found that fermented milk foods are digested much easier by allergy sufferers, so it is better to give milk in this form. Over time, your child will be able to eat other foods, and then stop following the restrictions and get rid of the allergy. If the signs of the disease persist, then a gentle diet may take more time, and sometimes a lifetime. We recommend reading:
