Symptoms of a milk allergy include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, bloody stool, and rashes. In severe cases of milk allergy, a child may experience a life-threatening reaction called anaphylactic shock.
If your child has a milk allergy, her immune system is responding to the proteins found in milk. Tummy troubles related to milk can become full blown as a child switches from formula or breast milk to whole cow’s milk and begins eating other dairy products such as ice cream and cheese. For kids with a milk allergy, soy milk may be the answer, but it’s not for everyone.
Five to 10% of kids who are allergic to milk are also allergic to soy. In that case, you’ll need to talk to your child’s doctor or a nutritionist about how to make sure your child gets enough calcium from other foods. Lactose intolerance happens when a person’s body isn’t producing lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, the primary sugar in milk. Symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating, and gas. Lactose intolerance is uncommon in young children and usually shows up later in childhood or during the teen years.
If your child is lactose intolerant, he or she can probably continue to have dairy as long as she takes a synthetic form of lactase, which you can find in an over-the-counter supplement. You can also buy lactose-free milk products.