We often hear remarks about milk and dairy intolerances, but what is the difference between an allergy and an intolerance? Is one more serious than the other, and how can you identify between the two? A milk allergy is when your baby’s immune system reacts to the proteins in milk – this is commonly a childhood allergy and affects around two percent and seven percent of infants. If your baby has eczema, they’ll be more likely to develop an allergy to milk. A lactose intolerance, however, occurs when your baby can’t digest the lactose, or sugars, found in milk. This is rarer than an allergy and isn’t necessarily confined to childhood. Your baby can consume milk proteins through your breast milk if you’ve drunk or eaten dairy produce, or they may react to milk formulas which are made up of cow’s milk. Babies are sometimes allergic to the casein in milk, which is the curd which forms when the milk turns sour; they may be allergic to the whey, which is the watery substance which is leftover when the curd is removed; they may sometimes be allergic to both. If your child has an allergy to milk, they’ll often have outgrown it by their teenage years – some even by the age of three. However, around half of babies and children who have a reaction to milk will develop an allergy to something else later in life. Studies show that around 80 percent will develop asthma.
Some children or infants have immediate reactions after drinking milk or having eaten dairy, which could show up as a flushed face, a rash on the skin, or watery eyes and a runny nose. They may feel sick, vomit or have diarrhoea, or in extreme cases have anaphylaxis – an extreme and rare reaction to an allergen. A simple skin prick test or a blood test can help determine if there are any allergies in your children. Though most reactions are immediately obvious, delayed allergic reactions are not uncommon either. This may arise in the form of eczema, colic, constipation or diarrhoea, or failure to gain weight – also referred to as a failure to thrive. These symptoms are common in early childhood though, and a milk protein allergy is just one possible explanation. It’s for this reason that getting your child tested if you suspect an allergy is important, in order to determine if this is actually the case. Delayed reactions make diagnosing the condition more difficult, as they involve parts of the immune system which are slower to respond.
Your GP or a dietician can work through a diet plan with you which will involve cutting out milk and dairy to see if the symptoms disappear or resurface. However, before cutting anything from your child’s diet, speak to a GP first to check it is safe. This is the same if you suspect your child is allergic to the formula you’re feeding them – get medical advice beforehand, as it may not be as simple as simply switching to a soya-based product. A lactose intolerance is quite different to an allergy in that your baby will not have the enzyme, lactase, they need to break down lactose found in dairy products. This is rare amongst babies in the UK, but it doesn’t happen. It tends to occur in places where adults don’t typically drink or cook with cow’s milk, such as in Asia. As before, speak to your GP if you suspect this is the case who can run tests and identify the problem.
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