Some people are born with allergies, while others develop them late in life. An allergy can either manifest right away or gradually develop. It can be a little tough to tell what a baby is and is not allergic to. However, when it comes to milk allergies, this can manifest through poop.
Babies and Allergies
One thing that new parents learn almost immediately is the many forms of baby poop. Aside from textures, there are also colors and shapes involved. When babies are breastfed, their poop is usually colored much like mustard. Infants who are fed with formula tend to have firmer brown or yellow poop. It should be noted that sometimes, texture or color can undergo a momentary change. In those cases, there’s generally nothing to fret over. However, when babies have loose bowel movement, it can be a sign of food intolerance.
Babies usually don’t have food sensitivities, but it’s not entirely unusual. A lot of people are surprised to find that one of the main factors that trigger this is cow’s milk. To be specific, it’s the dairy products containing protein molecules. The protein molecules have a rather high possibility of triggering the immune system to overreact.
Breastfed babies will react to small quantities of the particles of cow’s milk, which end up in their bloodstream after feeding. With babies who are fed with formula, there could be cow’s milk in the formula, and that would be what the baby reacts to.
Allergies to Milk Protein
When a baby has an intolerance to protein from cow’s milk, telltale symptoms will manifest almost immediately:
- Abdominal pain
- Irritability
- Rashes
- Sore bottom
- Vomiting
You should also be on the lookout for stool that’s loose and mushy, essentially diarrhea. Pay particular attention when the frequency is around two to four times a day for anywhere from 5 to 7 days.
Baby Diarrhea
During the first few months of a baby’s life, loose and soft poop is normal. However, there’s still enough distinction when diarrhea occurs. You will definitely be able to tell, partially because of an increase in frequency and the poop being watery. The babies will also likely have no appetite and/or a fever.
The usual poop color for babies who are bottle-fed is anywhere from tan to brown. On the other hand, infants that are breastfed have poop that’s seedy, yellow, and loose. The timeline also matters: in the first month, bowel movement is after each time they eat. Things should slow down around their first month to around four times a day at most.
Addressing the Allergies
The best way to address this is to keep the mother from consuming triggering foods. This includes the likes of ice cream, cheese, yogurt, milk, and more. Babies taking formula should try other brands.
Conclusion
It is natural, especially for first-time parents, to panic over strange baby poop. An allergy to milk protein doesn’t mean a lifelong aversion to milk, though. Your pediatrician may recommend the baby being reintroduced to dairy products later on.
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