About 2 to 5 percent of infants under 1 year old have a milk allergy, notes the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Because most infant formulas are made using a milk-based protein, parents must be on the lookout for symptoms of an allergy.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of an allergy to infant formula include a rash, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain, according to the Nemours Foundation. You also may notice a little blood in your infant's stool. These symptoms should be promptly reported to the pediatrician.
Treatment
Most often, simply switching the baby to a soy-based formula stops the symptoms. About half of infants with an allergy to milk-based formula also have a reaction to soy-based formula, notes BabyCenter. In that case, a hypoallergenic formula may be prescribed.
Alternative
In some cases, an infant who is allergic to formula can be breastfed; however, some infants with a severe milk allergy may be unable to breastfeed, as they will continue to exhibit symptoms similar to those present when the formula allergy was diagnosed. If that occurs, the infant will have to be fed a special infant formula prescribed by the doctor.
