While breastfeeding offers unique benefits and is the superior choice for infants, it can come with some challenges. If your baby shows signs of food allergies, you might worry that he is allergic to your milk. Babies cannot be allergic to human milk but can react to foreign food proteins in your milk. A very few infants suffer from galactosemia, or the inability to metabolize galactose.
Symptoms
Food allergies in a breastfed baby present with a variety of symptoms. While all babies are occasionally fussy, fussiness will be accompanied by physical distress if a baby is reacting to something you're eating. Physical symptoms include rashes, green or bloody stools, congestion and excessive spitting up. Colic, characterized by discomfort and screaming, also can be the result of food allergies.
Common Allergens
If you suspect your breastfed baby is reacting to foods in your diet, there are a few common culprits. Cow's milk is the most likely allergen, but you also might want to consider the possibility that soy, wheat, eggs, corn or peanuts are bothering your baby. You also might want to consider any allergies that run in your family, any new foods in your diet, or foods you eat frequently.
Elimination Diet
You might be able to recognize problem foods by maintaining a food journal and detailing what you eat each day. If you believe you've found the culprit, eliminate the problem food for at least two to three weeks. Some foods, including cow's milk, might require longer to clear both your milk and your baby's system. You should begin to see improvement after five to seven days, but it might take longer for symptoms to resolve completely.
Galactosemia
While most reactions identified as allergies to mother's milk are simply a reaction to foods mom is eating, galactosemia is a serious genetic condition. Babies with galactosemia lack the ability to metabolize galactose. The symptoms of galactosemia appear within a few days of birth, including an enlarged liver, convulsions, lethargy and fluid in the abdomen. Substances related to excess galactose in the body can damage the liver, kidneys, brain and eyes. If your baby has galactosemia, she must be fed a soy or hypoallergenic formula.
