| Mother2Mother Services |
| Education and Support for Nursing Mothers |
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| Common Concerns p. 9 |
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| Last Updated February 5, 2004 |
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| eczema or other rashes anywhere on the body; a red, almost burn-like ring around the anus that doesn't respond well to typical diaper rash treatments, or keeps reoccurring; unexplained fussiness; frequent spitting-up; gassiness; frequent hiccups; ear infections; nasal congestion and/or runny, watery eyes; blood in the stool. |
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| What can I do if my baby has reflux? (continued) |
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| Feed the baby more frequently, but from only one breast. If the baby takes smaller meals the incidence and discomfort of reflux is often reduced. Thickening feeds and switching to formula, however, although often recommended (even by pediatricians!) have not, according to LLL, been shown to help with reflux. Also, introducing anything other than breastmilk too early in the baby's diet can have serious consequences, such as decreasing the mother's milk supply, triggering potential allergies, and the baby may also aspirate some of the regurgitated foods. |
| FOOD SENSITIVITY |
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| Babies with a food sensitivity may have symptoms of reflux. Other symptoms are often (but not always) present as well, including: |
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| Because the tendency to have allergies and sensitivities is often inherited, there may also be a family history of: |
| colic; formula intolerance; food allergies; environmental/seasonal allergies; eczema; asthma. |
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| What should I do if I suspect my baby has a food sensitivity? |
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| Reflux Food Sensitivity |
| My first suggestion is to make sure you don't have a supply issue, particularly a forceful let-down (this is usually problematic only in the very early weeks). If this is not the issue, I then suggest examine your diet and remove all the commonly-proclaimed "fuss foods" for a week. (Keep in mind that many, if not most, mothers can eat most, if not all, of the "fuss foods" without impacting their babies at all.) If your baby is much better at the end of a week, you can slowly start reintroducing these fuss foods, one at a time, and only one every few days, to see if it is the culprit. The common fuss foods are: |
| chocolate (it contains a powerful intestinal irritant that bothers most young babies); spices (such as cinnamon, garlic, curry, and chili pepper); the citrus fruits and their juices (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, pineapple, and also kiwi and strawberry); the "fussy veggies" (onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, garlic, and peppers); fruits with a laxative effect (cherry and prune). |
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| If, after a week's time, you see no improvement, you should consider the possibility that your baby is sensitive to cow's milk proteins. Eliminate all dairy from your diet (not just the obvious milk and cheese), including dairy derivatives such as casein and whey and dairy found in processed foods for at least two weeks. It can take this long for all the dairy proteins to get out of your system, and if the baby's digestive system is irritated, it can take longer to see results because the baby's system must heal first. An accurate listing of dairy derivatives can be found by asking the people at the Food Allergies bulletin board at BabyCenter.com to either post it for you or e-mail it to you. If you see no improvement at all, and you still suspect a food sensitivity, you may wish to consider a total elimination diet. |
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