How do you know if your child is sensitive to milk?
A child who is sensitive to milk may experience symptoms such as:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Bloating and gas
- Stomach pain
- Rash or hives
- Nasal congestion or difficulty breathing
- Vomiting
If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms and you suspect that they may be related to milk consumption, it is important to speak with a healthcare provider. A healthcare provider can perform tests to determine if your child is sensitive to milk and can recommend the appropriate treatment.
It is important to note that milk sensitivity is different from lactose intolerance, which is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk.
You have been frantically searching for the baby formula that will finally help your little one and have tried all sorts of different brands that don’t seem to really help. Your pediatrician and other moms have suggested sensitive formulas, but these too are not quite solving your baby’s issues. Plus, if you look into the ingredients in some of them, you may be nervous about giving your baby American-sensitive formulas.
So, what options do you have when everything on the shelf isn’t quite cutting it, and your baby is sensitive? Many parents have decided to look outside of the American borders and into the European market for alternative baby formula. In fact, choosing European baby formula alone, with its higher quality and standards may be just enough for your sensitive little one. Let’s dig a little deeper into what European options you have for your sensitive baby.
#1 Sensitive Cow’s Milk Formulas
Here you have a few different options to explore, based on the sensitivity of your baby and which issues your little one is having. Starting with the first, basic go-to type of formula, you might look into HypoAllergenic formulas (HA). These formulas have hydrolyzed lactose proteins, which means they have been broken into smaller fragments for babies to easily digest. In Europe, the most popular choice is HiPP HA formulas. Plus, the added bonus is that they have prebiotics and probiotics to further aid in digestion.
If the HA formulas are not sensitive enough, many parents switch to the more sensitive “comfort” version that HiPP offers. The biggest difference is that the lactose content is even smaller than in the HA versions, allowing babies to still drink cow’s milk and hopefully mitigate their developing digestive system issues. This version also includes those prebiotics and probiotics as well.
For more specialized issues, like acid reflux, there is a solution for babies as well in the HiPP product line. The HiPP AR formula has organic locust beans added into it as a thickener, which keeps the formula from easily being spat up after feeding. This is a much cleaner ingredient than the thickeners used in many of the American formulas offered for acid reflux.
Lastly, the latest version of sensitive cow’s milk formulas is the A2 type of formula. Research has shown that the A2 protein is better digested than the A1 protein, and as such, it is a wonderful alternative for babies that are sensitive to cow’s milk. Historically, cows were producing only the A2 form of beta-casein, but the present day the milk most often found on our shelves is from the A1 proteins. The peptide, BCM-7, that A1 milk leaves behind in the small intestine causes symptoms similar to those who suffer from lactose intolerance. This is why formula companies, such as Holle, have started offering an A2 organic formula option to comfort your babies.
#2 Goat’s Milk Formulas
For most parents, when the cow’s milk-sensitive versions do not work, they are referred to formulas such as soy-based formula, Nutramigen, Pregestimil, and PurAmino. While all of these formulas may have their place for the extremely sensitive baby, many parents would prefer to avoid the corn syrup solid bases these formulas all present. As such, goat milk formula has become a popular choice.
Why is goat’s milk great for sensitive babies? Remember that A2 protein we spoke about in the cow’s milk formulas? Goat’s milk naturally consists of A2 milk! This means goat milk formula already has an easier-to-digest protein, which is wonderful news for those sensitive tummies.
Furthermore, the composition of goat’s milk casein is more similar to the composition of breast milk than cow’s milk. Plus, the milk protein forms a softer curd that is easier for the baby to digest. It may not be too significant, but the portion of lactose in goat’s milk is slightly less (4.1% vs 4.7%), which could be better for those lactose-sensitive babies.
Other added bonuses in goat’s milk: minerals and vitamins! With more potassium, niacin, vitamin A, calcium, vitamin B-6, and copper naturally than in cow’s milk, formula manufacturers can easily pass these benefits onto your baby without having to supplement from other sources. Plus, the natural antioxidant selenium is more predominant in goat’s milk than cow’s milk, which is great for a baby’s immunity.
The most popular brand for goat’s milk baby formula has been Holle for quite a few years, but the newer brand of goat’s formula that Kendamil offers is equally amazing. Both brands have absolutely amazing standards and benefits your sensitive baby will enjoy.
Can you be intolerant to just cow milk?
Yes, it is possible to be intolerant to cow’s milk specifically, but not to other types of milk or milk products. Milk intolerance, also known as milk protein intolerance, is an immune reaction to the proteins found in cow’s milk. It is different from lactose intolerance, which is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk.
Symptoms of milk intolerance can include diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and vomiting. If you are experiencing these symptoms and suspect that you may be intolerant to cow’s milk, it is important to speak with a healthcare provider. They can perform tests to determine if you have a milk protein intolerance and recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
What’s Next?
Once you have chosen a version, cow’s milk or goat’s milk, you may be wondering how you choose between the brands. This truly depends on your baby and the preferences they may have depending on their sensitivity. The best thing you can do is really examine all the ingredients in each of the baby formulas and do some research.
Since you are looking into European formulas, one thing you can rest assured of is that the nasty fillers and GMOs will not be present. Plus, many of the formulas do not include soy in any of their versions, which is such a controversial ingredient for babies. Lastly, these European formulas pride themselves in offering your baby lactose as the sweetener, none of the filler that you find so commonly on the shelf in America.
Hopefully, this article has given you some basic direction to help your baby! If so, feel free to share with expecting moms, as well as other moms and dads that are suffering in the sensitive baby world.
