Yes, my son has Cow’s milk Protein Allergy. .

I diagnosed him when he was 4 months old. He had a lot of reflux and colicky pain as an infant, to the extent that he would hold his breath and turn blue. He always had a grumpy look on his face till the time that I eliminated all kinds of dairy from his diet and within 48 hours we saw a remarkable change in him. He was smiling, chuckling like a normal happy baby and since then we have never looked back. Babies with CMPA often have explosive diarrheas with severe diaper rash in newborn period and then reflux, colicky pain, vomiting, skin rash follow throughout infancy.

What does MILK ELIMINATION DIET mean? No milk (obviously) or milk products. That means no ghee, no butter, no curd, no paneer, no cheese, no white bread, no cream. In case of breastfeeding babies, mothers need to follow the milk elimination diet.

As opposed to the most common Indian mother belief that “MILK IS EVERYTHING” for a child, these children are advised a balanced wholesome dairy free diet full of vegetables, meats, cereals, pulses and fruits. My son is growing normally and achieving all his milestones on time. He does not have calcium or vitamin deficiencies. He got all his teeth on time and his bones are not weak. Easy availability of dairy-free or vegan foods in the market have made following these dietary restrictions simpler.

Whether these dietary restrictions will remain for life, I can’t say. About 90% of children with CMPA, start tolerating milk products by 5 years of age and around 55% by 2 years of age. In case of IgE mediated allergy to cow’s milk (where the skin allergy test is positive), symptoms may remain for life and dairy restriction may need to be strictly followed. Therefore, 2 years is the right age to test for allergy if the symptoms are persistent.

Does my child know he has an allergy? Maybe not, but he perceives pain or discomfort like a normal child and tells me “mumma, petu dukhi dukhi”. It breaks my heart to tell him at that time that it is because he ate chocolates and cookies that his mumma told him not to have. But I feel it is my duty to train him right from the start so that he can be responsible in following his dietary restrictions.

How will I reintroduce milk in his diet when the time comes? Docotrs recommend a iMAP MILK LADDER, which is a stepwise guide on starting dairy for these children. The method of reintroduction is called desensitization.

In a nutshell, CMPA is a common problem in India children, with a simple cure i.e. milk elimination diet. Although it is self-resolving in majority of children, other children can also lead a healthy life if the parents are onboard with the diagnosis and treatment.