Food Allergies – A Possible Reason

Posted by admin on August 17, 2009

You may be surprised to know that food allergies can contribute to your baby’s trouble with going to sleep. Yes food allergies can and do affect many infants and toddlers.

And if it is food allergies, chances are that milk (the stuff that comes from cows, not you mom) is the cause of your baby not getting to sleep.

A surprising number of adults have some sort of milk intolerance and what may be even more surprising to many is that babies also have a problem with the stuff you’ll get from the dairy case.

If your baby is in fact allergic to milk products it will not necessarily mean that that they are lactose intolerant (as is the case with most adults who are allergic to milk).

Most infant allergies to milk are caused by a adverse reaction to the protein that is found in cow’s milk.

Symptoms of milk / food allergies in babies may include shortness of breath and upset stomach which may also be accompanied by vomiting, although this does not always happen.

The best fix for this problem is to breastfeed baby, but for mothers that prefer a different solution you shouldn’t rush out and grab just any infant formula, as many of these will also have some sort of milk / dairy product in their ingredients list.

Rather, if you think your little one may have a problem with food allergies you should take them to see their pediatrician for a confirmed diagnosis, who will then likely prescribe a soy based formula if breastfeeding is not the solution of choice.

If you decide that breastfeeding is the best option for your baby because of a milk allergy then mom will also have to avoid dairy products in order to avoid passing the cow protein through her milk.

Keep in mind that just because an infant is allergic to milk products doesn’t mean that they always will be. In many cases allergies to milk are overcome by age 4. However milk, or other food allergies, can cause / contribute to insomnia in toddlers and even adults so if your little one has allergies consider food allergies as a possible reason.

For more great information on how to get your baby to sleep through the night consider getting this excellent guide to getting your baby good solid sleep through the night.