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Exclusion diets

If it’s discovered that your baby has a food intolerance or allergy, it’s likely that an exclusion diet will be suggested. The following information about exclusion diets is intended for information only. It’s very important to talk to your GP if your baby is having any health problems you believe may be related to his diet.

Gluten-free diets

• If your baby is diagnosed with Coeliac Disease he won’t be able to digest the protein contained in rye, oats, barley and wheat known as gluten.
• If you have any family history of Coeliac Disease, you shouldn’t give your baby foods containing gluten until they are at least 12 months old, or later if advised.
• You can help your baby to enjoy a varied diet by including some suitable gluten free Milupa baby and toddler foods in his diet.
• Call us on Freephone 1 800 22 1234 and we will be happy to advise you about our gluten-free products.

Milk-free diets

• 2-6% of babies will develop a cow’s milk intolerance or allergy.
• Symptoms may include: being unsettled, persistent crying, weight loss, failure to gain weight, malnutrition, reflux, vomiting, colic, burping, flatulence, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, eczema, skin rashes, and shortness of breath.
• Intolerances and allergies are different. If your baby has a true allergy, you will need to exclude cow’s milk and cow’s milk products from his diet completely.
• Cow’s milk protein intolerance is not a true allergy and will not give a positive result in the blood or skin prick test.
• However, it is essential to find out whether the intolerance is due the protein or the lactose in milk.
• Lactose intolerance is caused by undigested lactose passing into the colon. This happens due to a deficiency or absence of lactase, the enzyme that digests milk.
• If your baby is diagnosed as having an intolerance to the protein he may still be able to have some cow’s milk and milk products in his diet.
• If your baby has any symptoms see your GP so she can make a proper diagnosis.

Egg-free diets

• Most children who develop an egg allergy will grow out of it by the age of three.
• In a few cases, egg allergy can cause anaphylaxis.
• The main causes of egg allergy are three proteins in the white of eggs – ovomucoid, ovalbumin and conalbumin.
• Remember that there could still be foods on the shelves that were produced before this date so always check the ingredients list of the label.
• Occasionally someone might react to egg because they have an allergy to chicken, quail or turkey meat, or to bird feathers. This is called bird-egg syndrome.
• If your baby reacts badly to eggs, see your GP for a proper diagnosis.

Peanut-free diets

• Peanut allergies are increasing in children, but it’s not clear as to why.
• Children at the highest risk of peanut allergies are those with parents, brothers or sisters who suffer from certain allergic conditions, such as asthma, eczema, or hayfever.
• A peanut allergy usually lasts a lifetime.
• Peanuts are one of the most common causes of food allergies and can cause severe reactions, including anaphylaxis.
• Peanuts contain a number of allergens that are not destroyed by cooking or roasting. In fact, roasting peanuts makes them more likely to cause an allergic reaction than raw peanuts.
• If you know your baby is in a higher-risk group, it’s sensible to avoid eating peanuts or peanut products including: ground nuts and monkey nuts when you’re breastfeeding.
• You should also avoid giving peanuts, foods containing peanuts or unrefined cold-pressed groundnut (peanut) oil, until the child is at least three years old.
• You should always read the ingredients lists on a food product label.
• Even very tiny amounts of peanut can cause a reaction in people who are sensitive.
• Simply being close to someone else eating peanuts can be enough to make some people react.
• Even though peanuts aren’t strictly speaking ‘nuts’, people with peanut allergy are sometimes allergic to nuts such as: almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts.

Living with a special diet

• Once your baby’s food allergy or intolerance has been diagnosed, it is essential that you remove the problem foods completely from his diet.
• Don’t reintroduce the particular food without expert medical advice.
• When your baby eats away from home you’ll need to make sure you plan and provide suitable food and drinks for your child, and advise any others who need to know of your child’s allergy.

Keeping a food diary

• Keep a food and symptom diary to help in the diagnosis of your baby’s food allergy or intolerance.
• Doing this will help you pinpoint the foods or substances that are causing or aggravating his symptoms.
• This can be time-consuming to do, but it’s also the most accurate way of detecting and diagnosing your baby’s food allergy or intolerance.

Shopping for a special diet

• Going shopping for your baby’s special diet can be a real challenge at first, but over time you’ll become more familiar with the products that are suitable for your baby.
• You’ll also learn how to adapt recipes to give her a varied, nutritious and tasty diet.
• You will need to read food labels constantly, and to find out if any of the problem foods for your baby have different names.
• For example, sodium caseinate, whey syrup solids and lactate are both derived from milk; albumin and globulin are both derived from egg.
• Your dietitian can give you a full list of products to avoid.
• Many supermarkets now carry specific allergen free products, as do health food shops.
• Since November 2005, food labelling rules require pre-packed food sold in Ireland to show clearly on the label if it contains an allergen egg, or if one of its ingredients contains it.
• Egg-free cakes, wheat-free pastas and milk-free whipping creams are just some of the foods you can buy.

Milupa Aptamil can provide you with up-to-date lists of all our baby and toddler foods showing those that are suitable for gluten-free, vegetarian, milk-free, soya free and egg-free diets. For more advice, you can contact us on Freephone on 1 800 22 1234.