Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies and Kids [3]

Green Baby Food Care,

En route to a Greener Life,

You are what you eat.

Babies are generally programmed to eat what the parent are eating,

if the parent are eating, it must be all right, the child would know that the food is safe.

But if parent are too busy feeding their small children,

he / she is going to learn to eat what his / her neighbor is eating !

Baby Milk:

Relating to feed the babies with baby milk formulas / dairy products, a lot of confusion exists between the two adverse reactions, those are milk allergy and lactose intolerance, many people think that lactose intolerance is the same as an allergy to milk or dairy products, it is important to distinguish between the two because they are not the same, they are not even related.

I. Lactose intolerance [carbohydrate intolerance]:

Lactose or milk sugar intolerance, also called carbohydrate intolerance, is non-allergic food sensitivity and occurs due to the decrease or absence of lactase enzyme that is required to metabolize the lactose / milk sugar, it occurs when the digestive system fails to produce enough lactase enzymes to break down the lactose in milk, lactose intolerant presents with abdominal pain / cramp, bloating stomach, nausea and diarrhea, it is the most common type of carbohydrate intolerance found among adults of African, Asian, Native American or Chinese descent, it develops in children around the age of five years [kids / kindergartens] caused by the partial or the complete loss of lactase enzyme due to unknown reasons, children below the age of five [toddlers to preschoolers] who suffer from a severe attack of diarrhea or another severe illness could also develop temporary or permanent lactose intolerance. it is rare in infants and more common among older kids and adults

Symptoms of lactose intolerance:

The common symptoms of lactose intolerance range from mild to severe, they include nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal cramps, gas, diarrhea, weight loss and malnutrition, symptoms begin about 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming a lactose containing product, the severity of symptoms depends on the amount of lactose containing product consumed, the degree of deficiency of lactase enzyme in the body, a person’s age, ethnicity and digestion rate, in infants and young children, a stool sample can be tested for the presence of acids and glucose in the stool, undigested lactose fermented by gastrointestinal bacteria produces lactic acid and other fatty acids that get detected in a stool sample, carbohydrates may be present in the stool indicating mal-absorption of lactose.

II. Milk allergy [protein intolerance]:
Milk allergy is an adverse reaction triggered by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to one or more of the proteins in cow's milk, people can be allergic to either whey protein or casein protein, or both, and an allergic reaction can be caused by very small amounts of these allergen proteins in sensitive people.

• Whey protein: Heat treatment, such as pasteurization, breaks whey protein [heat unstable], so people allergic to whey might not react to pasteurized milk,
• Casein: casein is heat stable, so people allergic to casein will probably react to all types of milk and milk products,

most people are allergic to both the casein and whey fractions indicating that most milk-allergic people cannot tolerate boiled milk, allergy to milk may occur in any individual, young children are most commonly affected although one can develop milk allergy at any age.

Cow's milk allergy is basically an allergic reaction to one of the proteins in cow's milk that involves the immune system, milk allergy is one of the commonest food allergies in infants and young children, with 2-3% of children under three years of age allergic to cow’s milk proteins, though most of them surpass this allergy, 50% of these children seem to come out of it in the first year of life, another 25% during the second year and by 3 years of age, 80% outgrow this allergy, only a minority of them who still have cow's milk allergy at the age of three will continue to have this allergy in their adulthood, it has been found that a large number of children who are allergic to cow's milk also react to goat's milk and sheep's milk, and some are even allergic to the protein in soy milk.

Symptoms of Milk allergy:

The symptoms of milk allergy may occur within a few minutes after exposure, or after hours to several days in delayed reactions, this allergy is capable of triggering a wide array of symptoms which include GI reactions, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, gas, and heartburn; nose, ear and throat infections [runny nose], sinusitis, and coughing; and symptoms involving the skin [itchy rash, eczema]. in a very few cases, milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis.

The diagnosis of milk allergy in infants is quite straight forward in case the symptoms developed immediately after the child was put on milk formula made from modified cow's milk or soon after a person consumed milk containing food.

Medications:

avoidance of milk and milk-containing foods is the only treatment, it can be really tough as milk is a common food ingredient,

medicine such as antihistamines, may calm down signs and symptoms of a milk allergy, these drugs control an allergic reaction after exposure to milk and help relieve discomfort, other drugs, such as sodium cromoglycate / cromolyn sodium and corticosteroid drugs prevent the development of symptoms of eczema, in case of a serious allergic reaction such as anaphylaxis, a child may need an emergency injection of epinephrine and quick admission to the emergency room.

Most infants with milk allergy develop symptoms within the first few months of birth and it is usually rare for symptoms to start after the age of 12 months, the treatment of milk allergy requires complete avoidance of milk proteins, even yogurt / fermented cow milk, butter, cheese, and cream may also need to be avoided, other milk such as goat milk, sheep milk, mare milk etc. is not recommended for treatment of infants with cow milk allergy because these milks are nutritionally incomplete, are poor sources of certain vitamins [especially folic acid and vitamins B₆, B₁₂, C and D] and are only tolerated in a few infants with cow milk allergy.

If an infant suffers from milk allergy while he / she is also getting breastfeed, then it is important for the mother to restrict the amount of dairy products that she consumes because the milk protein that causes the allergic reaction can cross into the breast milk, lactating mothers may even be required to follow an elimination diet.

Hypoallergenic formula:

For formula fed infants, milk substitute formulas such as soy protein-based formula may be advised, but if the infant is intolerant to soy, it is suggested to switch to a hypoallergenic formula, in this kind of baby formula products, the proteins are already denatured into smaller particles so that become far less likely to stimulate an allergic response.

Major types of hypoallergenic formulas include:

1. Extensively hydrolyzed formulas: the cow's milk proteins are denatured into smaller particles so that they are far less likely to cause allergy as compared to the whole proteins in regular formulas, this is due to the poor palatability of those extensively hydrolyzed formulas, most allergic infants can tolerate these formulas, but in some cases, they still stimulate allergic reactions.
2. Partially hydrolyzed milk formula: contains peptides / protein large enough to cause allergic reactions and although they may be ideal as substitute milk for prevention of milk allergy in high-risk infants, they are not recommended for the treatment of cow's milk allergy.
3. Amino acid-based infant formulas: containing protein in its simplest form: amino acids, may be recommended if baby's condition doesn't improve even after switching to an extensively hydrolyzed formula, they are usually palatable and well tolerated, but are very expensive.

Switching the infant to a different formula should result in the disappearance of symptoms in 2-4 weeks, it is recommended to continue with a hypoallergenic formula up until the baby's first birthday, and then cow's milk can be slowly introduced into his or her diet, for children and adults, many commercially available replacements to milk are available, they include rice milk, soy milk, oat milk and almond milk, but they are not suitable nutrition for infants.

Calcium supplementation:

The American Dietetic Association recommends calcium requirements are 400 mg / day for 0–6 month’s infants and 600 mg / day for a 6–12 months old child, alternative sources of calcium and other vital nutrients should be started to replace the nutrients that come from dairy products, in infants and young children, calcium supplementation may be required, as milk may be their only source of calcium.

Start the solid foods.

Eating well is not just about where the food comes from, good health comes from eating chemical free, natural foods together as a family, certified organic foods, free from pesticides, free from chemical fertilizers as well as free from fungicides are the best choice.

The longer delay the introduction of solid foods, the more likely babies are go for a sweet taste and the more resistant the babies become to new taste [salt taste, bitter / sour taste], getting the babies interested in a range of tastes by 6 months is a good way to avoid weakly eating, so don’t delay introducing the babies to solid foods, because the babies may develop a sweet taste, eating organic foods, avoiding processed foods are true to be the best immune boosters.

Many babies will become very interested in the food in their parents’ plates as early as 4 months of age, by 5 or 6 months of age, most babies will be reaching and trying to grab food that parents have on their plates, when the baby is starting to reach for food, this seems a reasonable time to start giving him / her solid foods, but in some cases, it may be better to start food earlier, it may be reasonable to start solids as early as 3 months of age, however, it may be possible, to continue breastfeeding alone, the breastfed baby digests solid foods better and earlier than the artificially fed baby because breast-milk contains enzymes which help digest fats, proteins and starch, breastfed babies have had a wide variety of tastes in their lives, since the flavors of many foods the mother eats will pass into her milk, breastfed babies thus accept solids more readily than artificially fed babies.

Food allergy:

Food allergy occurs when a food triggers an immune system, this reaction involves the antibody immunoglobulin E [IgE], which plays an important role in allergy, causes the immune system to release histamine, food allergies can get triggered when a sensitive person eats, inhales, or comes into contact with even tiny amounts of foods or food additives, the reactions can be very mild or may be life-threatening.

In children, the most common food allergies occur from cow's milk, hen's eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soybeans and wheat, it has been put forth that a lack of exposure to specific foods in infancy may result in allergies to those foods later on.

Symptoms of food allergy

Symptoms are usually appear immediately after eating, these include skin rashes such as urticaria, hives, itchy skin; itchy nose and eyes with runny nose, wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing; and swelling and itching around the lips, eyelids and mouth. GI symptoms include nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating, vomiting and diarrhea.

How to treat food allergy?

The only way to treat food allergies is to avoid the offending foods, if your child is allergic to cow's milk, it is a must to check food labels for its ingredients like casein, whey, lactoalbumin [albumin contained in milk] etc, it needs to be extra careful in case the child is allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, these allergies tend to be the most severe as nuts are ingredients in a large variety of food items, especially in cookies and desserts.

Certified Organic foods:

Organic foods which are free from pesticides, chemical fertilizers, as well as free from fungicides are the best choice.

In order to be labeled as certified organic food, a food must have been certified as having been produced without synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetic engineering [GMO / genetically modified organism] ^[1] , antibiotics, hormones, sewage sludge, irradiation ^[2] , organic certification also implies that the farmer is promoting biological diversity by rotating crops, conserving and renewing the soil, protecting water sources, organic foods also called environmentally friendly foods, or ecologically sound foods.

^[1] Genetically modified food: GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms are created by inserting a gene from one organism into another organism, this alters the recipient’s genetic makeup to produce new different traits, such as a pest resistance or faster growth.

^[2] Irradiation: the process of irradiation uses electron beams or radioactive substances to kill pathogens, retard spoiling, prolong transit time and shelf life of the foods.

Also Read:

Growing up Green, for Healthier Prenatal Babies
Growing up Green, for Healthy Newborn Babies
Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kids [1]
Growing up Green, for Healthy Babies & Kids [2]