Milk Allergies and Constipation

Milk allergies are typically associated with diarrhea, spitting up, or abdominal pain. Many kids with milk intolerance also wheeze, have dry, sensitive skin, runny noses, more ear infections than normal, and constipation.

Dr. Greene`s Answer:

A cranky, unhappy toddler may well be responding to physical discomfort. Tummy troubles of one type or another can make anyone feel miserable. Milk is a major part of most children’s diets. If a child is intolerant to milk, this can affect how he feels every single day of his life. Nausea, cramps, and pain can squelch the normal joys of discovery and mastery.

Symptoms of Milk Allergies

But the classic symptoms of milk intolerance are diarrhea, spitting up, or abdominal pain. Many kids with milk intolerance also wheeze, especially when they get a cold. They can also have the dry, sensitive skin of eczema and their noses always seem to be running. Ear infections are also more common than in other kids. Constipation, however, has not been typically associated with milk intolerance — until now.

The observation that constipation might sometimes be caused by milk intolerance has appeared in the medical literature from time to time, dating back as far as 1954. But only recently has there been a well-designed study published showing that this is indeed the case. The results of this study have helped many children to enjoy the exuberance of childhood without pain.

Studying Milk Allergies and Constipation

Researchers at the University of Palermo in Italy worked with 65 children with chronic constipation. All of these children had been treated with laxatives when dietary measures had failed. Even with the medical treatment, these children were still constipated, having hard, painful stools only every 3 to 15 days. Forty-nine of their little bottoms had fissures and redness or swelling from the hard plugs of stool.

Each child received either cow’s milk or soymilk for 2 weeks, with no one knowing which was which. Next, they had a week during which they could eat and drink anything they wanted to wash out the effects of the first 2 weeks. Then they switched sides for 2 weeks and got the milk that they didn’t get the first time. Careful recordings of the bowel habits were made.

When the secret code was broken at the end of the study, they found status quo constipation for each child while he or she was on cow’s milk. But while they were taking soymilk (which causes firmer stools in most kids), 68% of these kids were no longer constipated! The redness, swelling, and fissures on their bottoms healed. How wonderful to finally have relief after diet and medicines hadn’t worked for so long!

The results were most dramatic in kids who also had frequent runny noses, eczema, or wheezing. Nevertheless, sometimes constipation can be the only symptom of cow’s milk intolerance.

Treating Milk Allergic Kids and Constipation

This has broad implications. The children in this study were those with severe chronic constipation that was unresponsive to medications. I am convinced that they are only the tip of the iceberg. There must be a much larger group of mildly allergic children whose constipation improves with laxatives. Time may prove that it is better for these children to avoid the offending protein by switching milks rather than being treated with laxatives.

Presumably, swelling of the intestinal lining causes the constipation. Whatever the exact mechanism, the problem is likely with the protein in cow’s milk, not with the fat or lactose (the sugar). Skim milk or lactose-free milk will not help with this one. Switching to soymilk and other soy products might transform the life of your son in only a couple of weeks!

These same ideas also apply to infants who may be experiencing constipation related to their milk-based formulas. In the past, low iron formulas had been recommended for constipation. However, starting in 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition declared that constipation is not a contraindication to iron-fortified formulas and that, in fact, lowering the iron content causes more harm than benefits.  

First, let’s address the iron in formula and constipation question. Some people will (or have) told you that the iron is the problem and that switching to a low-iron formula will help. It makes sense, because when adults take iron supplements, we get constipated as a side effect. But there was a study done concerning the formula and constipation question in babies. Half got low iron, half got regular (not knowing which was which) and the rate of constipation was the same in both groups. For most kids, that does not make a difference, and the iron is very important for growing babies.

The constipation can be formula-related, though. Allergies to some of the proteins in the formula could cause the discomfort. Sometimes switching to another brand will help (the milk-based formulas are not all the same). Sometimes switching to soy will help (just as we saw in the study above). All other things being equal, soy makes stools firmer; but for kids with an isolated allergy to milk protein, the constipation may dramatically clear up on soy.

Unfortunately, some children are also soy protein intolerant. As it happens, this is more common in kids who are allergic to cow’s milk protein. If you don’t get good results within two weeks, I suggest also eliminating soy from the diet and trying Alimentum or Nutramigen (protein hydrolysate infant formulas) for two weeks. Because the proteins in these formulas are broken down, your son is less likely to be allergic to them. If they work, you can then experiment with other sources of calcium, protein, and fat for the future (perhaps fortified rice milk). 

It’s not that common for simple changes to relieve relentless, longstanding problems. But when a child is made miserable by an allergy, removing the source can result in a rapid, dramatic improvement in the quality of life. I hope, Shannon, that this turns out to be the case with your son and that this next season his smiles double to make up for those he has missed.

Resources and References

Committee on Nutrition. Iron fortification of infant formulas. Pediatrics. July 1999, 104 (1) 119-123.

Dehghani SM, Ahmadpour B, et al.  The role of cow’s milk allergy in pediatric chronic constipation: a randomized clinical trial. Iran J Pediatr. 2012;22(4):468-474.

Iacono, G, et al.  Intolerance of cow’s milk and chronic constipation in childrenNew England Journal of Medicine. 1998; 339:1100-1104.

Melvin B. Heyman, for the Committee on Nutrition; Lactose Intolerance in Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Pediatrics September 2006; 118 (3): 1279–1286.  

Dr. Greene is a practicing physician, author, national and international TEDx speaker, and global health advocate. He is a graduate of Princeton University and University of California San Francisco.

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  1. Urbanfarmsmilk

    nice article, if anyone has the problem of constipation they should try a2 milk instead of normal milk it contains lactose so it is easy to digest.

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  2. Lauren

    At age 16 I started showing symptoms of chronic constipation and eczema. By age 18 the symptoms were absolutely unbearable. The eczema was so bad the doctor thought it was a rash associated with ringworm. It was only in small patches but had a very particular (circular) shape. The constipation was awful. No brand of laxative helped. Not a single one. Not even the ones they use after surgery. The only thing that helped was consuming linseeds that had been soaked in water overnight – worked a dream. Age 18 I eliminated dairy from my diet (after 10 GPs and 1 Dietician were utterly no help, one even said I was making it up). I cannot emphasise enough how much eliminating dairy has worked. Age 23 I’m still happy!

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  3. Stephanie

    Hi, My 2 year old son seems to have always had trouble with milk — of all sorts. While breastfeeding I had to go off dairy because of his GERD and belly aches. He had earaches almost monthly after switching to milk-based sensitive formula at 6 months and had to take miralax daily for 3 to 6 months after that. Now we can’t seem to get him straightened out — he’s either got diarrhea or he’s constipated. There is no happy medium. He won’t drink soymilk except as a last resort and is constipated when he does. Almond milk seems to be an allergy and he won’t drink it either (diarrhea if he does). Lactose free milk didn’t solve the problems but he would drink it. He loves milk. We tried 2% milk but that causes constipation. Whole milk leads to diarrhea. We’re currently mixing the two, but we haven’t gotten the proportions right yet. He eats poorly and is very low in terms of BMI and weight percentage. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

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    • Lenni Doyel

      Have you tried A2 milk? It has a different composition from most of the milk in the US. It started with the cows in New Zealand. The A2 milk there was tolerated by some people who couldn’t drink other cow milk. It’s available in some Australia and US locations, but you may have to ask your local grocery store to carry it. In California, some Safeway stores carry it, but I think you need to ask them to order it. It’s what I drink.

      Might we worth a try.

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  4. natasha

    Hi my child is 4 months, i have changed her milk numerous times. Her last visit to the Ped they moved her to Simalac Soymil, its been 2 weeks now she is very badly constipated she is consistently in pain, i had an xray done the stools are all hard in her tummy causing unbearable pain. Please can you advise maybe this milk is not agreeing.

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    • Lori Rustin

      Wow, that sounds painful. And sounds like it’s time to try one of the truly easy to digest formulas like Nutramigen. What is your child’s doctor suggesting?

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  5. Ayesha

    I use to give nido fortified milk to my 5 yrs old baby.. she has great problem of constipation for last 2 yrs.. do u think milk causing yhis constipation.

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  6. Gwen

    After 8 years of these exact symptoms with an unhappy and difficult child who was so constipated that he was diagnosed with “sneaky poo”. He was tested for everything imaginable including coeliacs, as our life and his was so constricted by the constant faeces in his underwear. He had to wear nappies to school for the first few years of which made me terribly distraught. He wasn’t able to go for play dates or on swimming carnivals etc. Going out at all was difficult as he was always smelly. The paediatrician was at a loss and said he will grow out of it, but it hadn’t changed in all those years. I lost sleep over worrying where this would all go and if he would ever be able to lead a normal life. It wasn’t until I stumbled across this page, after many years trying to google my way to an answer. Everything to do with milk was always about diarrhoea and or lactose intolerance. It wasn’t until I realised that ANY mammal milk / cheese / dairy product was the culprit. No lactose free, goats milk, A2 made any difference and that was where we thought we were on the wrong track. We noticed a significant difference within weeks of going onto just rice milk and absolutely no dairy. If you read the back of labels you realise then how many things include dairy products and you wouldn’t realise. 6 months before he could go nappy free. I am assuming there was much damage done to his gut/intestines before it settled completely. He is a new child. He is confident and happy and he is able to concentrate now. Academically he has gone ahead and leaps and bounds. It has changed our lives. He is symptom free and we can all get on with our lives. I so wanted to share this in case there was just one child / mother / family that this may help.

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    • Flore

      Thank you.

      Mine is 7 years now, and she is categorized as autism. I always believe that there is a missing puzzle piece as her main problem is communication. She has flashes of communication — she can say something today and go for 3 months before flashing another sentence.

      Lets try this, hope it will work for her.

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    • San di

      Hello Gwen ….you just switched your kid to rice milk????

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  7. Tshegofatso

    Good day my daughter has been always struggling to poop and everytime she poop she cries a lot and the stool is always hard i have tried all the medicine dat doctors gave me but nothinv seems to work please help it pains me to see my daughter in pains every day shes only ond year six months

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  8. Shann

    My 3 year old recently went through almost 4 months of constipation. We were so concerned as he is a big water drinker and when he did go it was painful and scary and the stool was rock hard. We believe he started to retain as he was frightened of the pain. So many trips to the doctor for advice still didn’t help, we tried stool softeners and increased fibre and still nothing, and as my son is a fussy eater we mixed prunes or pears with his meals and we’d add Benefibre once a day yet his symptom was still the same.
    After speaking to a dietitian we tried stopping milk, which he would have half a bottle before bed, I replaced with more water. He passed a slightly softer stool 3 days later and every day since he has passed stool. He still eats cheese, but right now no cows milk. He ALSO suffers from eczema where we would regularly apply Advantin Fatty Ointment as we noticed a breakout spot/area. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence but since he’s had no milk, we’ve currently has no eczema breakouts.

    We are now looking for an alternative to cows milk to see what he can tolerate.

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    • Hi Shann,
      Often it’s difficult to make dietary changes to “see if it makes a difference”. But experimentation and observation can lead to great finds. Seems like you’ve found your son’s culprit. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for him. Do update us as you continue to experiment.
      Best, @MsGreene Note: I am the co-founder of DrGreene.com, but I am not Dr. Greene and I am not a doctor. Please keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.

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  9. Helen Fleder

    I am 94 years old and found that cheese constipates me. Will goats milk cheese also constipate and what is better, pasteurized or unpasturized

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    • Lisa P LaGrou

      I’d love to know a reply to this as well! I have the same issue. I am 47 and have been dairy free for 6 years. Is it safe to try an unpasteurized cheese? Or goat cheese?

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      • Lenni Doyel

        I think everyone is different. I’d try one thing, like a single goat cheese, and see what happens. I also would get a really high-quality cheese – organic and pasture raised – to rule out the possibility that your issue is something yucky in the dairy. If you do, I’d be curious to see how it goes.

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  10. qiaraau

    hi there hope everything’s good now. Sorry to hear your struggle. how about the idea of probiotics? you can also try it, since it helps in digesting foods and adds good bacteria. You can try and check it out.

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  11. Natalie Woods

    I havr a 19 month old who constantly sufferes from constipation from the moment i stopped breastfeeding at 10 months. Ive tried probiotics, doctors prescibed softeners and laxatives, lactose free milk and soy no luck.
    I read this post and have stopped giving him dairy, instead alternating with rice and almond milk but now he has diarhea!
    Obviously it was the cows milk causing thr constipation but we have gone the other way and now im not sure what to do.

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    • Juliane

      Cow milk substitutes i.e, rice, soy, nut milk, etc have carrageenan(an additive used to thicken products) as an ingredient. Carrageenan is reported to cause digestive irritability such as diarrhea,etc.

      I suggest finding the milk substute without the carrageenan or make your own. There are plenty of YouTube videos or instructions online. I wish we had this technology when my daughter suffered with digestive issues as a baby.

      Unfortunately, medical doctors are not properly trained in nutrition, therefore, they are not qualified to help in that area. A good registered nutritionist or a nature pathos doctor is where we need to get help for nutrition and digestive help.

      God Bless you all:)

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    • Juliane Daye

      One more comment. I believe Dr. Greene is spot on. If something is causing discomfort to the body, remove it, abstain from it. There are other foods that offer the same nutrients. Think outside the norm, outside the box and get calcium and protein from beans and vegetables.

      No I am not a vegan or vegetarian(which is fine). I am just a common sense thinker. Thank a God for good old common sense and self education through the internet. Also, thanks to everyone who share their knowledge for free. God Bless You All! ☺

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    • Paola

      Hi Natalie. Hemp Milk is Carrageenan free.

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  12. Chris

    All I can say is yes milk or all dairy in that fact does make a difference. I am 56 years old and have suffered all my life with constipation because of dairy products. I was given my first enema at 3 weeks old I was bottle feed. I to this day can not have any dairy products because I get horrible constipation. Now my husband on the other hand gets diarrhea from dairy. Nearly all of my grandkids get constipation from dairy also along with my children. I don’t believe that humans should consume cow’s milk. I believe you can get most of the vitamins and nutrients from other foods. Also, we can not drink or eat foods that are high in Iron which all my children, grandkids and myself also get constipation leaving them to have soymilk rather than baby formula. So I guess my point is, do an elimination process. If you think dairy is your culprit eliminate it and then reintroduce it at least three weeks later, if your problems start again, then stay off that type of food or liquids. Everyone thinks they know the answer but they don’t, so evidently growing out of dairy problems by the time your three years old is a myth and I and my children and grandkids are living proof of that. I may also add, that I have eczema and I use to blame my acid reflux on the acid in my stomach but, when I stay off the dairy products I have no flare ups and have now been off my Prilosec for nearly a year which was a five year battle.

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  13. Angela Cameron

    My 3y old son was having tummy pain and constipation. We tried every possible remedy to settle his tummy but nothing worked until we started him with Toddler magic tea which helped and relieved his constipation and tummy ache.

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    • PATSY chatelaine

      What kind of magic tea she is just turned 1 n cries can’t poop kills me pls help

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      • Patty Jones

        Have you tried taking her off of all cow’s milk products? That means no milk, cheese, yogurt, or any milk ingredients. If you take her off of those for two full weeks, and her symptoms go away, then you will know that she has a milk intolerance. It was like a miracle when I watched my son’s symptoms resolve after two weeks.

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    • bridgette j.

      im 38 years old and milk makes me have hard stool so I don’t drink it..very painful

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  14. Vidya

    Hi my one year old is was on Enfamil infant from birth and I didn’t hav a problem,, wen he turned one I start giving him klim1+ that he likes, he poops everyday but it is hard and pebble like he drinks alot of water since he doesn’t like juices. I can see he is straining to pass the stools but I don’t know what to do since I’m a ftm.. Can I get some advice please.

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    • Hi Vidya,

      Thanks so much for writing in! Sometimes constipation can be the result of an intolerance to certain foods. If this is the case, it can be helpful to eliminate or change the food in question and see if the symptoms improve.

      Hope that helps,
      Alexandra (caring helper at DrGreene.com, not a doctor)

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  15. Kayla

    My daughter is 21 months old & I think she has a milk protien allergy. When she was a newborn she was put on Enfamil Gentleease because of her colic. At first as a newborn she had trouble going to the bathroom. There were a couple times I had to take her to the ER because she wasnt going for a few days. When she turned one, I introduced her to cows milk. She seemed to be doing fine until a couple weeks later she started have diarrehea. Every time she had a bowl movement her diaper was FULL. Im talking about full to where it would be all up her back & her front area. I took her to her pediatrician & he recommended soy milk or almond milk. Ive tried both of those products & she is still having the explosive stools. She also has a little bit of a rash on the creases of her arm & back. Im desprate right now, I need some help or answers!

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  16. Kiana Munoz

    Please i realy need advice i have a 2 year old baby girl and she weighs about 26 lb and her hight is 35 inches and every time she drinks any kind of milk she starts not wanting to eat and gets constipaded for 2 weeks on and off im afraid her intestin could rupture or something and shes always crying when she need to do the restroom and when she does do it she only leves the diper ith a small mark or a small pellet. What do i do to help her ?
    how do i know shes fine from her insides? PLess some one help me i cant stand to see her like that no more

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    • Kiana,

      Thanks for writing in.

      The description you give follows the course of a classic cow milk intolerance. It’s pretty easy to find out if this is the case by taking her off cow milk and seeing if there is an improvement. Often kids who have a cow milk intolerance can drink goat milk. Other kids can’t tolerate either and need to switch to a soy alternative.

      You can do the switch yourself or, if you are uncomfortable with the process, you can ask for your pediatrician’s guidance.

      If this switch doesn’t work, you should talk to your daughter’s physician.

      Best, @MsGreene
      Note: I am the co-founder of DrGreene.com, but I am not Dr. Greene and I am not a doctor. Please keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.

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    • PATSY chatelaine

      Mine same way pls help just switched milk

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  17. Licia

    I have a 2 year old daughter who has suffered from chronic constipation since she was 7 months old, which was the time we changed from breast milk to cows milk and started solid foods. She has been on and off miralax mostly on, and we have had to use suppositories on several occasions. She has a fissure which has developed a skin tag, and her stools are large. Concerned about long term problems we decided on our own to seek out help from a nutritionist and a GI doctor. The GI doctor suggested possible milk allergy so we are now going to an allergist tomorrow for testing. I wish I would have read this article sooner I would have asked for allergy testing sooner, or at least tried a no cows milk and no soy milk diet. I only wish more pediatricians would stop making parents feel that constipation is normal and it can be easily treated with miralax and will go away on its own. Reading all these post I’m so sad by all the parents and children suffering from this awful problem. Thank you for the informative post,

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    • kali

      Can you please tell me how the allergy tests go? Im in the same boat as you ever since i stopped giving her breast milk my daughter has had problems and the doctor just have us mirilax.

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    • Savanna Alexander

      Yes my daughter has the same problem and I’m so tired of seeing my poor girl in pain and not knowing what to do. So what type of milk should I use instead of cows milk? What did the doctor say? If u could help that would be great. Thank u.

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      • Savanna,

        Thanks for writing in.

        Did you see Dr. Greene’s post, “Which Milk is Best?

        Best, @MsGreene
        Note: I am the co-founder of DrGreene.com, but I am not Dr. Greene and I am not a doctor. Please keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.

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  18. Bella

    Hi there,

    My son who is now 17 months old has really bad constipation as well. Ive tried switching from cows milk to soy milk but unfortunately he doesnt want it, he tried and just threw his bottle away. I am completely desperate and wondering what other milk should i give him instead please? Lactose free or almond milk or skim milk?

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    • Bella,

      Some kids do well on goat milk. At 17 months he can take a goat milk formula or whole goat milk.

      I hope that’s helpful,
      @MsGreene
      Co-founder & Executive Producer DrGreene.com, Mom
      Note: I answer a lot of questions on DrGreene.com, I am the co-founder of DrGreene.com, Dr. Greene’s business partner and wife, but I am a not doctor. Please keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.

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    • Alysha

      My daughter gets really constipated from cows milk as well I switched her to lactose free. It tastes the same so she drinks it no problem and now her poop is a more normal consistency.

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  19. Caroline

    Hi I have just been told from pediatrician the the hospital my baby is dairy intolarance they have giving me alternative powder milk but he hates it and doesn’t drink it been trying for over a week now and still nothing so have tried sweetened soya milk from tescos and he is drinking it fine he is 11 months old and suffers from exzma it’s all flared up at a lose end as font know what to do wheatgerm to take him of his powder milk as he eats breakfast lunch and dinner and just stick with soya milk? Any suggestions from some who may be other have had same trouble? Many thanks advance

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    • Caroline,

      If your son doesn’t like the alternative powder milk that your pediatrician recommended, you can try other brands. Goat milk formula can be very good for children with eczema.

      Typically doctors suggest breastfeeding or formula until at least 12 months old. Soya milk does not have the nutrients growing baby’s need. Doctor do not ever recommend sweeting any drinks given to children. Sweetened drinks teach kids to love that flavor and reject savory flavor and can have a negative effect as they grow up — even into adulthood.

      Best, @MsGreene
      Co-founder & Executive Producer DrGreene.com, Mom
      Note: I answer a lot of questions on DrGreene.com, I am the co-founder of DrGreene.com, Dr. Greene’s business partner, but I am a not doctor. Please keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.

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  20. Jennifer

    This article was really helpful. My 5 year old has been struggling with many of these symptoms. She has chronic ear infections, sensitive skin and ezcema, and when she has bowel movements it is like a a few marbles at a time. Even when we try Miramax she still has issues. I am going to have her stop dairy and see if this helps. I just wanted to know though… When she does have diarrhea or even just a softer bowel movement it burns her poor bottom so bad. Does a milk intolerance cause her stool to be more acidic if say she drank orange juice. She cries so bad after just going once so its not just because of frequently going or anything. Please let me know what you think. Thank you!

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    • Dina

      You are describing exactly our daughter’s symptoms. I think the pain or ‘burning’ during non-hard stools is likely because there are small fissures (cuts) in the rectum from the hard stool pebbles that hardly ever heal, so when any soft stool touches them, it burns like a cut would. If I’m correct, then once normal/soft stool becomes the norm and fissures heal this should go away. I found this article 5 years ago when our daughter was 3 and our pediatrician insisted that dairy could not cause her constipation despite our observations to the contrary. This post helped us take first step in taking her off Miralax (which did not help anyway). We started by skipping cow dairy as this recommends. Then while looking for good sources of calcium for her, we learned about making and drinking/cooking with broth and bone broth. That lead to learning about and doing a GAPS intro diet for a few months (with dramatic improvement). We then moved onto a combo of GAPS/Paleo/WAPF diets and it has helped our whole family with things we never thought were relevant (like asthma for DH, joint issues for me and season allergies for whole family, overall mood and health as well). I still feel she does not process cow dairy as well although she can get away with some, so we mostly rely on raw goat dairy for her. Very grateful for this post starting us off in the right direction.

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  21. adarsh

    hello sir, my baby is 40 days old and she is on exclusive breast feed, her poop is not regular it takes 5 to 10 days or more …and her expressions show that she has discomfort.. my wife is taking dairy products mostly buffalo’s milk.. what to do now to get the relief… please suggest!

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  22. cassandra

    Hello,

    I’ve been having problem with my daughters constipation ever since we made the switch to milk. I pumped exclusively for the first year of her life. I then switched her to Cow milk, I noticed right away she was pooping pellet like balls. So, I then decided to switch her milk again, this time I used Goat Milk. We used Goat milk for a few months and to no sucess , she was still constipated. I recently switched to Organic Almond Milk, and she is still constipated. Her Dr said its normal but I know it is not.. I do not want to put my daughter on any medication as it’s un natural. ANy advice would be appreciated.

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    • Sarah Meagher

      Ihave the same problem w my daughter who is 10. We had to eliminate ALL dairy fresh and backed in. I have tried everything and meds and this is the only thing that has worked! It’s stressful grocery shopping everything we ate had dairy or added whey in it!

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      • Lisa

        My daughter who is almost 10 seems to have been slowly developing a possible dairy allergy since staring dies milk? She’s suffered from constipation with episodes of it since toddlerhood. The cramps, stomach pain and nausea start hours (10 avg) later. She’ll strain and a hard stool passes then loose stool episodes afterwards. Her stomach pain/nausea gets so bad it’s even hard to stand upright and it will usually make her vomit (more than once). She doesn’t drink milk very much (but loves it) only 2 cups a day and she doesn’t like any other dairy products including butter, yogurt, cheese and cream sauces like fettuccine sauce or ranch dressing (but will eat pizza- sometimes removing some of the cheese but she eats ice cream (of course!). I’ve noticed over the last year and a half she’s had several episodes after eating pizza with milk (or just to much milk/dairy)- waking early the next morning from stomach/poop cramps then the nausea and vomiting with a hard stool followed by loose. The stomach pain/nausea will last from a 6-8 hours to all day. Never any fever or other symptoms. Anyone else feel their child’s dairy insensitivity became more prominent durable not the school age years?? Thank you

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        • Lisa

          *Cows milk (typing on the iPad) I apologize for the typos.
          -These episodes have occurred every 2-3 months and I’ve not been able to send her to school for day once for 2 days. In between episodes she’ll go 3-5 days without a B.M.

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    • Eb

      Im going through what seems to be the same complications. My 2 year old is constantly straining to pass pellet like hard balls. After formula I decided to use enfamil enfagrow being that he was a picky eater. After his 2nd birthday i decided to try cows milk. He became very constipated starting then. I read and read and decided to try organic 2% milk. This current day, im still searching for a solution. I would try the almond but from what you’ve said that didnt help either. Have you found any remedies

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  23. Chastity

    My son is now 13. He had all the symptoms as a baby with constipation. The spitting up, loads of diapers at one time, stomach cramps and so on. He is constantly constipated even now. I took him to the Pediatrician many times and they just prescribed laxatives. I can now try something different. I always had a feeling it was milk but I was always told no. Thank you for posting this study.

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    • Chastity,

      We’d love to hear if this works for you. Please come back and share your experience.

      Best,
      @MsGreene
      Co-founder & Executive Producer DrGreene.com, Mom

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      • Stephanie

        So if we switch to rice milk, how or what else do we need to substitute, such as cheeses, yogurts, prepared foods? I’ve got 2 children that have this, one is 17 one is 2 and it’s miserable. Cheese is a favorite food in our house! I’ve tried miralax in my younger child’s life forever! Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. My older daughter knows she should avoid it but sometimes pizza calls. LOL
        ANY advise will help.

        Added:
  24. Nkele kekana

    My 15 months son is currently on soy milk and becomes very constipated everyday. What other milk can I give him?,

    Added:
    • Hi Nkele,

      Dr. Greene has a great Q&A called “Which milk is best — soy, rice, almond, or reindeer?“. In it he says, “Of the other milk’s out there, such as soy milk, rice milk, oat milk, almond milk, or other mammal milks, such as goat milk, they all can be found with plenty of calcium and vitamin D and fat – 3 of the biggies. So the biggest consideration is usually protein.” You can read the full article for more in-depth information.

      Best,
      @MsGreene
      Co-founder & Executive Producer DrGreene.com, Mom

      Added:
  25. Patricia mckay

    My todler 2.5 was told that they were prob lactose intolerant at Christmas and put her on infant soy powdered milk. It is now the following September and the doctor said she isn’t lactose intolerant as she prob has grown out of it and she should be put back on cows milk… So Sunday night we gave her a bottle of cows milk. Sunday night she threw up her milk. It is Now Thursday and she is still throwing up once a night s had any type of milk since Sunday. Would the throwing up 5 days on still be from the milk on Sunday. Very worried as this is not normal for my child… I appreciate your help…

    Added:
  26. Mayra

    My son was allergic to milk since 1 month old so was put in Alimentum..he’s 1 already and the specialist has put him on lactose free milk ..but now my baby is crying alot and constipated what milk should I give him now??

    Added:
  27. Olivia

    Thank you so much for this article it is very helpful! I am 15 and I have been struggling with constipation and chronic stomach aches for my whole life. It’s been hard having to just suck it up and live with this pain and It feels good to finally take steps to putting an end to it all! I have been going dairy free for a couple weeks now and it’s helping me a little bit and it feels good to finally have hope in this!

    Added:
    • It’s great to hear that you’re getting a bit better. Other things that can have a big impact are eating a high fiber diet (fruits, vegetables, beans, etc.), drinking enough water (everyone is different, but 8 glasses per day is recommended), moving (walking, jogging, biking swimming), and probiotic foods (fermented foods, cultured foods) or supplements.

      Often after finding a dietary culprit, the other interventions can work — even if they didn’t previously.

      Best,
      @MsGreene
      Co-founder & Executive Producer, DrGreene.com

      Added:
  28. Kat NZ

    My son has been struggling with constipation for most of his two years! I stumbled upon this article, and after one day I noticed a difference! Almost a week since he has been on soy, he has poo’d every day! Life changing!! Thanks Dr Greene! I just wish I had found this article sooner!

    Added:
    • Thank you for letting us know. It’s always great to hear from people who have been helped by reading our site.

      Added:
  29. Jessica

    Please do not be scared of soy because of the compound in soy bearing the chemical similarities to estrogen, when cows milk literally contains actual estrogen.
    Soy has been found to raise testosterone and lower the chance of breast cancer.
    Please do some research before jumping on the “soy is scary” bandwagon.

    Added:
    • lisseth

      remember that thanks to Monsanto most of the soy is GMO in the USA. also, as far I know soy is also hard for the digestive trac especially when the person consuming it has issues.
      other alternatives could be to make your own cocunut milk or almond milk (homemde is better).
      my four year old had severe constipation for over three years and it turned out that she had so many allergies including cow’s milk. she is being treated with NAET allergy elimination along with a strick gut healling diet (GAPS)… and the results have been amazing. its hard work, expensive, and stressefull but its all worth it to see that she is no longer constipated, and better overall and her severe eczema is almost gone without medication.

      Added:
  30. Kafui

    I think researchers need to investigate more on cow milk for infants. I have two boys and my oldest son is extremely constipated anytime he consumes cow milk. My husband and I decided to take milk and any diary products from his diet and that help. It is sad to see your child straining to go to toilet. I hope there will be more research on cow milk causing constipation in babies and children to help reveal this mystery.

    Added:
  31. Kerrie

    I am feeling SO hopeful after reading this information. I am 53 years old and have suffered from severe constipation since I was three weeks old and my mum stopped breast feeding me. It has made my life a misery as I have to take strong laxatives once a week to clear my bowel which can result in pain so bad I have passed out and can’t leave the house. I have tried every remedy I’ve ever heard about… natural and medical.

    After I had my daughter 21 years ago I tried giving up dairy because she was a miserable baby and I thought maybe it was my breast milk causing colic. I had normal bowel movements for the first time ever and went excitedly to see my doctor. I was told that cows milk does not cause constipation and I was sent for a scan incase the normal bowel movement was caused by cancer (NAD). So I went back to cows milk and two decades later it’s worse than ever. I have also suffered from acne all my life (which is was mentioned by someone else) and have generally always felt fatigued and depressed. I am going to cut out cheese, butter and yogurt and change to almond milk and see what happens. Wish me luck…

    Added:
    • Good luck Kerrie! Please let us know how it goes.

      BTW — check labels for hidden dairy and be sure to ask for dairy-free options in restaurants.

      Added:
  32. Judy R.

    My now 5 year old granddaughter has been suffering with constipation for the past two to three years. She’s had a decent amount of ezcema since she was just a little thing. And my daughter, who had tried to nurse her, had to give that up because my grandbaby had developed reflux; she had to drink the very sensitive formulas and they had to be changed often because of reactions (plus she is very sensitive to taste changes). So, now at 5 we’re fighting constipation and using Miralax and even mag citrate when absolutely necessary. My question: are there known studies regarding the effects of goats milk with children who suffer from apparent cow milk sensitivities? I only ask because she loves milk so much and doing away with it completely might cause a lot of grief (not saying she calls all the shots, just saying this is her life). I’ve read that goats milk has a lower lactose and smaller fat globules but I haven’t found anything to help me know whether this is a good avenue for kids like my granddaughter. Any thoughts? Thank you!

    Added:
    • Hi Judy,

      Dr. Greene answered another parent with a similar questions:

      “Goat’s milk is closer to human milk than cow’s milk is, and in many countries it is used exclusively for infant feeding. The protein in goat’s milk is easier to digest than the protein in cow’s milk. If you are going to use goat’s milk, the biggest thing to be aware of is that goat’s milk is low in iron and certain vitamins, especially vitamin B12 and folate. Infants fed unfortified goat’s milk who do not get supplemented with iron and vitamins can develop anemia. The other big thing to be aware of is that a bacterium called brucellosis can occur in goat’s milk, so you should boil it before giving it to babies. For children over 1 year old, goat’s milk is probably better than cow’s milk, just not as readily available in the U.S.”

      You can find his complete answer here — Goat’s Milk.

      Hope that’s helpful.
      @MsGreene
      Co-founder and Executive Producer, DrGreene.com

      Added:
  33. Angie

    If god wanted is to drink cows milk we would have been born out of a cows……duh

    Added:
    • fresh

      So we should also eat human flesh?

      Added:
      • Jenae

        no not eat but yes humans milk, aka breastmilk. we weren’t made to drink another mammals breastmilk (cow milk). So absurd that we drink another animal’s breastmilk…

        Added:
  34. Flower

    I prefer bottle feeding more because it can be easier to regulate a routine. With this comes an easier way to regulate a routine knowing when your kid is hungry and when your kid is fussing because of tired. Plus, formula milk helps to treat constipation issue.

    Added:
    • Millia

      It is the case with my 2 year old, we tried introducing cows milk many times but she has always ended up constipated (painfully) and runny nose. We have now given up trying and simply stick to formula milk which gives her a normal poo.

      Added:
  35. Kim

    There is no debate. Human milk is best for humans. Yes, babies can survive on formula, but it is clearly that just in countless ways, substandard.

    Added:
  36. Bae

    What should I do then? Send my dearest LO to the hospital? He complained to me that he felt stomach ache and cant poop because his stools is hard as rock. Any other solution to treat his constipation issue instead of sending him to the hospital?

    Added:
    • sy

      Mira lax should work and break down stools

      Added:
  37. Lily Leng

    The current formula milk is not suitable for your little one for sure. Do you know that kids tummy are very sensitive? Once your kid consumed the unsuitable formula milk brand might cause your kid into trouble such as constipation or tummy ache.

    Added:
  38. Bae

    Same thing happen to my little one as well. My dearest LO will have constipation issue when I feed him with whole milk. His cousin who’s also same age with him did not encounter this kind of issue. What’s wrong with my LO?

    Added:
  39. Tolly

    I think Sustagen and Pediasure are pretty good. My boy is consuming Sustagen and so far didnt encounter in any terrible issue.

    Added:
    • lisseth

      pediasure…. be sure to do your reaserch on these milks because the ingridients are everything but healthy….. from GMO’s to preservatives and more.

      Added:
  40. Jasmine

    It’s rather subjective when comes to formula milk powder preference but you can ask your friends who are mother as well. Maybe they will provide better opinion for you.

    Added:
  41. Rita G.

    My question is, my grand baby is allergic to milk, eggs, some dairy products. She’s been on soy milk, she’sreal picky, my daughter & husband have used everything to spatory to fiber pills, she goes then the next day she’s screaming, poop hurts. She’s only 2 yrs.old. we need help, what should we do.

    Added:
    • Lucy

      Try almond milk or lactose free milk

      Added:
  42. Katie

    My question has to do with the type of milk used in the study. In many European countries UHT (ultra pasteurized) milk is common. Was the study done using this UHT milk or fresh milk?

    I ask because I was raised on a dairy farm and drank raw milk until high school when my family moved out of state. After college I lived in Europe for a couple years where I drank primarily UHT milk until I realized that I was becoming lactose intolerant. Once I switched back to raw, or at least the fresh pasteurized, milk I’ve had no more problems.

    Perhaps the children in the study were also feeling the effects of UHT milk on their digestive system?

    Added:
    • christine

      What is UHT?

      Added:
      • josh

        Has to be UHT. Raw milk alone is not constipating. UHT means pasteurized = dead milk

        Added:
  43. ConcernedMom

    Like many here I’m relieved to find that I’m not alone in having a toddler who gets seriously constipated by dairy. My little one is 2, and we’ve been trying to introduce cows milk for a year. Each time we try, she gets very constipated and can’t poo for 5-6 days at a time. She strains and shakes, and it’s absolutely terrifying for her and for me. I’ve taken her to the pediatrician, who called my concerns “ridiculous”. You can probably guess that she’s on miralax.

    Added:
    • Katie

      What kind of milk are you giving her (see my comment above). Is it possible for you to give her fresh goat milk or raw cow milk?

      Added:
    • Harrison

      Please do not administer Miralax. Any concerned parents here, please research or google Miralax toxicity. It was never tested for children. It is suspected by many worried parents to cause neurological concerns.

      Added:
  44. Toni

    This article just helped me so much. For a while I have been suffering with constipation or fissure issues. Sometimes I was scared to have a bowel movement because the pain was unbearable. When my body would finally recover (if it did) I would go back to drinking my Vitamin D milk and my problems would persist all over again. So I switched to 2% milk thinking that would make a difference and to no avail it’s not the cure. I am going to try soy milk. I believe that will do the trick. I tried soy milk about 4 months ago when I had these issues and about one serving cleared my system and my bowel movements were regular.

    Added:
  45. Stephanie

    This is a great article…this is my daughter exactly. But inwould never refer to this as an allergy. An allergy usually creates a sudden onset of symptoms like hives, itchy mouth, and vomiting and can result in breathing problems and even anaphylaxis causing death. This is actually more of a casein-intolerance most likely. Please, for the sake of children with life-threatening food allergies, use the correct term— intolerance…not allergy. Thanks.

    Added:
    • Elaine Lee

      Are you honestly saying the information provided by a DOCTOR is incorrect? Please, leave the research and proper release of informations to the doctors, not some random internet commenter. He stated before the intolerance results in loose stools, not constipation. Sounds like an allergy to me if the intestinal lining is inflaming and causing constipation. Hmm inflammation is a sign of an allergic reaction, weird.

      Added:
      • Dazz

        The sooner you learn that most doctors know next to nothing about nutrition the better off you will be

        Added:
        • sy

          100% accurate i have been threw many ER rooms no hope gave me meds that didnt help at all made it worse everytime. Lost all hope all until i went to a nutrition store. Got meds for constipation and hemmroid miracle med.

          Added:
    • Janet

      Actually GI symptoms are also considered an allergic reaction. Breathing problems aren’t the only indicator of an allergy. Uncontrollable vomiting etc. is also a sign of anaphylaxis. My son has several allergies diagnosed after both IgG and IgE testing. GI reactions are his only reaction to milk, either lactose free or regular. Also know that intolerances can become allergies if the offending food isn’t avoided.

      Added:
  46. Saif

    My baby is 3.5 yrs old and having constipation issue since 2 months…. He is been drinking the strawberry milk readily available in supermarkets…. Could this is the reason for constipation … If yes please suggest… The milk is called Rainbow Straberry Milk…

    Added:
  47. TylerTX

    We only drink goat milk. In blind taste tests, no one has been able to tell a difference except that the goat milk tastes “smoother.” (How do you describe that?)

    Goat milk digests super fast and many who are lactose intolerant can drink goat milk.

    There’s nothing quite like “fresh squeezed” milk.

    Added:
  48. Lacynda

    This is an interesting study. I drank cow’s milk all my life as a child and never had a problem. Then, around 31 years old, I started experiencing bouts of chronic constipation, and stool softeners offered only temporary, over-Night relief. Finally, I decided to cut out dairy from my diet based on a friend’s suggestion, and VOILA! I have switched to Almond milk and have had great results; however, If I go out to a restaurant or at work, and all that’s available is cow’s milk, my constipation starts within hours of digesting it. I would be interested to know I’d this type of pediatric study has been conducted in adults.

    Added:
    • Janice

      Very same here Lacynda. I always LOVED milk and elected to ignore the “problems” and take laxatives to alleviate the constipation, etc. I am by no means an infant, 60 years old, and am forced at this point to give up dairy due to blocked ear problems suspected to be caused by acid reflux stemming from dairy products ! All this coming from my ENT physician’s advice. This site here has been an additional blessing of info for even an elderly person such as me ! Many thanks to Dr. Greene ! We older folks can use this advice also. Blessings to you.

      Added:
  49. Natalie

    This is fascinating!!! Thank you!! I am just discovering this – I have a 4.5yo and a 2.5 yo on miralax for over a year now, and when my 10 months old had her first really hard stool after introducing milk, I panicked. Can’t imagine 3 with this.

    Here’s my question – I can experiment with the third. It seems to me she is getting hard stools only in response to milk or yogurt, NOT fermented cheeses like brie etc. Is that possible? Are the proteins really that changed in cheese? It’s much easier to eliminate just milk and yogurt, than to eliminate all dairy…

    Added:
  50. Lori

    Dr. Greene has described what we have been experiencing with my three-year-old for the last two years. Around 1 she was diagnosed with milk, soy, and nut allergies. Because of the soy allergy, soy milk was not an alternative, so we began giving her rice milk. All symptoms subsided for about a month when she began vomiting within minutes of drinking the rice milk. I discovered research in the UK that stated the UK Pediatrics Assoc. recommended no rice milk until after age 5 due to the risk of arsenic poisoning. We tried coconut milk, which she refused to drink.

    She went back on milk, goes days without bowel movement, wheezes constantly-to the point of interrupting play, gets hives (eczema) on a regular basis, and began getting ear infections a year ago. Allergist has been no help, doctor just keeps telling us to increase laxative to no avail. After 2-3 days without a bowel movement, she quits eating until the “plug” comes out, and when it does it is so painful for her-about the size of a beer can and hard as a rock. I’m aware of the diet suggestions, but she is a picky eater as well.

    Brings me to last night. Hasn’t eaten since Friday (four days ago), with the exception of a few strawberries and cheerios, hasn’t had bowel movement since Wednesday. She began throwing up last night long, hard (sausage-shaped) material. I called the dr. who sent us to the ER with concerns of a blockage. The Xray showed no blockage, but, rather, packed bowels. They gave her an enema, it didn’t work, and they sent us home saying to increase the laxative and water. Dr. Greene, if you read this, we really need help. Any one else who has experienced a similar problem and found a solution, I would appreciate any help, but the “fiber”, water, and laxative suggestions just are not working.

    Added:
    • Lori, what a trying experience for you and your daughter!

      As you’ve discovered, milk allergies can indeed lead to constipation. Among the milk alternatives, people often overlook hemp milk as an option, even though it can have more protein than rice or coconut milk and less sugar as well. Hemp milk can have much more protein than almond milk too.

      Milks are convenient – but 3-year-olds don’t need a milk or milk alternative to thrive. They do need a good source of protein, fat, calcium and vitamin D. Consulting with a nutritionist can help make sure these needs are met, while avoiding allergens that could be contributing to the constipation.

      Whether or not constipation is first triggered by a milk, kids can get into something I call the DDD cycle (http://www.drgreene.com/qa-articles/learning-poop-potty/), which leads to a packed-bowel condition called encopresis.

      Sometimes high doses of laxatives are needed to clean out the bowels and allow them to shrink back to normal diameter. A pediatric gastroenterologist can be very helpful for helping to navigate through this process – especially if increasing up to 3x the normal starting dose hasn’t done the trick.

      I hope your daughter gets relief soon!

      Added:
      • Harrison

        Please comment on the many concerns regarding Miralax toxicity. There is now a petition to black label it as not acceptable for children, since it was never tested safe for them.

        As for your comments on dairy allergies/constipation THANK YOU so much. You have given me a glimmer of hope and a course of action for my very traumatized 4 year old who was so previously cheerful. I sincerely hope I can report back that eliminating dairy restored him.

        Added:
    • Sveta

      Hi Lori. I have been going through something very similar with my daughter. She has just turned three. She is a picky eater too. She had been diagnosed with milk allergy (non iga) since she was a few weeks old. Doctor then told us she would outgrow it by 1-2 years old and that we should not be cutting out dairy completely (which I recently found out is not true). So I have been giving her some dairy on and off throughout these 3 years of her life hoping that she outgrew the allergy. But she still did not.

      I have also recently found out that milk allergy can actually slow down a child’s growth. My daughter is tiny. So after her 3 year old check up I decided to totally eliminate dairy from her diet. And surprisingly, in just 3 weeks, she has gained 1 pound whereas she had not gained ANY weight for a year. Plus her constipation is gone. She actually poos 3!!! times a day AND her appetite is great now. Today she ate 5 veggie/meatballs compared to her regular one or two. I know what you are going through. If you like I can give you some tips and suggestions about feedings and recipes. Take care!

      Added:
    • alyssacaepiwonka@gmail. com

      Olive oil, Lima beans and fresh spinach!!!!…..you can hide it in another meal like salad, blend it..whatever.get creative…but I’m telling you now, since my mother told me about this combination after ER visits,enemas,laxatives not working, I have NEVER had to push a piece of hard stool out again. If milk is doing this to her and making her sick….THEN STOP GIVING IT TO HER. Give her water….look into natural organic foods….I agree with the hemp milk.
      I personally tried soy milk, and I have never in my life experienced painful gas the way soy milk gave me…OUCH! very consistent all day and night sulferic smelling gas…EW!
      Anyways….Lima bean, olive oil and fresh spinach……viola!.. I promise you this!

      Added:
      • This is very interesting.

        Do you have any recipes that include olive oil, lima beans and fresh spinach that you could share? Do they need to be consumed at the same meal, or can you have one for breakfast, one for lunch and another for dinner?

        Thanks,
        @MsGreene

        Added:
  51. bob

    If a mom drinks a lot of milk, and if the child has a small case of intolerance, can this lead to constipation if mom still breastfeeds? Thank you for an answer ;)

    Added:
    • Gigi

      Yes, I’m encountering that right now. I have to give up dairy due to apparent intolerance (constipation) in my still bf 15 month old. We stopped all dairy a week ago and switched to soy but I suspect we may have to stop soy too as after an immediate change and elimination over four days it seems the constipation is back. Not as bad as before but 3 days and no bowel movement makes me think there is an issue with soy protein too.

      Added:
  52. Laura Morris Gordon

    Please can we give your baby or a child Flaxseed blended in blender or honey wheat germ. And too much Iron also causes constipation.

    Added:
  53. norma

    We noticed at times our 2yr old would get a rash on her legs or face but before you knew it rash was gone. Took her to get an allergy test done and when doctor stated shes allergic to cows milk We both looked at her sippy cup which had milk (2%) Confused I asked doctor hows that if she drinking it but has no rash. His response was just give her soy milk. Im still confused and my question is can she still be allergic to cows milk even though there are no rashes. She has had a runny nose for awhile but doctor said its due to weather change And since we live in Texas our weather does change from nice and sunny to wintery mix the next day.

    Added:
    • Carli

      My 2 yr old is the same. Allergy test said mild dairy allergy. She gets mild eczema every once in a while. She DOES battle constipation if we don’t keep an eye on her diet and I do have to give her mira lax fairly often when she gets backed up. But the rash is not consistent and neither is the constipation. I think that when she has TOO much dairy is when this occurs. It’s like her system handles it for a while and then freaks out later. I’m still trying to figure her out. We took her off all dairy for over a month but it didn’t seem to make a difference. I give her almond milk mostly now and every so often let her have cow milk. If you figure it out let me know!

      Added:
      • Cathy

        Please don’t push it by giving your child little bits and then using a Mirilax bandaid when constipation happens. I had a mild-allergy my whole life and did just this, until one day I pushed it too far. The problem with increased exposure is that the immune system keeps releasing histamine – it’s always on red alert. Then one day, too much allergen gets through, too much histamine is produced, the body now produces NEW inflammation to go with CHRONIC inflammation, and a mild allergy produces anaphylaxis. My daughter was born with a milk allergy and outgrew it around 2 yrs. I watch her like a hawk, though, for any signs of it’s return! I will not hesitate to pull the dairy plug.

        Added:
  54. normalmalay

    Your article was great! It is excellent.

    Added:
  55. Kara

    This article is great and more informative than any dr visit we’ve had for this issue. Thank you.

    Added:
  56. Liz

    It’s a great article aside from the recommendation of switching to soy. Soy is another common allergen and most of it is GMO defiled and just not something you’d want to feed your baby.

    I have a milk sensitivity (unsure whether it is the lactose or the protein) and my daughter, age 10, also mildly has lactose intolerance which only exhibits in bloating. Her skinny muscular tummy will swell into a Buddha belly post-dairy.

    We are experimenting with raw milk as of this week. The Amish have the lowest percentage of milk allergies in the developed world and studies show that it’s their consumption of raw milk that makes them hearty and able to digest milk. It’s shown that it is the pasteurization in milk which tends to cause the problems, making it a pasteurization-sensitivity rather an issue with milk itself.

    Supposedly, a milk sensitivity can be cured by switching to raw milk, eventually rebuilding the flora and beneficial bacteria in the gut, even curing other non-milk related methods for many who switch. So we’re trying it. I had a full glass tonight -my first in nearly ten years- and almost four hours later, no gas, no stomach pain or cramping, no constipation, normal bm. Wow. I guess we’ll see

    Added:
    • lisseth

      i am all about raw milk since I started my own little research to help my little ones with their issues. try homemade raw milk kefir… full of probiotics and gut healling. also, homemade organic sourkraut (fermented cabbage)… its delicious and healthy

      Added:
  57. RETIA

    My 1 year old son is currently on soy milk and becomes very constipated. What other milk can I give him?,

    Added:
    • Liz

      Have you tried goat? Or almond?
      Soy, especially GMO and non organic soy, is terrible for humans

      Added:
      • Joey

        Liz, please provide your source that GMO and non organic soy are especially bad for humans. I am so tired of GMO bashers literally making facts up.

        Added:
  58. Terra

    I have had issues with milk making me constipated my entire life. I didn’t realize it until I was in early 20’s. I started to get extremely bad stinky gas. It lasted years until I realized it had to be the milk. I changed to lactose free milk, I do not get gas anymore. I also get constipated when I drink any cow’s milk. Unfortunately my daughter was born with the same problem. It is painful. It is just not fun and not fair. I hope that more studies can fix this problem.

    Added:
    • Marie

      I’m another adult who’s had this issue my whole life. I’m 32 now. Adding my story so other people can find it–I would hate for another kid to go through these problems all the way into adulthood, like I did.

      Basically, I love the taste of milk, and everyone pushes “milk milk milk” on kids, so my entire life up until my early 20s I was in chronic digestive pain/constantly constipated every…single…day. I thought that pooping regularly (not once or twice a week) and having it be SOFT was some sort of myth as that NEVER happened to me before my 20s. Just hard impacted masses of round balls. I hated to poo, it took a lot of effort and I often ended up bleeding or hurting. The only upside to that was that my poo didn’t smell much…I didn’t understand how other folks could basically gas a public restroom! But it sucks to poop rocks so hard they tear you coming out. :(

      I actually discovered it was cow’s milk causing this when I went through a time without a job, and cut my food down to eggs, chicken livers, and bread (because they’re cheap). This was about age 25 or so. Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I wasn’t pooping stones. And I was pooping regularly too, not once or twice a week. As I reintroduced foods after I became employed again, I saw directly that it was milk and cheese that triggered the constipation, because I didn’t add those back in until I could afford them. Mostly milk causes it; I can tolerate cheese a little bit better if I eat it in moderation. Eating a pizza though does bad things to me.

      Since then, there’s been a very clear correlation between milk/cheese in my diet, and constipation. Drinking fluids in addition to milk/cheese doesn’t seem to help soften anything, the only thing that fixes me is removing the milk/cheese from my diet.

      On top of it…I also seem to be mildly lactose intolerant too, which is different from the constipation thing as far as I can tell. So milk produces two sets of symptoms in me. If I have a latte or something with rich cream, I get the classic “gas” symptoms of lactose intolerance within an hour. If I break a long fast with just milk and little else, I get the diarrhea that’s supposed to be typical of lactose intolerance (I found this out the hard way by going 3 days without food, then eating milk and cookies. That was pretty hellish, especially for someone who is used to constipation, not diarrhea.) But if I have a normal meal, plus a glass of milk, or a meal with a lot of cheese like a pizza, I get the constipated rocks, without the gas.

      So now you know my poop story. Hopefully it will help others! :)

      Added:
      • I think your story is very informative and would like to hear what other’s have found re: milk and constipation, gas, and / or diarrhea.

        Added:
        • Marjan

          I am exactly the same. Solid hard rocks when drinking milk. And only found out that it was the milk when I was 35 years…
          Beside of that I will get acne when I drink milk and I get dandruff and eczema in my ears. As a child I had eczema patches behind my knees and elbow fold.
          So no more milk for me….
          When I eat outside of the house I can always tell the next day if there was any butter or other milk used by the reaction of my body.

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  59. jessica g

    My son is now 13 months. I started transitioning him on to whole milk from formula when he was 10 months old. So by the time he was 11 months he was only drinking whole milk. He started becoming constipated right away.

    We did as the Dr said, more fruit, water… etc. No change. Recently Dr suggested soy milk… huge difference.

    His personality improved and so did his eating, has a better appetite. My only concern is his bowel movements aren’t firm, very soft sometimes a little to loose. Is anyone else having this issue? I wonder if he has a slight intolerance to the soy.

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  60. Pranay Pandey

    Thanks so much Dr. Greene.

    One of the best well researched answer to the problem. We have the same problem with our 18months son.

    He is having severe hard and painful stool problem since last 5 months. Since the time when we started feeding him pasteurized milk.

    Consulting Drs suggested to reduce milk intake and we did that with fibre rich diet. But it didn’t solve the problems as we still needed to feed him with milk 3-4 times a day. Laxative Cremafin is the only medicine which worked, but we need to give him everyday. We also tried changing milk with lesser fat but it also didn’t help.

    Finally just before a couple of days we decided to completely stop his posturated milk intake and replaced it with Isomil soy.

    We are hoping problem goes away, fingers crossed.

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  61. Grace

    Thank you everyone who shared your distress with others. I am happy to know that I am not alone.

    I have been breastfeeding my daughter until her doctor told me to stop breastfeeding for medical reasons. Now I am trying formula milk, but she is constipated.

    Today I will try another type of formula.

    Anyone who can breastfeed your baby, please do it. Your milk is the best for your baby. I breastfeed my other 2 kids without any problems. Now all I am getting is stress seeing my little one suffer, but I don’t know what to do next. Thanks doctor Greene.

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    • Tara

      Grace–we’ve had the exact same problem since 4 months old (he’s now 1). NOTHING worked (upping miralax, prunes, pears, pear juice, sometimes not even suppositories)–we recently switched to Nutramigen and that night he started going 1-2 times a day, soft stools that fill the diaper. Please try it!

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  62. Grace

    My baby is 5 months old. She is in formula milk for 6 weeks now, but she is suffering from constipation. Thanks for doctor Greene answer. I will try as he said.

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  63. LTiger

    Thank you for publishing this article. My youngest two children are half Native American so prone to lactose intolerance, as is their father. But, I also suspect a milk allergy coming from my side of the family, so I eliminated cow milk and soft cheeses for a month. Just to verify my suspicions, I went ahead and bought a gallon of milk (my youngest daughter loves her milk) and guess what? Constipation for everyone including my oldest who has no Native blood in her.

    After being up with my 11 month old and my 4 year old for 22 hours last night, I think it’s time for a major, permanent change in our dietary choices.

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  64. Lenora

    Thank you Dr. Greene for your post on cow’s milk and constipation. My 2 1/2 year old son has struggled for almost two years and we tried EVERYTHING and nothing worked until going off cow’s milk. Now he’s been going on his own for two whole weeks since switching to almond milk.

    Can you tell me why no doctor has recommended going off cow’s milk in the past two years?

    I certainly hope this will change!

    Thank you again for your post.

    Lenora

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  65. Ahmed shahin

    My daughter 7.5month have consitipation after starting artificial milk from 1.5 month we changeg milk type from promil gold to similac at last beblac 2 and still have dificult pooping and straining when she defecata up to milk come out from nose and mouth in past 1.5 month we started also some cerelac with rice and we stop it what solution ?

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    • LTiger

      It may sound strange, but what about breast milk? There are ways to stay your own lactation or there are milk banks all over the place.

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      • LTiger

        Start your own lactation***

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  66. Umesh Bhatia

    My son is 8 month old and he has suffered from constipation since he was 2 months old. We have tried so many medicines in his formula milk, but nothing is going good for him. Please tell me what to do for my son.

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  67. bonisiwe xulu

    Hello, ever since my little girl was born she has been constipated. I have tried different formulas, but she is still constipated. I give her weet bix and soft porridge in the morning, then in the afternoon and at night. I give her potatoes, pap and soup. I’m stressed. Please help my little girl.

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    • E

      Alimentum baby formula

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  68. Teran

    My daughter is 3 months old and ever since she was born she has been constipated. We have tried 5 different formulas and nothing seems to help. The pediatricians we’ve seen don’t seem concerned because she is gaining weight properly and is over all healthy. She will have an incredibly hard bowel movement and be crying and screaming for hours after wards. I don’t know what is wrong with her or what to do to help. We’ve tried everything from switching formulas to warm prune juice and nothing helps. I just want to help my babygirl feel better. I just don’t know what else to do or what could be causing this. And no doctors will help my little girl.

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  69. shasta

    My son is a little over 1 and since he was born he’s been on soy formula. He was put on milk (2%) and he has been have diarrhea.

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  70. Kat

    Try goats milk instead of soy. Soy can lead to lots of problems, especially for boys since it has estrogen mimicking compounds. Goats milk is closer to human milk and easier to digest. My oldest can’t have cows milk or soy products.

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    • Claire

      Thanks for writing this. I was a bit shocked that anyone would recommend soy milk as an alternative milk for a young child, especially a boy.

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  71. meg

    Did any one else guffaw at the idea you couldn’t tell if you were drinking cow’s milk vs soy milk?

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    • Lenora

      Yes they can tell, and I was worried it wouldn’t work, but I explained it to my two and a half year old and he said ok, and switched to almond milk and he’s been going on his own for two weeks now, after two years of constipation trauma.

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  72. Kristy Mazariegos

    I have the exact same issue with my 3 yr old hes been on laxatives since a infant and was covered with eczema from head to toe as a baby cried for first 6 months till dr tried every milk then nutramigen is where we ended up now thats hes 3 he stays sick all the time on antibiotics 4 times in 6 months I brought he back to dr I wanted answers he did allergy blood work and told me he is allergic to cows milk and then left me for the holidays with mo answer of what to do so im here looking for what now also. Good luck to ur baby I hope we get answers

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  73. tenille

    I loved this article. Since my baby girl was born she has had a constant runny nose and eczema. I nptice she would get red after i would feed her and her nose would just run! I have took her to my doctor about four times and he acted like it wasnt a big deal. So long story short I have finally come to the conclusion its dairy and thia article has helped so much! Im going to try it out and see what happens. Thank you for your article!!!!

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  74. Lauren

    Some doctors have suggested that my 9 week old baby could have a milk allergy and some other professional say that he hasnt, he was given neocate milk and has been on it for around 5/6 weeks but just recently we have changed him back to aptimal as he would only take 2 oz bottles of neocate and his symtoms were still the same he didn’t seem any better on neocate, he is now taking 5 oz of apitmal milk. His symptoms are very colicky/silent reflux, he hasn’t got dirrera or his never projectile sick or got skin rashes, he will cry for hours on end in the evening and will cry during the end of his last feed at night! We do get quite a few smiles in the day time, if he had a milk allergy would he be in pain/poorly all day long?? I wish he could have a test so we knew for definite but doctors say that there isn’t one for him, any advise would be great thanks

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  75. Lauren

    Some doctors have suggested that my 9 week old baby could have a milk allergy and some other professional say that he hasnt, he was given neocate milk and has been on it for around 5/6 weeks but just recently we have changed him back to aptimal as he would only take 2 oz bottles of neocate and his symtoms were still the same he didn’t seem any better on neocate, he is now taking 5 oz of apitmal milk. His symptoms are very colicky/silent reflux, he hasn’t got dirrera or his never projectile sick or got skin rashes, he will cry for hours on end in the evening and will cry during the end of his last feed at night! We do get quite a few smiles in the day time, if he had a milk allergy would he be in pain/poorly all day long?? I wish he could have a test so we knew for definite but doctors say that there isn’t one for him, any advise would be great thanks

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  76. Crystal Ogden

    I have an two year old daughter. Who seems to get constipated every time she drink any type of milk. I have taken her to several doctors who just put her on Miralax, which helps for a day or two and the third day she’s constipated again. I honestly think she is lactose intolerant because I’m lactose intolerant myself. Can someone help me please?

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    • Karlie

      My daughter will be 3 in April and I’m going through the same thing. Since she was born she gets constipated every month and no one does anything except for freaking miralax. And it helps, like you said, for 2-3 days and she’s back to being in pain. I have taken my daughter to the ER 4 times for constipation because I’m crying over how bad she’s crying from pain. We have an appointment Thursday to see if I need to change her diet and I’m thinking she is allergic to dairy or lactose because she was formula fed and its been her whole life. Everyone keeps telling me if you’re lactose intolerant that you get diarrhea. But I noticed that when I switched her from 1% to whole milk for a couple of days (my dad grabbed me the wrong kind at the store) that she got extremely constipated, the worst she’s ever been. I hope you find relief for your toddler!

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  77. Jennifer Colaizzi

    I find it very disheartening that the parents leaving these comments, do so with such terrible grammar. These are the adults raising the children of the future?? Scary

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    • Hi Jennifer,

      Please keep in mind, this is site is visited by parents from all over the world. For many of them, English is their second or third language.

      Best, @MsGreene
      Note: I am the co-founder of DrGreene.com, but I am not Dr. Greene and I am not a doctor. Please keep that in mind when reading my comments and replies.

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    • Spelling B runner up

      Oh please, cut the sanctimonious BS lady. Half of the university grad parents that I know are full of themselves and divorced…with great spelling and punctuation I might add. Love and a kind heart are what a child needs, to which I bet with your smug attitude you have very little of either. Get a grip on yourself.

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      • Grammar Check

        Firstly you paragraph is full of errors grammatically. Secondly, you cannot spell University with lower case “u” and the word “grad” should not be used in this context. There are more errors but I will leave it for you you the Professor of English Language to discover and correct.

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        • Friendly Follow-up to Jennifer, Spelling B, Grammar Check, and others — We all make mistakes. Judgement isn’t the point of this forum. Finding answers is.

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    • LTiger

      Hey Jennifer,

      Does it make you feel good to pick on exhausted, stressed out parents who are worried about their children? Maybe you were trying to sound intelligent, but you only succeeded in proving your own ignorance, narrow-mindedness and immaturity by bullying people who are just trying to help their sick kids. Bravo, Jennifer, bravo. I’m super impressed.

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    • Kylie

      Is it really necessary to add to a parents’ guilt by adding such a ridiculously insignificant comment. I agree with the other comment that a lot of the people reading this may have English as their second language, but many parents’ of newborns and toddlers survive on next to no sleep and just need to get their point across.

      Have a heart. Please.

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  78. Nichole

    My daughter was diagnosed with Milk and Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI) when she was 3-4 weeks old. We gave her hydrolyzed protein formula, and it was like she was a new baby. Happy, healthy, perfect. A little over one yr we introduced cows milk slowly. Soon after that she started to get constipated. The doctor said it was probably withholding. He said it is common for children, especially girls to deal with constipation. I personally have always thought that the mspi was the cause. We limit her milk intake and outlaw cheese, as that is a constipation guarantee. I have never before been able to find studies correlating milk protein intolerance to constipation. We will try almond milk and see if that helps. Thank you for addressing this issue. There isn’t enough research into this area.

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    • Charlene

      I was having the same problem and switched to almond milk which is working great. No more constipation and he goes more regularly. My only concern now is that he starts daycare soon and they will not give him almond milk; only lactose free, soy, or rice – none of which my son has had. A little nervous as to how the new diet will affect his digestion.

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      • ElisabethG

        I had this concern for my daughter when we first realized dairy was the cause of her years of horrible constipation (which stopped the day after I cut the dairy out of her diet). We spent hours trying to help her poop (prunes, all the other “p” foods, miralax, lots of water, exercise, belly rubs, warm baths). Stopped the dairy and she immediately could poop on her own. Any significant amount of dairy and she immediately can’t poop again. Anyways….her daycare must provide her with milk and also adheres to a tree nut free facility. She was able to have coconut milk there (not actually a nut) and continued with her *beloved* almond milk at home. Hope maybe your daycare can do the same. Best of luck!

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  79. Katie

    My youngest (now 15 months old), was very young he would go 6-8 days without a bm and was a fussy baby every few days until he went. He was so happy and content normally that I knew he was only fussy because he didn’t feel good. I took him to see an allergist who suggested soy formula…LIFE CHANGING!! He began having a bm everyday and was the super content baby I knew he was! I have recently tried cow’s milk (pediatricians suggestion) with him and as long as he has enough fruits and veggies that keep things moving he does well with it. If he ends up seeming like he’s starting to get belly aches/constipated again though, I won’t hesitate for a minute to switch him back!

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  80. Sooky Das

    I don’t believe that Study in Palermo, Italy of 65 Constipated babies. Having given myself a fissure from ignorantly ‘pushing’, & it took all my strength, which is the typical reason, a baby, not having the ability or knowledge or capability of ‘pushing’, I’m sceptical a baby is capable of developing a fissure. I more likely believe Anal Child Abuse has taken place & doctors & Mothers are dumb to it. These Doctors in Palermo also noted “Redness” on babies bottoms.

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  81. Sara

    Ang, how old is your daughter? and what is she like with appetite?

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  82. Danielle Patterson

    This article has made me so happy finally a dr saying the cows milk can cause constipation, previously my daughter had diarrhoea and odd sickness we ended up having to gradually wean her onto cows milk from formula which the full transition was completed in May when my daughter was 17month and then since 17 month on full cows milk it has been chronic constipation…the laxatives didn’t work she seemed worse if anything. I am now on day 3 of soya milk and I am really hopefully this is going to help her constipation! Will update the results!!!

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  83. destiny

    My son has been like this as well, but only since switching for 1 yrs old. We switched to almond milk and did amazing!! But I grabbed Kroger lactose free and back to the same problem, horriblely. Poor gut! Not sure the difference between almond milk and Kroger lactose free milk.
    He has been though so much! Colonoscopy, 2 capfuls of Miralx a day, ex lax per doctor. Ughh. Definitely a different boy when using almond milk!

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  84. Savannah Kaye

    Well I had the same problem with it as well when u was a infant. Doctors told my mom I was iron deficit. Well that made it worse. So my mom started feeding me yogurt. And I have ate yogurt ever since and I know when I don’t get any yogurt in me because I become constipated. And I also only Finn 1% or 2% milk. I can not drink whole milk.

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  85. Sinem Alanyurt Yalçın

    My daughter was hving chronşc constipationnfor the last one year. Even though the milg alergy test came out positive our dr told me i can fed her with any diary product. Now i changed our dr and we cut all mşlk productd as of today. For the last 2 weeks i ve been readin and readin annd this was the best article i have ever read. İ hope our const. Wil end very soon. Thx for all he information provided.

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Comments are closed.