Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Milk Protein - The Likely Culprit

After getting a second opinion from a pediatric gastroenterologist (big word 10 points!) it appears that Seth has developed an allergy to certain milk proteins. I guess this is not all that uncommon for babies about his age, but it is a little difficult for mom because he gets the problem proteins from her. It means adjusting her diet by minimizing dairy products. Other food proteins can sometimes be the source of the problem, such as soy and wheat, but milk is the most likely culprit.

The only real concern here is that because the the protein causes irritation in the colon Seth can bleed internally and might become anemic if it gets too bad. There is no evidence of anemia right now. We will be having his blood checked to get a baseline and then it will be rechecked again in six weeks.

He really is a healthy and happy baby so we are glad this is a minor issue. (no pun intended :-) )

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