Newbie

[Bevarick]

Hi

After nearly a year of trying and 5 doctor visits later my son has finally been given a referal to a paediatrician to confirm he has lactose intolerance. I would be grateful of support from other parents with children who are dairy free it is all abit bewildering

Take care

Bev

[Copper]

I don't have any small children with lactose intolerance. I suffer myself and have had this from birth - on and off. I am now very lactose intolerant and I dont see this changing for the better.

Others on this list have children who don't have dairy. It might help us if we knew the age of your son.

You just have to be very careful and read every food label carefully. They do like to slip lactose into foods especially processed food. Bernard Matthews always has lactose in turkey products!

If you go to this page on this site

http://www.dairyfreeuk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=24

you will find a list of milk in disguise to look out for on food labels.

There are alternative milks out there - soya, oat, rice, Tiger White. It really depends on how old your son is and so what would be best for him. I am sure other members here can help.

[Pam]

Hi Bev, welcome to the site, I hope you find it useful.

My daughter has been milk intolerant (protein rather than just lactose) since she was a tiny baby, so we've done dairy free weaning, playgroup, nursery, school, parties etc. She is 6 now and I suspect that she isn't as badly affected anymore but I'm not prepared to try a challenge so we stick to dairy free.

My tips are to check all packets and labels (it gets easier when you are used to it), speak to anyone who might be providing food for your son and print off lists of bad foods/bad ingredients to give to them, carry a packet of a suitable alternative in your handbag (small packet of sweets, mini box of raisins, a few biscuits etc) - this saves disappointment when all the other children are having something that he can't have and send your own plated party food for any buffet events - saves stress and unwanted after effects.

You didn't actually say how old your son is, tell us more about him, his likes and dislikes and we'll be able to come up with some good alternatives for you.

You should also push for an appointment with a dietician, a lot of them aren't particularly good at advising on dairy free diets (you'll probably get better advice here) but at least they can reassure you about calcium/calorie intake and advise you accordingly. If your son is still very young they can also get your doctor to prescribe suitable formula milk if necessary - my daughter was a faddy eater and had Wysoy prescribed until she was 5 years old to ensure she got the nutrients she needed.

Keep asking questions - someone is bound to know the answer.

[matt]

welcome to the site, ask away and we'll try to help.

[Nic]

Welcome!

There's lots of good advice already. My top tip would be soya yoghurts (there are smooth 'junior' ones if you son is too little for yoghurts with chunks in). They are sold at most big supermarkets and all health food shops. The Provamel ones are nice, the Granose (usually found at Holland and Barrets) are less so.

Best wishes,

Nic

[Bevarick]

Thanks for all your advise.

Corin is now 2 years old. I noticed almost as soon as we weaned him onto cows milk that there was a problem but has taken this long to be taken seriously. My usual doctors (all three of them) said he would grow out of it. I did some research and for the last two months he has been dairy free and started gaining the weight he had lost. I took him two weeks ago to a doctor at the practice and she is sure from what I have said and looking at his weight that it is lactose intolerance so just waiting for the appointment to get it confirmed. Thanks for all your help and I will let you know when I hear more.

Bev

[Pam]

Bev, don't rely on tests for a diagnosis as intolerance tends not to show up in tests. If you know in your own mind that he is better off without milk then stick to it and don't allow them to tell you otherwise. Also, be aware that after a period of dairy free living he might become more sensitive to even the smallest amount of milk and this might have different symptoms to those you have already noticed. When you see the paediatrician you need to ask for a referral onto the dietician - as I've already said, these aren't always very knowledgeable but they should help to calculate Corin's calcium and calorie intake to ensure that he is getting the correct nutrients.

My daughter was around 2 when we started serious dairy free living - I'd weaned her with milk products without knowing that they were causing all the problems we were having. Toddlers cry and tantrum all the time, it just took a long time to realise that it was all linked in with the food she was eating.

[Bevarick]

Corin was always happy till after weaning and he became clingy and constantly crying. The sensitive is worse now I found that out this week. My partner had gone to his friends with my eldest and was to ring when he was on his way home so I could get dinner on. He very kindly went to KFC as it was late and thought it would help. I let Cotin have some popcorn chicken because he had seen it and unfortunately he was bad for 5 days. I have felt awful for giving it to him but my partner has really beaten himself up about it. We thought a small amount would be fine but now we know.

Thanks for your help

Bev

[matt]

you're human and you will make mistakes.

yeah he was ill for a few days but that's not the end of the world, no point beating yourself up about it. just chalk it down to experience and don't do it again.:o

[Pam]

KFC won't let on their secret recipe either so there's no way of checking the ingredients.

This is one of the pitfalls, we have to live and learn and just be thankful that our children don't suffer a severe allergic reaction. Don't beat yourself up, it will happen again in time - we've all been there.

[matt]

for the sake of a stamp i would write a long letter to the head office of kfc. the fact that they don't publish the receipe you assumed etc etc that safe to have.
much dissapointment and anguish and so on.

heck worst case scenario id they ignore you, might get something in return post.

[goose]

Have found out that most of KFC's food does contain Gluten, soya bean oil, soya lecithin and wheat. However the foode that contain eggs and milk are
-: Original recipe chicken.
Apple pie.
Potato pie.
Flour tortilla.
Bone less wings.
Chicken pot pie, and crust.
Macaroni cheese.
Potato salad.
Breast fillett.
Tender roast breast fillett.
Coleslaw.
and both mayonnaise's. Great i think that is entire menu list of kfc.so if you have an intorerence then your not welcome to KFC by the look of things.

[cnc]

Goose, is that not the American KFC list? I know you can access their ingredients, but not the British version, so there is likely to be a difference in the ingredients if this is the American list (I didn't think UK KFCs sold Chicken Pot Pie)

[goose]

oooh your right claire well spotted i think we will have to write and find out what the difference is.

[Steve]

I did find a list of secret recipes for these fast food places on the web a while back. I'll see if i can find the site again and post a link.