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Thread: Milk Allergy

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  1. #1

    Milk Allergy

    Hi, I am a mom looking for a daycare for my daughter. She will be 12 months old when starting daycare and she has developed a milk allergy. Has anyone had experience with choosing a daycare that will be safe for a kid with a milk allergy? Where do I start my search? Any help will be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Starting to feel at home...
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    Is it a true allergy or just a sensitivity? Milk sensitivities are very common in this age group...it's something I'm willing to work with. Often babies outgrow it by 2yo.
    ~ Mama to 4, Dayhome provider ~

  3. #3
    I believe that it is a full-blown allergy but at this point I do not know for sure. Unfortunately, our appointment with the allergist is a couple of months away and I need to make a decision about a daycare now or in the near future.

  4. #4
    Expansive... Play and Learn's Avatar
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    Usually daycare providers are pretty lenient on that type of allergy. You may have to buy and bring whatever your child will drink, ie soy milk.

    BUT, I would let providers know BEFORE an interview that your child is milk sensitive and is visiting with an allergist soon. Providers LOVE when you're upfront and honest with them!

  5. #5
    Euphoric !
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    I agree with what play and learn said about letting the provider/s know before the interview as I had a family come for an interview once and they only told me then that their daughter is severely allergic to nuts. I can't accept children with that type of allergy as I can't assure a nut-free environment, so I wish they had mentioned it before and saved us all a lot of time. I would discuss it first and ask the provider how/if they can accomodate such an allergy. You may need to pack your daughter's food yourself to be sure there are no milk products in anything she eats. That is something you could offer to a provider as well.

  6. #6
    Euphoric !
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    I have dealt with a milk allergy before. Since you haven't met with the allergist yet you won't know for sure the severity. I have had one that was lactose intolerant so used the lacteeze milk (back then we had to use drops in regular milk and then it sat overnight to break down the sugars - mom did and brought it to me the next day - we are talking 20 years ago before cartons of lacteeze). This same child was ok if the milk was cooked such as in rice pudding or baking. She outgrew the allergy by the age of 3. Another child was ok on limited milk but was given the medication orally on a daily basis. So I didn't have to change my foods much but still limited him as in no milk for drinking, limited cheese, but it was ok for anything cooked or baked. The last child I had was allergic to the protein itself so no amount of milk was ok including casein, whey, etc so it was a lot of label reading. Once you figure out which brands of foods work you just stick with those. But you have to read them all such as some chicken nuggets are dipped in milk before being breaded, add water to scrambled eggs instead of milk, that sort of thing.

    Most daycare providers are ok with an allergy depending on the reaction of the child. For instance I do not take any child that has an anaphalactic type allergy because I am only one adult. I can not give the sick child my total attention while still keeping an eye on the safety of the other 4 kids in care. A child with a severe allergy is better in a centre where there are more adults and a dedicated cook that deals with the various allergies on a daily basis. An example for me is a peanut allergy. While I rarely serve it to the daycare my own family uses it so we are not a nut free home.

    You will need to provide your child's special milk and it is always appreciated that you share any brand names or items that you find are good ie you are spending the time at the grocery store doing the label reading and I just have to go in with the list of things to buy. If the product/brand is much more expensive than the other ones the provider might ask if you would mind buying one to leave at daycare again ex. your child would get some of their special chicken nuggets when the others have the daycare brand.

    What your child has been using for formula will go a long way to knowing the type of allergy. A child with a protein allergy can not eat any of the canned formulas including most soy, or other alternate brands since most contain at least some milk products such as whey.

    Instead of the parent providing the meals I have actually found it is better for me to do the providing but I did have to raise the rate by a couple dollars a day for one family because of the more expensive brands that were needed for their child and just for the extra work needed in specially making certain items so that is also one thing to consider in terms of budgeting. It might be easier for you to pay the extra per day rather than to have to bring the extra items. Although as far as the special milk for drinking that would always be your responsibility I would think since it isn't always available at the corner store and can get very expensive.

  7. #7
    Expansive... Judy Trickett's Avatar
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    OP, what area do you live in? You might find a provider here who would accommodate that allergy.

    I think the other thing to consider is that a lot of providers will accommodate an allergy that is not life-threatening. They would do their best to make sure your child does not consume dairy but, in daycare, unless the entire daycare environment is dairy-free there could be transfer from one small set of hands to another. KWIM?

    I accommodate allergies to a point; if they are epi-pen, anaphylaxis type allergies then, sorry, but that is WAY too big a risk for me to accept.

    Just be very upfront with the provider so you can ensure she is really on board.

  8. #8
    Euphoric !
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    As an "allergy mom" myself, I am willing to accommodate most allergies. I have a child who is mildly lactose intolerant in care, so Mom brings what she wants him to drink most days. She was supplying lactose free milk, but she thought that might be causing him stomach problems, so now he has juice on occasion but mostly water while here. I also have another child allergic to tree nuts, and parents have provided me with both Benadryl and an EpiPen. My own son is allergic to peanuts and therefore we are a nut-free home anyway!
    Bottom line, talk to your potential provider about the entire scenario. Discuss all possible causes and reactions that you have discovered so far. They will then tell you whether it is something that they can deal with.

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    Talk aboaut nut allergies reminded me of something. When they test for the milk allergy they will probably test for some other common things as well. Make sure they test for almonds, soy and coconut and rice since those are other kinds of milk that could be used. Most can be found in the health food/organic section of the grocery store or in health food stores. As far as a diet goes, look for products suitable for a strict vegetarian diet where they don't include milk or eggs. Cookbooks with vegan recipes will give you a variety of meals to make.

  10. #10
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    I have sort of been where you are now.
    My son had a milk allergy show up at 13 months old once he transitioned from breast to cow milk. It ended up with us having him at Sick Kids to find out why he was vomitting up everything he ate or drank and having to be admitted for 2 weeks of tests. We were so happy to learn it was just a milk/dairy allergy.

    I had my son in daycare when the allergy happened but I chose to stay with the same daycare. I decided to send all the food and drinks so that I would have peace of mind knowing what my child was getting. I still paid the same $35 a day regardless.
    The allergy my son had/has is not life threatening - just leads to vomitting within minutes. Our daycare provider was so concientious though and even took a course on allergies and anaphlectic (SP?) triggers just for her own sake

    It really never was an issue with me even after we moved and changed daycares. I did the same thing (providing my own food and drinks) with the new provider. I think milk allergies are one of the easiest allergies to avoid compared to nuts and the sensitivity involved in nuts/fish etc

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