The Nursing Baby - Q&A

There is a rare condition where babies cannot digest breastmilk (the lactose) called galactosemia, which affects about 1 in 20,000 babies. This rare condition is often noticed in the first week or two, and is tested for at birth by most states in the US. Galactosemia is a serious inherited disorder which can cause death and retardation and must be controlled throughout a person's life.

There are allergies that a breastfed baby can suffer from when certain proteins pass through breastmilk from the mother's diet. Common allergens include dairy (casein is the culprit) and wheat. If you suspect a certain food, cut it out for a couple of weeks and see if that's the culprit. Keep in mind that a baby who is prone to allergies is 6 times less likely to suffer from allergies if breastfed. That is because breastmilk boosts the immune system and prevents and ameliorates illness. If your baby suffers from allergies regardless (such as respiratory problems), breastfeeding is probably alleviating those problems to a certain degree.

Often, when babies are intolerant to a food in mother's diet, they outgrow that intolerance in a few months. See our next question and answer for more information on food allergies and breastmilk.