When will my baby feel better?

It may have taken some time to pinpoint the cause of your baby’s distress. Now that cow’s milk allergy has been identified, it is understandable that you want your baby to feel better fast. Once cow’s milk protein has been eliminated from your baby’s diet by either removing cow’s milk from your own diet if breastfeeding or by using a hypoallergenic formula recommended by your doctor if bottle feeding, most symptoms should settle. It might take time for your baby to get used to their new special diet and the exact time for complete resolution of your baby's symptoms may vary depending on the number and severity of symptoms they have. Make sure you stick with your baby’s new diet as most symptoms should settle within 4 weeks.

You might start noticing an improvement in symptoms within a few days of starting the hypoallergenic formula recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may have recommended an extensively hydrolysed formula such as Nutramigen with LGG®. Your infant should remain on Nutramigen with LGG® for as long as your doctor recommends and your doctor will regularly test if your infant still has cow’s milk allergy. Find out more about Nutramigen with LGG® or watch our video on What to expect with Nutramigen with LGG®

What if my baby’s symptoms don’t improve?

If you are using an extensively hydrolysed formula and your baby's symptoms don’t resolve but your doctor or dietitian still thinks it is cow's milk allergy, they may recommend using an amino acid-based formula instead. An amino acid-based formula such as Nutramigen PURAMINO contains no cow’s milk protein and is for the dietary management of infants who have severe allergic reactions and multiple food allergies. Find out more about Nutramigen PURAMINO.

If you are using an amino acid-based formula and your baby's symptoms are still unresolved, it is unlikely to be cow's milk allergy and your doctor may investigate other causes.

Can I use a routine infant formula when my baby seems better?

The main reason your baby isn’t having problems while on their hypoallergenic formula is because the formula has been specially designed to manage cow’s milk allergy. It is likely that your baby’s allergic reactions will return if you start feeding them a routine infant formula too soon.

You should contact your doctor any time that you are concerned about your infant’s health.