After weaning: Milk Allergy

My son will be 10 months old in a week, and he's been exclusively breastfed from day one. At this point, he is only nursing two or three times a day, so I know weaning him is in the not too distant future.
I know it's okay to introduce cow's milk at 12 months, however, my son has a pretty bad milk allergy. Oddly enough, it is not a digestive allergy, it is a contact allergy. Anywhere milk or a milk product (whey, casein, lactase...all that "milk" stuff) touches his skin, he breaks out in a hot red rash and hives. He can digest it normally as far as I can tell, but with any food with a milk ingredient that touches him, he breaks out.
I did ask his pediatrician about this at his nine month physical, but absent-minded me only asked about what to do if my supply dried up before 12 months, what kind of formula to consider. I didn't think to ask about what to do beyond 12 months, which of course is now on my list to ask when we make the next visit at his 12 month physical in January. His pediatrician seems hopeful that my son may somehow outgrow this allergy when he turns a year, and said not to give him any milk or milk products until he's a year old.
Well, I honestly don't think this allergy is going to miraculously go away in two more months. To give an idea of how sensitive this allergy is--my older son ate a bowl of cereal with milk last weekend, then went to play with his little brother, who was only wearing a diaper. He started blowing raspberries on his belly, and whatever milk protiens were left in his saliva got all over my baby's belly, and he broke out BAD. Hives everywhere, and it looked like his whole abdomen had been rubbed raw with sandpaper. This can be easily soothed with a good washing of soap and water and a coat of hydrocortisone cream, but still...it is not pleasant to see and I can only imagine what it feels like for the poor little guy. :-(
Anyway, ultimately the question I'd like to ask is...what kind of milk alternative should I consider? I'll follow up with my pedi, but I just would like to get ideas and info here as well, maybe from others who have had similar issues. I'm really hesitant about using soy milk--I've heard good and bad things and I don't really know if that's the best and healthiest option. Others I know of are rice milk (which I'll probably use...) and almond milk. Are there any others? I just want to have some ideas to start planning ahead for this issue and make sure my son is getting the healthiest milk alternative possible.

[30something13]

First this is not just a contact allergy! That is how allergies start, they don't always have breathing problems. If he is that bad allergic then he wil not get better ata year and most likely get worse the morer contact he has with it!!!! I would ask the ddr for an epinephrain shot to keep with you in case of emergency! The epi pen does not always work. My sister had 4 in her house and when she went to use them two did not come out and one did part way but she could not see if she got the medicine and the last one did come out. She has a severe peanut allergy. Oh and breastmilk has the highest form of lactase in it more then milk does! That is why it is sweet.

I used West Soy brand soy milk with vanillia for my first one till age three. He only had a sinsitivity and he could have cooked milk things only then was slowly able to have cheese and last was  ice cream. I also used Rice milk on occasion. Soy is good but either is fine. I would not use Almond milk as it is an allergan, nut family. I know it is healthy but if he has allergies that bad then I would not take the chance and it is more expensive the Rice milk too I forget but one of those super model/ exercise people only ever gave her kids Rice milk and they did good on it too.

[KarenDiane]

First of all, don't let 30something's post freak you out. My son had a milk allergy as a baby. He would throw up milk based formulas so we switched him to soy. At 12 months we tried milk and he broke out. We tried again at 15 months and he was fine. Sometimes children do grow out of these things. It isn't all doom and gloom. If you are worried, you could give him some milk while you are at the Dr's office. Otherwise, soy milk is good and some kids do well with goats milk.

[AHP84]

I'm not too concerned that I'll need to carry an Epi-pen around for him. I just want to be sure that for however long he has this allergy, that we can avoid breakouts because they do look painful for him.
It's been interesting that he has not been allergic to my breastmilk, thankfully. Especially considering that I can consume dairy products, and my breastmilk doesn't affect him with any allergies. But give him something with a cow milk ingredient in it, and he breaks out within minutes of it touching him.
I will probably use rice milk. I have read and heard of some interesting health issues associated with soy, and I don't think I want to give it to my son. I was aware that almond milk, being from a nut, could be an allergen as well, so I will probably avoid that too. Just wasn't sure if anyone gave almond milk to their toddler and had no problems.

Thanks for the advice, ladies. ☺

[30something13]

Goodness I guess I should not of sounded so freakesh... I guess I get over excited sometimes, my little one only had the stuff like your little one and so did I as a child. We both have outgrown it! My little girl had an allergic reaction to something else and almost died her last dose of it, an antibiotic, no signs before that! My sister also almost died as an infant with a nit allergy. SO I guess I get carried away sometimes:) sorry

It does sound like he will outgrow it if you can have milk products BF!

I have heard things about the soy too and thought of rice and almond witht this next little guy too. He is only 5 months but I am doing baby led weaning and when he stops I want to withhold milk for a eriod to make sure he is less likely to get a sensitivity to it. Hopeing that works:) I have heard of the ALmond milk but I am with you on the rice!

Let us know how it goes!!!!! Oh and you might want to look up Jack Newman a dr leading specialist in breastfeeding he has great info on his site about allergies and also the le lechee league has great info about breastmilk and breaks it down adn alleries to milk. There is lots to look up and look up lactose intolerance! It has the BF facts and milk in general.

OH and my twin sisters used goats milk and TONS of babies do great on it! IT is the closest to BM then any other milk and there are ice creams and cheeses made from it as well and other foods. good luck!

Oh rice dream ice cream too! And of course soy ice cream

[KarenDiane]

LOL. I'm glad you weren't offended by my termonology. I just thought your post sounded a bit scary.

[30something13]

nope I wasn't;)

[have 2 kids]

Is it the lactose he is allergic to?   My daughter drinks lactaid (found in the milk section)    I'm not sure if this would be an acceptable substitute but you could ask the ped.

[have 2 kids]

The brand name she uses is Dairy Ease.  It's lactaid pills she takes at school. Sorry for any confusion

[tiredbuthappy]

different food entirely, but as babies my kids got scarlet red rashes from cinnamon touching their skin. It looked awful anywhere the cinnamon touched. My ped said it was just a contact reaction and that they would probably outgrow it. Despite this severe skin reaction, they were both able to eat it without any problems. My older one also outgrew it. The little one still get s a mild rash, but much less severe than in the past. I always wondered why it doesn't irritate their mouths, tongues, stomachs, etc... Not that I'm saying you should give milk... but it is interesting that his reaction seems to be skin and not digestive.

[AHP84]

I'm not sure if it's lactose he's reacting to or the milk protein, casein. All I can say is that *anything* with a milk ingredient on the lable--breaks him out in a hot, red rash and hives. Even if a product does not have a milk ingredient, but is highlighted with an allergy alert that says something like "may contain traces of milk" or "processed in places with milk products" or something to that degree, he has a reaction.
Thankfully, all I can say is that it is definitely NOT digestive. It's just if it touches him. Even if someone handles a dairy product, like slicing cheese, and then doesn't wash their hands before touching his skin, he has a reaction. But as long as it's washed with soap and water and we put hydrocortisone cream on the affected area, the rash and hives disappear within 15-30 minutes, depending on the severity. The incident with my older son blowing raspberries on his bare belly after he ate a bowl of cereal was the most severe reaction I've seen yet, and it took over an hour to look normal again.

Hopefully this is something he'll outgrow. Sounds like the odds are in his favor if others have had kids with reactions like this, but then outgrew it.

[jenstam]

I'm curious about the almond milk. Does anyone have any input on that? Sorry to sort of hijack your post!