{"id":2086,"date":"2021-10-01T06:16:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T20:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/?p=2086"},"modified":"2023-09-09T22:40:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T12:40:33","slug":"dairy-dilemmas-central-coast-families-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/dairy-dilemmas-central-coast-families-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Dairy Dilemmas: A Central Coast Mum’s Guide to Kids’ Dairy Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Clare Marcangelo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a common issue for many parents these days, it seems. With many children having varying issues with dairy, it is important for parents to know the facts, so that they can build their child a diet that will serve them best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest problems parents may come across is not really understanding the cause for their child\u2019s issue. Often they cut out dairy, switch to A2 milk, or just to lactose free products without really knowing what would be the right option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, issues with dairy can come in more than one form. If need be, your paediatrician or Immunologist will be able to diagnose your child with either of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your child may have a full dairy allergy. This is the trickiest to manage, as care must be taken to completely avoid any products that may even have traces of dairy, and unfortunately, this is a long list. Symptoms for this condition can range from tummy aches, bloating, and diarrhoea all the way to full anaphylaxis. You will be happy to hear though, that unlike many allergies, a large percentage of childhood dairy allergies do resolve over time, so be sure to work with your immunologist to revisit dairy when and if this becomes an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other option is lactose intolerance, which is quite different as it means a lack of the enzyme Lactase \u2013 responsible for the breakdown of lactose. Lactose is the naturally occurring sugar within cow\u2019s milk. In this case, people may choose to still completely avoid dairy, however it is possible to consume \u201cLactose\u2013free\u201d milk products without any discomfort. Many parents report this to be a game changer for their children, but again, it\u2019s essential to check in with a health professional to determine if this is indeed the case. As we now know the potential effects of gut health on the rest of the body, continually consuming a potential allergen will keep contributing to an imbalance within the gut and could begin to really start a cascade of other health issues, so its best to know what our child needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to this, many families find that just switching to A2 milk has resolved their child\u2019s minor digestion issues. This may be because they had trouble digesting A1 casein \u2013 the protein in most cow\u2019s milk. Jersey cows are seldom farmed for milk currently, however they produce a different \u201ccasein\u201d or milk protein, called A2. If you would like to try this, there are other options in addition to branded A2 milk, Harris farm stocks a jersey milk, as does Johnson\u2019s Farmgate \u2013 an independent farm who run a stall at the Gosford Farmer\u2019s market containing jersey milk, cheese, and yoghurt. Again, although this is a wonderful option, it is best to seek advice if your child suffers from significant symptoms as merely changing to A2 will not help someone experiencing lactose intolerance or milk allergy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next question that parents have is this \u2013 if I remove dairy my child will miss out on their daily calcium, wouldn\u2019t it be better to just keep it in? The answer is always, no, and no. If we consume something our body cannot tolerate and continue to increase damage to our gut lining, we increase our chances of nutrient malabsorption. So then, no matter how terrific your little one\u2019s diet is, they may start to not absorb all of the nutrients from their foods, and they need every last one to help with growth, development, learning and mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I often see diets where either the parent is easing back on dairy to not cause too much upset, or the child is intuitively avoiding it, and in these cases they may only be consuming one slice of cheese or half a cup of milk a day. Both of these each only amount to \u00bd serve of dairy for children, and as the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend children consume 1 \u00bd serves a day, many children are not meeting the mark anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where I suggest the silver lining \u2013 when we restrict a diet we pay attention to it. For example, its so common for children to regularly only have a slice of ham or two bites of chicken as their meat for the entire day, whereas a parent who finds themselves with a newly vegetarian child will most likely obsessively tally up their child\u2019s zinc, iron and plant\u2013based protein sources to make sure they stay healthy. The same can be seen in a dairy\u2013free diet\u2013 there are so many options we can use to fill the gaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of calcium rich foods (other than dairy) \u2013 are chia, sunflower seeds, pea protein, kale, butternut pumpkin and sweet potato, sesame seeds, mustard greens, broccoli and rocket to name a few.
So if your child does need to exclude dairy for a time, don\u2019t panic, just think outside the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clare Marcangelo<\/strong> is a local registered Nutritionist and former Early Childhood practitioner who specialises in children\u2019s health. As a mum herself, she knows how hard it can be to make even the smallest of changes to a family diet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Understanding Dairy Dilemmas: A Central Coast Mum’s Guide to Kids’ Dairy Issues<\/a><\/blockquote>