I often speak with parents of milk allergic babies and I hear a lot about rashes that appear on the baby’s face and body. It is heartbreaking to hear how much they itch and scratch uncontrollably. And for many parents it is hard to determine if their child has just a typical baby rash or if it is a symptom of something more serious – like a rash caused by an allergic reaction to cow’s milk. 
Atopic Dermatitis or eczema are two types of rashes that are commonly caused by a milk allergy. But without a diagnosis from the doctor of a cow’s milk allergy, how would a parent know that this is the cause?
You should always refer to your pediatrician to help you understand what is causing your little one’s eczema, but it’s also important to look at the big picture. Sometimes a baby with cow’s milk allergies, will also display other symptoms in addition to a rash. For instance, you may also see symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, gassiness, wheezing, runny nose, and colic.
If you do see a rash accompanied by any of these other symptoms, make sure to keep detailed notes and share all symptoms with your doctor so that your little one can get diagnosed and treated faster.
Also, make sure to work with your pediatrician to come up with a plan for healing your baby’s skin – no matter what is triggering the rash, it is important to heal your baby’s skin as soon as possible. Some recommendations the doctor might suggest include:
- Bathing your baby in soothing lukewarm water
- Avoiding bath oils and perfumed powders
- Applying an over-the-counter lubricant to your baby’s skin
- Keeping your baby’s fingernails filed short so the scratching won’t do as much damage
- Dressing your baby in soft cotton fabrics to prevent possible fabric irritation
- Keeping your baby cool and avoiding hot, humid environments
- Trying to keep your baby distracted from the itchiness with fun activities
Did your little one have a rash due to a milk protein allergy? Tell us about your experience and what you did to treat it.
-Christine
Read Comments (5)
My baby have a rashes on her nick and its get on her face. Its not red but its getting worst. Her doctor said that it can be her milk which is enfamil infant premium. She is taking this milk about 5 months but never had this problem. Her doctor said i should switch her formula. I don’t know what to do.
my son had gained a rash all over his body completely at 2 weeks old and his doctor continously explained how it was eczema and it would go away within time. he has seen a dermatologist who gave him mutiple creams and none of them worked then they had changed his milk to nutramigen and still no change. he is now nine months and he has seen an allergist bc the strongest cream trimcinanolone you can give a baby hasnt worked he came out with a cows milk allergy and is now drinking soy milk. the allergist has suggested soy milk and if that didnt work try neocate but so far hes been doing a better job with the soy
Thanks for the comments. Rashes can be hard to figure out what is causing them. Keep in mind that soy milk is not considered hypoallergenic, but I am happy to hear your little on is doing better. As always, just give us a call if you have any questions about Neocate at 1-800-NEOCATE.
I have twin girls who were told they had baby acne when they were 3 weeks old. At 3 months they were told it was ezcema and prescribed a .1 steroid cream. The rash went away for 3 days and then it came back worse than before. We then went to an allergist who diagnosed the girls with a milk allergy and atopic dermatitius. They were put on neonate. It’s been 7 days and the rash is still there. How long does it take a milk rash to go away?
Hi Liz,
Ezcema, as a result of a food allergy, can take a bit longer to heal than, for example, a GI related reaction to food. Based on clinical research, ezcema usually takes about 2 weeks to calm down once the child starts Neocate. Keep in mind all babies are different and some may take a bit longer than others. Have you noticed any new rashes developing? As usual, be sure to discuss with your doctor. Give it about 1 more week and if the rash persists; first, speak to your doctor, then feel free to give us a call at 1-800-NEOCATE so we can further discuss with you.
Kindest wishes Liz!
Christine