Dr. Marc Cromie, Chattanooga Allergy Clinic; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical SocietyQ: Is goat milk or goat cheese safe for my infant daughter with a dairy allergy?
A: The answer, unfortunately is no; goat’s milk is not a safe alternative to cow’s milk. The two milks have a similar protein structures, so 90 percent of dairy allergy patients will have a reaction to goat’s milk. For infants with dairy allergy, several milk alternatives offer a safer way to meet nutritional needs for protein and fat. Depending on your daughter’s allergic profile, she may be able to drink a soy-based formula. If she is allergic to soy, too, a good option could be a hydrolyzed formula in which the cow’s milk protein is broken down extensively, making it less recognizable to the immune system. In either case, an allergist can determine the degree of her dairy allergy and check to see if she is allergic to soy.
– Dr. Marc Cromie, Chattanooga Allergy Clinic; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
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