Growth Monitoring in Children with Cow's Milk Allergy: What to Track and How Often

Three key things to track

• The rate of weight and length growth, not just single measurements
• Where height and weight sit on the growth curve and how they change over time
• How much the child eats, their mood and energy, and their bowel movements

It is best to have regular measurements taken and a growth curve drawn up as part of routine child health checks. Bring the data to follow-up visits so it can be reviewed together. This is more reliable than judging by how things seem.

Common nutritional gaps

When dairy products are avoided, intake of calcium, good-quality protein and some vitamins needs to be planned separately. Special formula products are usually designed to meet nutritional needs. Rice water, soy milk or ordinary plant drinks should not be used long-term to replace infant formula, because their ingredients and proportions differ greatly. Whether extra supplements are needed should be assessed by a doctor or dietitian.

When to see a doctor quickly

You should see a doctor as soon as possible if the child is not gaining weight or is losing weight, has repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, blood in the stool, low energy, is clearly eating less, or has worsening allergy symptoms. Growth monitoring and allergy management need to go hand in hand. At regular follow-up visits, bring both food records and symptom records. This helps the doctor adjust the plan.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please follow your doctor's instructions.