cheese intolerance/allergy?

[Flossie]

The last couple of times F (9 months) has had cheese on toast for tea she has got red blotches on her face where it has touched the skin around her mouth and chin. They disappear once she's had a bath and a good wash. I generally give her mature cheddar because it's what we eat.

She eats philly and gets no reaction and loves cauliflower cheese and risotto with hard cheese in. However she point blank refuses to eat a lump of cheese if I put it on her tray or even something really mild like a baby bel. At first I thought it was a texture issue or perhaps difficult to eat beause she only had 3 bottom teeth...but she now has 4 top teeth so I wonder whether she is refusing it because she knows it doesn't like her!

She eats yog and cows milk with no probs and despite the rash she loves cheese on toast and gobbles it up. I really want to continue giving her cheese because she likes it in or on foods...but should I steer clear of it? Take her to the docs? See the HV? Is it possible to be intoleratant to just hard cheese? Should I be worried?

Thanks

Flossie

[tickles]

Is it possible to be intoleratant to just hard cheese?

I don't know how it works but my answer is YES. Cheeses with sharp flavours (bitey cheddars, parmesan etc) really make my mouth itch and I imagine the same would be true of my skin if I rubbed it all over myself as a baby might do! If such cheeses are mixed into recipes (like risotto for example) then it seems to be ok. It only happens when I eat actual pieces of strong cheese. Milder cheeses seem to be fine in this respect. Like I said, I don't know how it works and frankly it doesn't make all that much sense but I just go with the flow personally!

If she seems fine with other dairy I'd probably just go easy on the strong cheeses.

[petitemum]

My personal theory (based on no particular scientific evidence) is that cheese is concentrated cow's milk. So whatever cow's milk proteins/antigens babies are allergic to are present in much higher amounts in cheese... And it may not necessarily be associated with taste or mildness.

BabyBear outgrew his cheese and buttermilk intolerance at about 1 year (he's always been fine with formula, milk and yogurt), so it may not be forever.