Cow's milk allergy or lactose intolerance?

Cow's milk allergy and lactose intolerance are sometimes confused. Both are indeed related to dairy products and both can cause symptoms such as stomach ache, intestinal cramps, diarrhoea, flatulence and bloating. But cow's milk allergy is really something different from lactose intolerance.

Cow's milk allergy usually disappears after the first few years of life.

Cow's milk allergy is an exaggerated reaction of the immune system to the proteins found in cow's milk. This type of allergy can lead to symptoms such as skin rash, eczema, vomiting, diarrhoea, intestinal cramps, abdominal pain, shortness of breath or excessive crying. Cow's milk allergy is most common in infants. Approximately 5 per cent of all Dutch and Belgian babies suffer from it to a greater or lesser extent.

In most children, cow's milk allergy disappears at a later age. Just over half of children with cow's milk allergy can tolerate cow's milk again around their first birthday. Most other children follow suit in the subsequent 4 years (source: voedingscentrum.nl). For more information about cow's milk allergy: www.voedselallergie.nl

Lactose intolerance = inability to properly digest milk sugars (=lactose).

Lactose intolerance is not an allergy, but a digestive problem. The immune system plays no role in lactose intolerance. With lactose intolerance, the body cannot digest milk sugar (= lactose). This is due to a deficiency of the enzyme lactase. The symptoms mainly affect the intestines and include flatulence, bloating, intestinal cramps and diarrhoea. Approximately 15% of Dutch and Belgian people (children and adults) suffer from lactose intolerance.