Proctitis as a sign of cow’s milk protein allergy in the breastfed baby
Our website has several important chapters that touch upon this important topic that we refer to as cow’s milk protein allergy. These include:
a. A basic chapter about irritability in babies
b. A chapter specific to cow’s milk protein allergy
c. A chapter dedicated to the sub-genre: cow’s milk protein allergy in breastfed babies
The purpose of this short chapter is to teach you about another sign that could indicate cow’s milk protein allergy in babies that are breastfed – proctitis.
What is the most important sign for cow’s milk protein allergy in babies?
I hope you know the answer to this like the back of your hand – stools containing mucous or even blood.
So, what is it that we see in the image attached? What is proctitis?
Proctitis is an inflammation surrounding the anus (perianal) that develops in some of the babies that have cow’s milk protein allergy (who either feed on formula or breastmilk).
I see quite a large number of babies who have cow’s milk protein allergy but I only see babies with proctitis maybe twice a year. That is, it is not very common.
What is it that we see in the perianal region?
Practically speaking, the allergy to cow’s milk occurs in the intestines. As a result, we usually see mucus (or blood) in these babies’ stool but the inflamed intestines are not visible to our eyes.
Sometimes, the inflammation is so extensive that the perianal region is also involved, and then by looking at this image you get to imagine what the intestines above this region would probably look like.
Note how the perianal region loses its typical shape and develops a lot of redness. Some people say the area looks as though you tried to measure the child’s rectal temperature and injured the area.
This inflammation in the perianal region is referred to as proctitis.
When it presents together with mucous in the stools (that is, involvement of the large intestines) it is referred to as proctocolitis.
Does this indicate the severity of the illness?
Not necessarily. Sometimes these children present at an earlier stage than they would have otherwise, had the sign not been visible to the naked eye. Of course, as soon as the cow’s milk protein allergy is treated, this inflammation resolves.
What about older children who develop proctitis?
The causes of proctitis in older children are usually different and may include infections or inflammatory bowel disease. But I’ll leave this to a different post.
In summary, I thought it would be nice to post a picture of proctitis for those parents who need reassurance. This isn’t a very common sign but it is important to be familiar with it.
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