Having gone through a child that had a milk allergy myself (I once told her pedi that she was congested since birth!), I would suggest that you totally remove cows milk from his diet; If you are breast feeding, then that includes removing it entirely from yours (read ingredient labels).... Do it for 4 weeks (waiting a good 10-14 days to makes sure all cows milk proteins are out of his system before you evaluate) and see if this helps improve his congestion. (My daughter's ENT told me that just because she had the milk allergy didn't mean that subsequent children would also... Each kid is different... )
As for formula alternatives, try Nutramigen. Below are portions of an article on the topic. From : http://pediatrics.about.com/od/infantformula/a/0308_nutramigen.htm
"Babies sometimes can't tolerate any of the standard baby formulas, such as Similac Advance, Enfamil Gentlease Lipil, or Nestle Good Start Supreme Soy.
Some babies have both a cow's milk protein allergy and a soy protein allergy and will need an elemental or hydrolyzed protein formula, such as:
- Nutramigen Lipil
- Alimentum Advance
In addition to being lactose free, these formulas are hypoallergenic and are made of proteins that are extensively broken down. They work well for symptoms that could be due to a formula intolerance, such as excessive crying, diarrhea, and problems sleeping.
On the downside, these formulas are much more expensive than standard baby formula. Nutramigen and Alimentum, for example, can cost about $26 to $30 for a 16-oz. can, while you can expect to pay just $14 to $15 for Enfamil Lipil, Nestle Good Start Supreme, or Similac Advance.
Nutramigen AA
What happens when your baby continues to have problems when she has already tried an elemental formula like Nutramigen or Alimentum? It used mean finding Neocate, an non-allergenic formula made up of 100% free amino acids.
There is another choice now. Nutramigen AA Lipil is another amino acid based formula that can help infants who have a severe cow's milk protein allergy and/or multiple food protein allergies (soy, gluten, and milk, for example).
Parents who need these formulas can be in for a surprise, as Neocate and Nutramigen AA Lipil are even more expensive than other elemental formulas -- about $39 a can. They can be hard to find too, and often mean asking a pharmacist to order them for you or ordering them online:
- buy Nutramigen AA online
- buy Neocate online (Manufacturer's site)
On the plus side, insurance companies will sometimes pay for Nutramigen AA and Neocate if it is a medical necessity that your baby have it. In fact, insurance companies in Illinois and Minnesota are required by law to provide coverage for amino acid-based formulas when babies have certain medical disorders.
An evaluation by a pediatric gastroenterologist can be helpful if you think that your baby needs an amino acid-based formula, such as Nutramigen AA."