How can we help our baby digest his milk better?

My son is 8 months old. He doesn't drink formula. The doctor advised giving him cow's milk, and he drinks 100 ml a day with great difficulty. He cries a lot and vomits frequently whenever we give him milk. He wakes up every hour during the night and my wife breastfeeds him. Could you give us some advice on how to overcome this problem?

It sounds like your son is sensitive to cow's milk, possibly allergic. I'd stop it. Normal formulas are based on cow's milk, and he may be sensitive to these as well. He doesn't need any formula at all if your wife wishes to breastfeed him exclusively. If you want to give him something else, discuss an alternative formula, such as a soya-based one, with your GP. He should now be on some solid foods, particularly cereal, and he's probably ready to start some finger foods. Milk should no longer be his only food. We don't recommend normal cow's milk for children under a year in any case, as its higher mineral content stresses the kidneys and can prompt allergies in some children. It sounds as if your son is making up for his daytime feeds at night. While breastfeeding at night will help your wife keep up her milk supply - even better than breastfeeding during the day - a normally growing baby his age doesn't need to be fed at night to maintain growth. He can learn to sleep through if you wish him to and if you help him develop a solid sleep ritual. See http://www.pampers.com/wellbaby/index.htm on this site for suggestions on this.