Food allergy question....

[va703]

My DS#1 (3 1/2 yrs old) has an egg allergy and a couple of sensitivities (citrus, for example.) So we've been down the food allergy path already. I've kind of been expecting DS#2 to have them, based on family history.

DS#2 is 7 months old. We've been very slow starting him on solid foods. His solid meals have been few and far between. However, I've noticed that after eating a couple of different things (applesauce, banana, potato) he ends up with mucousy poop, and with banana it had a couple tiny streaks of blood in it. Needless to say, we stopped with the solids and it hasn't come back. I know this can be a food allergy sign....he also had a reddish rash right around his bum. And one night after eating he woke up screaming and yelled for a solid hour and was terribly gassy. I don't know what to do. He obviously wants to eat, he LOVES eating solids, but the few times he's had them, he's had troubles.

Have any mamas on here had very little babies diagnosed with food allergies? I love our allergist but appointments are hard to come by and I don't want to wait that long. (It took me 8 months to get an appt for DS#1. Sheesh.) Other than keeping a food diary or not feeding him anything solid, what can I do? I know he doesn't need solids nutritionally yet, but at some point, he will!

Sorry for rambling. It's just frustrating.

[babygirlsmom1005]

My DD was diag. with Dairy and Soy while she was in the NICU via blood testing. The at 15 months, confirmed the Dairy and Soy and we got to add Wheat/Gluten and Eggs. The at 26 months, the Dairy had been elevated to Life Threatning which landed us with a epi pen (oh yay) and all the other allergies still present.

If there is blood in his stool, you could see about getting a referal to a GI, they will be able to order blood work to check for allergies aswell if the allergist is that hard to get a appt. with.

I would avoid triggers for now and stay bland (or single ingrediant foods) and start keeping a food diary.

[va703]

Wow, I had no idea the blood test would be available for babies that young. I'm going to try to get a consult set up. It must be very difficult feeding your LO, poor thing!

[ThatLinGirl]

If you want to go ahead with food at his age, do one per week very slowly and definitely keep out what has been bothering him. At 7 months, he doesn't NEED solids yet, and for allergic kids many doctors recommend waiting even longer than 6 months.

FWIW, he sounds like his reactions are GI, which are typically not IgE mediated reactions but IgG. The blood and skin tests available both test for IgE, so my GI kid tested negative on all of them. Very common for GI reactions to not show up since they are technically intolerances rather than allergies, which is all semantics. With a GI baby, the best way to test is usually just to trial.

You don't need to stay bland, but do stay low on the allergen scale at the start.

That said, it still might be worth making a GI appointment just to get a baseline discussion, etc.

[jrk]

I'd look into the allergist as well as the GI. Both skin tests and blood tests can be done at that age. My ds was 11 months when I finally gave in to the skin tests, and wish I'd done it earlier. Like Marcie, we too have to carry an epi pen everywhere we go.

[mevans]

I dont have any advice, just wanted to say good luck on getting information.

I'm sorry, I dont want to hijack, but I noticed some talk about GI reactions vs other reactions.
My family doc said that my DS's skin reaction to eggs isnt an allergic reation at all, since it was his skin that reacted (I guess as opposed to his respiratory system? I dunno.) but my personal opinion is that any reaction would be a reaction, if that makes sense. What do you ladies think?

Here's what happened. My DS had some scrambled eggs, just plain scrambled eggs. Nothing before, nothing with. Almost immediately after eating them, around his mouth was red, the redness went up his nose a little, with time both cheeks were covered, with 2 patches being brighter red than the rest of the area. Later on that day there were yucky poops and fussiness/irritability, didnt sleep welll, etc. He has been dairy allergic since day one, so we avoid dairy completely.

Anyways, sorry to hijack, and TIA for any input!

Michelle

[ThatLinGirl]

Originally Posted by mevans I dont have any advice, just wanted to say good luck on getting information. I'm sorry, I dont want to hijack, but I noticed some talk about GI reactions vs other reactions. My family doc said that my DS's skin reaction to eggs isnt an allergic reation at all, since it was his skin that reacted (I guess as opposed to his respiratory system? I dunno.) but my personal opinion is that any reaction would be a reaction, if that makes sense. What do you ladies think? Here's what happened. My DS had some scrambled eggs, just plain scrambled eggs. Nothing before, nothing with. Almost immediately after eating them, around his mouth was red, the redness went up his nose a little, with time both cheeks were covered, with 2 patches being brighter red than the rest of the area. Later on that day there were yucky poops and fussiness/irritability, didnt sleep welll, etc. He has been dairy allergic since day one, so we avoid dairy completely. Anyways, sorry to hijack, and TIA for any input! Michelle

A skin reaction like that sounds like a standard IgE reaction, not GI. It sounds like his GI symptoms were secondary. It is possible that it could be IGG and thus not show up on allergy tests, but from what you described I would guess "allergy" rather than "intolerance". You're right -- it is just semantics. He certainly reacts and knowing which it is doesn't make any difference to you -- just avoid them so he isn't sensitized to them and has a chance to outgrow.

[mevans]

Thank you Lindsay! I needed to feel....validated I guess is the word for it.

[va703]

I think that sounds like an egg allergy. DS#1 is allergic to eggs...a rash was his first symptom. His second exposure was projectile vomiting, plus the rash.

[mevans]

Originally Posted by ThatLinGirl A skin reaction like that sounds like a standard IgE reaction, not GI. It sounds like his GI symptoms were secondary. It is possible that it could be IGG and thus not show up on allergy tests, but from what you described I would guess "allergy" rather than "intolerance". You're right -- it is just semantics. He certainly reacts and knowing which it is doesn't make any difference to you -- just avoid them so he isn't sensitized to them and has a chance to outgrow.

Okay, so what does IgE and IGG mean? Whats the difference?