1 Year Old W/ Food Allergies.

My son (who's now 5), also has food allergies. He's allergic to tree nuts, egg, plus seasonal allergies. I have been told by many doctors and other parents facing the same thing, that is very common for kids to out grow food allergies. My friends son, (also 5), was allergic to milk, eggs & peanuts when he was 1 year old. After eating peanuts, he actually ended up in the emergency room. Now he is only allergic to peanuts.

One thing I just found out though from a MOPS meeting (the presenter was an EMT), the first allergic reaction is usually the most minor. He went on the say that the allergies that you need to watch out for the most are the ones that when they ingest something and then break out in a rash all over their bodies (that's the one that causes the most concern). Allergy reactions that are topical (re: my son when he touches raw eggs and then his face; his face will break out in a rash and welts), don't cause as much of a concern and they may possibly grow out of them.

The hardest thing for me, is that my son is not allergic to peanuts, but is allergic to tree nuts. When I tell people he has a nut allergy, they usually tell me to try using cashew butter instead of peanut butter, they don't understand it's not a peanut problem. What if he's somewhere and they don't understand this and give him a cookie or granola bar with cashews or almonds.

My son has had both the blood test and the pin prick test (when he was 4 years old). We were told by the allergist to come back in 1 year to be retested, because things change. I don't think there is anything you can do to help them outgrow the allergies, except protect them from what they are allergic to.

Do you have an EpiPen? I first that getting one was a little unnessary, but after listening to the EMT presentation, I'll very glad I have one!

Good luck,
D.

My daughter had HORRIBLE reactions to milk when she was about 11 months old. I took her to see a NAET Practitioner and after a few treatments it was like night and day. She can now (at 3 years old) drink milk every day with NO issues. I took her to see Dr. David at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Roe ave. www.askdoctordavid.com The NAET treatments eliminated the allergy entirely. I highly recommend it.

I know this is difficult for you and your family, but it can be done and is quite an adventure! Our son is also allergic to gluten (wheat, oats, barley, rye), casein (dairy), eggs, soy and about 20 other things. You are very lucky to have discovered this so early! There is a wonderful book by Lisa Lewis (actually a couple)called Special Diets for Special Kids. Now, this is specifically written for the GFCF diet (gluten free, casein free) that a lot of our kids with autism are on as they are most all allergic to these things. Don't panic - I'm sure your child is just plain allergic and not on the autism spectrum. But, anyway, there is a lot of work already done out there. There is also a yahoo group or two or seven - GFCF Recipes, there is TACA and several others. Just type in gluten free casein free diet and see what comes up. It is a whole new way of cooking. As for your question, my advice would be no, do not give him anything at all he reacted to as that can actually make the allergy worse! Almond milk, hemp milk, rice milk and a potato based milk (DariFree) work at our house. We also use coconut oil in place of butter. For some kids that are super sensitive, the brand may make a difference (ie, if it has barley malt in it - oops gluten!)Good luck and feel free to contact me for yummy recipes!!

M. in Anderson

K. -

I am so sorry that you are feeling this way. My son has a small intollerance to milk, but his girlfriend (yes, she is 2 days younger than him and they are inseprabable) has severe milk and egg allergies. Her mom found a great cookbook online that might be helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Milk-Free-Egg-Free-Nut-Free-Allergy.... Another good cookbook is: www.dairyfreeeggfreekidpleasingcookbook.com. There's also a great website that you might like: www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. This might be helpful to you. She also had to make brightly colored labels for her sippy cup, diaper bag and clothing (puts them on her back) to alert other care providers to her allergy. This has helped a lot!

BTW - YOU DID NOT CAUSE THIS. Some kids are just prone to allergies...it has nothing to do with you or what you ate while nursing. There are special formulas that you can switch your LO to if you want to wean him. If he tollerates soy okay, you can give him soy formula...just try a few things until you find the right combination...just stay away from the things you know are severe. :)

Hope this helps,
K.

K.: You are exactly where I was with my wonderful now 7 year old boy. I nursed my son and we have multiple breathing issues, excema, etc. until he was 11 months old when I gave him whole milk. He had a severe allergic reaction and was tested to be allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, cats and dogs with a possible shellfish allergy. Reading labels is tricky. Egg is also known as albumen and he may be allergic to the milk protein, casein, and not be lactose intolerant. My son loved Vance's Dari-free milk the best. I like it because is is powdered and you make as much as you need. It comes in chocolate too which tastes like cocoa. It is also just as nutritious as whole milk so you don't lose the vitamins, etc. that you get from whole milk. Our son thankfully did outgrow his milk allergy at age 6 so he loves to eat ice cream. But there are some very good soy ice creams that are great substitutes. We were never able to find any good cheeses with the exception of soy cream cheese and soy sour cream. We didn't like any of the others. Michael also liked Silk in chocolate and at Christmas you can get Silk Nog - which is egg and milk free. If he is in day care, you need to work closely with the day care personnel so that milk is not available for him to accidently pick up. Also the day care providers need to be very careful with washing the children's faces and hands after they drink milk so they don't cause your son to react. We had the same issues. Peanuts are pretty easy to avoid. While Michael was little, we just kept peanut items out of our house. When he was older and understood the depth of his allergy, my husband and other son love peanut butter so it came back to the house. With regard to egg, I have never found a good substitute for egg. I do most of my own cooking because there is not much you can get that is prepackaged that is safe unless you are shopping at a health food store and the food is pretty pricey. You just need to get back to basics. You can use Bisquick to make pancakes - just add a little more baking soda and a little sugar to sweeten it, leave out the eggs and off you go. You can also use some Duncan Hines cake mixes (some do have milk added so you have to read the label) and for chocolate cake, just use mix and a can of Coca Cola. Instant safe cake. I wouldn't worry too much about the dog, wheat or soy unless he starts to have a rash or reacts. We have had cats and dogs since Michael was born and he plays with them all the time. Occasionally, you will have a break through rash but usually Benadryl takes care of it. Michael did develop allergy induced asthma so we do keep medicine available at all times for that issue. He tends to have breakthroughs at the peak allergy seasons in the year, early spring and late fall. Mostly this manifests itself as a runny nose. Michael has become very aware of what he can eat and can't eat. Just make sure other parents and care givers have checked with you before feeding him something you have not approved. You will get real adept at reading labels and sometimes it scares you what they put in our food. I was in your shoes and scared to death but after about a year, we settled down and Michael has been fine. We have been blessed with good caregivers and school personnel. School is another issue but at least you have a few years before you have to deal with it.

Just to add one last thing, please be very aware of the CASEIN or CASEINATE (milk protein) allergy. I noted a few people were suggesting products that do contain casein. My son was allergic to casein so all of these products are not safe even though they say dairy free. They must be casein free and you will have to read the label to find that out.
If I can give you more information, please let me know. I would be glad to help any way I can. D.

You can use the milk that is lactose free for him to drink, I have heard of alot of mothers using that for their little ones. I hope your lucky enough that he outgrows it quickly. Sorry I can't offer any help with the cooking part as I have had no experience in that area at all. Diana Z

Look into NAET for your son, it's the only thing that actually eliminates the allergies instead of covering it up or spending a life time away from these things. Most everybody has some sort of allergy, their bodies just react to them in different ways.

Oh my goodness, please don't blame yourself. It is not your fault that our little guy has allergies. Now is the time to teach him not to pick up other sippy cups and make his special so he can differenciate his from others. If you google allergies there are support groups and websites for organizations that can help. My daughter was in school with a boy with severe peanut allergy and he has to eat at a special table so as not to come in contact with any oils. You may have to take his snacks with you if you put him any kind of childcare, church, moms day out, day care, etc. Please don't blame yourself. Good luck and God Bless.

I have a friend with a little girl who has SEVERE peanut allergies. A person can't even talk to this little girl within 4 hours of eating something with peanut traces in it. I have learned through her that you can look at food packaging and it will say what possible allergy risks may be contained in that food. You will have to discuss this with anyone who might care for your little guy, and they will have to watch him more closely. It will probably take a while for you to trust other people, which is understandable. Most schools are accustomed to having kids with allergies, so hopefully that won't be a worry when you get to that point. Best of luck to you as you take on this new adventure!

K.,
Yes this is not going to be easy. You did nothing to give your son food allergies.
Yes you will have to be very careful. All your family and freinds will have to help.
Talk to the allergist and ask for a dietian to help you with food choices.
Good luck and God bless you.

I am fortunate that neither of my children had/have any food allergies, but they are becoming more and more common. I hope that your child grows out of them (or at least some of them), but if not, more and more products are being designed for him. I have a good friend who launched a food product line specifically for this -- check out her website at

http://www.allergaroo.com/

Her prepackaged ready to heat and eat meals are getting fantastic reviews by parents and children. It is hard to find foods that are free of all of the common food alergens but still taste good -- but she mastered it after much hard work. She has children with food allergies too so this is very personal for her also. Her products are becoming available in various stores nation wide, but if they are not yet in a store located near you, you can buy them directly from her web site.

Good Luck!

Hi K.! I know exactly what you are going through. I have a four year old daughter who at 7 months began to have ulcerative colitis and the doctors could not figure out what was causing it. I also breastfeed. I suggested food allergies and they dismissed it. Anyway--long story short they finally agreed that it was food allergies and for three years we eliminated all the foods that she tested allergic or sensitive to from her diet. She did get better but it was so hard and there was so much she could not eat. Her list was so extensive everything from dairy, soy and wheat, to bananas, pineapple, peas, coconut. Just this last year we discovered an alternative doctor who can clear allergies and in most cases completely heal so that the foods can be eaten. I put myself through his treatment first as I also had food allergies. It worked for her and I and she is now finished and is able to eat all the foods that were on her list with no symptoms. We had a very sick child and this treatment has changed her life---it's really a miracle. More people need to know about his work and he is the only doctor in the city doing this kind of thing. Please, please give them a call as I am confident they can help your baby boy and change his life. I know after three years on a very strict diet that it is no way to live. Also, since you are nursing they will treat you both as one being so that you can continue to nurse your son. This is what they did for me. Here is the info:
Pain and Stress Elimination Center
Dr. Alain Salas
405 E. 19th Avenue
North Kansas City, MO 64116
816-842-PAIN (7246)
www.kcpainandstresscenter.com

Hi! Bless your heart! Its nothing you ate or didn't eat-it just happens-and a lot of people have those allergies and can live with them just fine. Luckily, there are a lot of resources now-websites, cookbooks, etc. The library is a great *free* place to start. Also, I use organic flaxseed mill as a substitute for butter a lot (plus I just add it to stuff when I can for supplementation) but it can have a nutty taste if you use a lot. HOWEVER I do not know if that would work with the rest of his allergies-you'd have to ask the dr about that. Seeing a nutritionist/dietician would really help that way you can plan out meals and come up with a "off limits" list to carry around for caretakers/etc as well as yourself obviously! Good luck!

I didn't read any of your responses so forgive me if I repeat anything.First of all its not your fault!You tried to give your baby the best food by breastfeeding him.You did not purposly give him anything he was allergic to!My Son has had alot of allergies too.He is 3 years old (in july) and at 4 months old he all of the sudden refused to breastfeed!He would rear back and scream like he was in pain.I couldn't let him starve so I had no choice but to put him on formula.I continued to try to breastfeed.What I didn't realize then was it had to be something I was eating that he was allergic to.Anyway he got really sick he threw up every formula until we tried hypoallergenic (which by that time he was really sick and not gaining weight.)So we were ran through the mill of specialist,testing,etc...which he was dismissed.And told it was toddler IBS and they didn't know why he had failure to thrive.They tried to solve it by having me add calories which did nothing.Finally this year we have started seeing an allergist for his seasonal allergies.He is addressing ALL f his issues not just the cold like symptoms that I went in for!I said all of this to let you know that your not alone.His doctor and I looked for a way to make him better for 3 years and had to watch him suffer!And I too was feeding him things he was allergic to through my breastmilk and continued to because a specialist told us it was NOT a food or milk allergy!We have not got all of the test results in but I do know that he too is less allergic to soy than milk.He drinks rice milk with flavoring in it.And he seems to tolerate the soybean butter.He may be able to tolerate small amounts of the things that were at a lesser number.My nephew is not as allergic to milk as my son and he does ok with just having the lactaid milk.If you continue to breastfeed don't eat anything he's allergic to.However I would try the rice milk.They also have almond milk,oat milk etc...but with his nut allergy I would not try that without asking the allergist.You could also try goats milk and cheese.

Go to Amazon.com... I found several cookbooks to choose from. My favorites are Food Allergy Survival Guide & The Gluten-Free Vegan. These just happened to fit all of our families restrictions. Very helpful!
J.

First off, I don't believe that your son's allergies has anything to do with the things that you have eaten. I drink milk almost constantly when I am pregnant and nursing and my girls do not have milk allergies. At the same time, I did not eat peanuts or peanut butter a lot while pregnant with either and they are both allergic to peanuts. A lot of times, allergies appear when they are introduced to a food too early. This is one reason why doctors are now saying no peanut products until age two. The first time my 3 year old had peanut butter (age 1, I didn't know better) she broke out in a sever case of hives and her face swelled up like a ballon. It was VERY scary. She has had peanut products since then several times and has never had a reaction as bad as that one. I have been wondering lately if she has grown out of the allergy since there have been times that I was pretty sure that she had gotten her hands on something, but honestly, I'm to scared to really give her anything that might cause the reaction again. Peanuts are actually easier to avoid then most people think. The milk will be your biggest challenge. Just keep a bottle of benedryl with you at all times and make sure that you keep up with the amount that you are allowed to give him as he grows. Also make sure that when other people are watching him, that they know how much medicine to give him just in case. You will figure it out as you go and it will get easier.

i don't really have many helpful tips because at my house we're fully meat-eaters, but i did want to say that my heart goes out to you. don't blame yourself - women have been eating dairy and nuts and popping out babies for millenia and we all didn't turn out allergic to everything under the sun. i don't understand it, but i don't think the medical community does either, if you notice, all those articles are full of "could be"'s and "may be"'s. they don't know what causes allergies either! but i wanted to give you some encouragement, because you're about to hit toddlerhood, and it's going to get harder to watch every move he makes. be careful and be on the lookout. if you think a one year old is active and gets into dangerous things, a two year old is ten times worse. hang in there girl. hope the dr's can help you out.

Since you are a stay at home mom, you don't have to worry about him being exposed to those allergens at day care. When he is around other kids, though, you need to make sure everyone, even the other kids who are old enough to understand, knows that he cannot be near milk, etc. Your allergist will probably give you an epiPen for emergencies and train you on how to use it. It is important that everyone who cares for him, (babysitters, grandparents, etc.) knows what the symptoms are, how to use the epiPen, and where it is. I have heard that milk allergies can get worse the more times they are exposed to it, so his reaction may be more severe next time.

When he does go to pre-school or grade school in the future, it will be important for them to make accomodations for your son. I used to work at a daycare that was peanut free. You could make requests like that since those kinds of allergies are so serious.

I was allergic to milk and peanuts (but not as severely) along with outdoor allergies when I was little, but I did out grow them. I was allergy free for a long time, but now I have seasonal allergies again and am allergic to pets again. I think they can change based on how your body changes. Hopefully he will out-grow some of his allergies.

Best wishes!

I'm so sorry to hear of your little boy's problems! As for a butter substitute, we use Smart Balance light. It contains no dairy. I know you said your son tolerates soy, but there are alternatives to that as well. Our son drinks rice milk and almond milk. We try not to consume dairy in our house for other reasons. My son and I are vegetarians (almost 100% vegan but not quite there yet) so I would recommend vegan cook books. Vegan Lunchbox is geared towards children's menus, and there are no dairy or eggs used in any of the meals. Good luck!

I have a son with milk/soy and lots more allergies. There lost of butter (not real butter) does not contain Dairy just soy. Olive Oil, Canola Oil is good to use. At Hy-vee Health food section. There is a lot of things with dairy and nut free allergies for you to buy. We do though use Oat Milk. It the closet thing we found to tasting like Milk and my son loves it. I do not recommend Soy for your son. Our Dr. say that Soy has a High level of Estrogen. And not good for little boys. Uncheesey Cookbook is a one good too. Just Google it. We ordering to Borders. My son is over two years and has no sign out growing it. The Dr. say's if still have by five, he will have for life most likely. So, we are just hoping he will. There a lot of different recipes online too. Also there Coconut Milk Ice Cream. My son loves. I hope this help.

The allergist should be able to point you to a nutritionist who can help with the food ideas. There is no guarantee that your child will outgrow these allergies but it is not your fault in any way, it just happens. I was a child who was allergic to milk and other things as a child, I was lucky as to I can tolerate some now but it is just a lifestyle choice plus I've never had some of the items so I don't miss them. It will take some research but you will be fine.

Good luck,
D.

Once you get familiar with the safe products and get into a routine of reading labels, it will get easier and seem more manageable. My son started getting ear infections and mild eczema when he started eating solids. The allergy blood test showed him as having a severe allergy to dogs and a mild allergy to cats, peanuts and eggs. I also suspect that he is sensitive to cow's milk because he started getting chronic ear infections when I weaned him completely so we give him soy milk instead. You could try giving him rice milk if you want to wean him. I think the brand is called Rice Dream. Trader Joe's has Sunflower Seed Butter (aka Sun Butter) which is really good - very close in taste and texture to peanut butter. The organic section at Dierbergs also has some brands that are allergen free - usually free of gluten, eggs and nuts. Olive oil and flax seed oil (for baking) are some alternatives for butter.

I see that you have many responses and I have not read through all of them so please forgive me if I am repeating what others have said. First of all let me say that I know just how overwhelmed you feel right now. My 2 year old was diagnosed 6 months ago with a life-threatening peanut allergy. (also allergic to cats, dogs, dust mites, outdoor mold, and who knows what else that we didn't test for) I hope that you have an appt with an allergist soon so that you can get many questions answered and so that you can get a prescription for an Epi-pen to carry around with you.
A wonderful resource is the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Their website is www.foodallergy.org They put out newsletters and have allergy free recipes for things like cookies, muffins, granola, veggie dishes...
A book that I found very helpful is "How to Manage Your Child's Life-Threatening Food Allergies; Practical Tips for Everyday Life" by Linda Marienhoff Coss. It discusses how to put together a medical kit to carry with you everywhere, how to teach relatives and others who will care for your child how to recognize an allergic reaction and what to do, how to deal with eating out, meal planning, school... Honestly, I was a little depressed after reading it, but it really has helped my family make a lifestyle change to keep our little one safe. For example, when invited to a birthday party I bring a cupcake that I know is safe for her to eat instead of having to worry about the cake that is being served (so many bakery items are made on equipment that also processes peanuts).
I have heard of people outgrowing dairy and egg allergies but from what I have read, only 15 - 20% of peanut allergies are outgrown and unfortunately it is one of the most fatal allergies.
Now that we have learned what to do to keep our daughter safe and how to handle an accidental exposure, I like to turn the allergy into an educational opportunity for others. Many people are unaware of the severity of food allergies so we need to educate others in order to keep so many of our little ones safe. You will also become an expert in reading labels!
I know it's a lot to deal with right now but you will learn how to manage it.

K. please don't blame yourself, there was nothing you did or didn't do that contributed to his allergies. I also wanted to say you did a really good job on observation of your son and concluding that he had allergies....as for them saying it's not conclusive...THAT'S BUNK! I had a scratch test done on my son at 6 mos b/c he was wanting to wean and his daddy had severe milk allergies when he was a baby...I wanted to know EXACTLY what I was in for! Having said that, yes, you need to get to an allergist and my guess is an Epipen is something that will be in your extreme near future and for some time and you will need multiples (one for diaper bag, home, day care, school, etc.) When you talk with the allergest ask him how often your son will need to be retested for allergies. They tell you it's inconclusive because the kids metabolism changes so much from month to month...nothing is as set with tykes as it is with us...but at least you will have a guideline to work with....REMEMBER: an allergy he has now...may not be an allergy in say 2 or even 5 years...he MAY outgrow it. But right now, you need to be concerned with what the allergies are and how to manage them.

The eggs are a pretty normal one...again, something you may want to talk to the allergist about...maybe you could try a gradual introduction to them under his/her supervision? To me, the most frustrating part of the egg allergy is that a lot of the vacinnations are based on eggs INCLUDING the flu shot! If you have an egg allergy, they'll refuse you the meds! So definitely ASK about that!

As a kid I was an egg, nut, shellfish, corn, and seasonal allergy kid. Now having said that, I NEVER had the food reactions that you have with your child (although I did end up in the ER several times due to seasonal allergies which caused asthma and vomiting)...HOWEVER, if I eat too much of any of those things I can tell I produce more mucus which makes me want to vomit...to this day, I still cannot start off my mornings with any dairy or it just goes bad...so it his allergies may be less about what you can and can't cook with to actually timing it around drainage, etc.

You may want to check into an organic food market. I know there are other forms of milk out there that perhaps he can drink. I would also talk with the Dr. about the possibility of say cutting soy milk with something? If he's not that allergic to it and can tolerate it (at least split with something else and perhaps combined with allergy meds) perhaps that is one of your saviors. It's a little soon to be thinking about cook books since he's not really on solids yet but I'm sure the Dr. will have plenty of suggestions for you once you have a more complete list of what his allergies are...BTW- the scratch test is most accurate but they can't test for everything...they can do a blood test AND test for everything but it may just help to eventually do both...in other words, get the blood test to find out what the allergies are (definite) and use the scratch test for the stuff that is in the grey areas.

As for the accidents, you need to be proactive and tell EVERYONE that takes care of him or watches him that he ABSOLUTELY CANNOT have or be near ANY of these things that it is litterally a life or death situation for him. Gruesome as it is, did you happen to take a picture of him at his worst? If you didn't make sure to do it next time...A picture is always worth 1000 words, show that to your friends and family and say this is what will happen if.... that should bring them into line...but again, I'm seeing an epipen in your near future for the next accident.

Oh, one final note...I've had several friends with SEVERE allergies (even the gluten ones) and they have gone on to lead very productive lives just fine. Keep the faith, you are doing fine and just take one day at a time. I would recommend that you go back through some of the listings, it seems to me there was a mom concerned about allergies maybe about a month or two ago and someone recommended a Dr. to her in maybe the Lawrence area that somehow (and I don't remember how) cured her and her children of their allergies...may be worth a shot. Best of luck to you and keep us posted!

Hi K.,

I'm not a food allergy expert, but I do know a few things about Breastfeeding and allergies.

First of all, babies who receive breastmilk have fewer allergies to food. So, what you have done is make it better for your little guy. So, don't blame yourself, pat yourself on your back because without your breastmilk his allergies could most likely be much worse.

Second, is there a reason you wanted to wean him now? My daughter had some reaction to my dairy intake when she was a baby. I found out that when that happens, it's reccommended (even by the National Dairy Council) that you don't give them milk until they are at least 18 months old. That might be something to consider?

Third, with the information I know about breastmilk and it's immunities, I think I would consider nursing him longer for the potential benefits of your immunities and his minimalized exposure to cow's milk. You could express milk and freeze it to make it more conveinient for you?

Particulary note the section: "Sensitivity to cow's milk proteins" http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html

This also looked like a nice website: http://www.babyandkidallergies.com/milkallergy.php

I wish you all the best, I am sure that you have a lot to read, learn and think about. (I wonder if you could find a lactation consultant close to you who would be of assistance as well??)

Hang in there, you're a great mom and this is not your fault!
K.

Hello K., Let me first start off by saying I am so sorry to hear about your son's allergies. My son is allergic to eggs and has problems with milk. It is really hard trying to avoid just egg so I can't imange trying to avoid all the things that your little one is allergic too. I breast find my son until he was 3 months old cause he had other health issues. The allergiest asked me if I ate a lot of eggs when I was nursing my son cause he said if you eat a lot of the same thing while you are nursing your child is at a very high risk to becoming allergic to what ever you are eating a lot. I think that no matter if your child is going to have an allergy they are going to have an allergy. I will be praying for you and your little one. God Bless you and hang in there, it is a hard thing to deal with. I'm sure you can look up recipes online and that should help you out. Take care!