Peanut Allergy - Westtown,NY

http://www.nationaleczema.org/
This link is for the National Eczema Organization.

Maybe contact them for information/help.
They also have a community support group etc.

I responded to the Part 2 post before I saw this one.

My son, the one that had eczema issues (see your other post), was tested for food allergies when he was about 2.5 years old. He had wheezing 3 hours after eating a peanut butter sandwich. (FYI, we had given him test tastes of peanut butter without a discernible reaction prior to giving him a full sandwich.)

His results came back high for peanuts and shellfish and also allergic to egg. We've since learned he is also allergic to some tree nuts. The "high" allergy means that a high number was reported for the blood test. A high number does not give you any indication as to what type of reaction she will have. Just because the number is high does not mean she will go into shock if she ingests it. It doesn't mean she won't either. It does mean, however, that she is unlikely to out grow the allergy.

For example, my son's egg allergy falls in the borderline allergic and we've seen signs that he is outgrowing it. He used to get splotches on his face when egg containing products touched his face, but now he doesn't. His peanut allergy number is so high, however, that it is unlikely he will ever outgrow it.

The difficulty with food allergies in little ones is that we do not know what kind of reaction they will have unless they actually ingest it and they are too young to tell us what they are feeling. So the only course of action, until they are older, is to avoid the food entirely and carry an epi-pen (jr) at all times.

You will have to experiment with detergents. Tide Free worked better for us and All Free made it worse. And it may take a few washings/days to figure it out.

You might also want to see a pediatric allergist if that isn't the doctor that you are referring to.

In terms of when your daughter is on solid foods, you will need to check all the packaging to see what might be in it. If it says, "contains peanuts", "may contain (trace amount of) peanuts", "processed in a plant that processes peanuts", then it's best to avoid it. And it is surprising where common allergen foods show up so you have to check the packaging of even things that don't make sense. I've seen a package of baby spinach say that it may contain shellfish and a package of dried blueberries may contain nuts.

A lot of family friendly chain restaurants will have allergen info either online or that you can request via email. Some even have menus at the restaurant. We are also very specific about what his allergies are when we order my son a meal. Fried food is an issue for two reasons. One is that the fryer oil may be peanut based. The other is that they may cook other food in the same fryer. For example, one restaurant we go to cooks the deep fried shrimp in the same fryer as the corn dogs. Since my son is allergic to shellfish, he cannot have corn dogs there. Another issue is with the grill. If shellfish is cooked on the grill, then he can't have a hamburger unless the grill is cleaned first.

Oh, and you will have to watch what you eat as well if your daughter wants and is allowed to share your food.

T.:

When your pediatrician or ENT gave you the information that she had a peanut allergy - did you tell them she was still on formula? I am guessing your daughter is under 12 months old?

If they knew she was still formula fed - they should have told you what formulas are the best or least likely to have an allergic reaction. I didn't formula feed - so I can't help you with that. I would also contact the makers of formula - Enfamil and Similac and tell them what you told us. She may have a lactose intolerance or even a soy intolerance as well. I say this because you didn't give us HOW she was tested.

Eczema is related to allergies. I believe there is a Eczema group or organization that helps people with Eczema. When I googled it - this is what I came up with - www.nationaleczema.org - along with a host of other organizations.

If her skin feels like an alligator - you might also want to try the least stringent detergent - like All Free & Clear or Dreft - they seem to have the least amount of chemicals in them. My oldest son can't use Tide...it's just too strong for him.

If she has a serious peanut allergy, I would consult her pediatrician for the best formula to give her. Because of allergies, I'm pretty sure formulas are most likely prepared in nut-free facilities, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

How do you know it is a nut allegry vs. dairy or soy? Infant food alleges are very hard to diagnose. Did they do a blood test? I would talk to your doctor ASAP. My daughter had such a severe allergy we had to put her on a formula called Neocate. It was really expensive but it was all her body could tolerate. Once we did that she finally was comfortable.

Hi Terry,

All four of my children have allergies to food. Why did they do an allergy test?? Was it due to her eczema?? My children all had eczema too which are related to food allergies. Here is what helps my kids:

I bathe them with Dove Unscented Bar Soap, for their body and head.
I use Nivea lotion on their skin. Hydrocortizone for really bad spots.
I use Free and Clear detergent and no fabric softner or dryer sheets.

Also, is she only formula fed? She may have an allergy to something in the formula. Corn, MIlk, Soy, and Tree Nuts (coconut) are all in the Enfamil formula. My daughter did really well on the ready made Similac Alimentum. When she turned one, we did a milk challenge in the doctor's office and she was fine.

Also, if she is highly allergic to nuts, do not feed her peas!! They are legumes as are peanuts.

You may find a lot of support on the FAAN site for any type of food allergy.

I hope some of this helps. And if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Good luck!

I have found that a lot of children that are allergic to one thing are usually allergic to several things. Does she have a milk allergy also? I don't know where the Enfamil and Similac are processed, you may want to consult an allergist about that, but I work for an insurance company and we process appeals for Neocate. Most of the parents have kids with several allergies, and they have tried Nutramagin or Alimentum. If they don't work they go for the Neocate. Ask your doctor first, but my daughter was sensitive to milk based products as an infant and had horrible ezcema. She went on Alimentum and it got better. She doesn't have a peanut allergy though.

For the ezcema:
Have you had your house water checked? We had to install a full house water softener that has worked wonders.

What types of lotion are you using? My kids do best with Aquaphor and Aveeno Baby Calming. Also, you need to be using a free & gentle baby wash like Aveeno or Avon Sensative Skin Bubble bath.

Johnson & Johnson lotions would actually make the eczema worse.

For the peanut allergy:
You don't say how old she is.... the key thing is to read package labels. Look for the warnings 'packaged in a facility with peanuts and tree nuts'. You'll be surprised what type of things have peanuts in them. Ex. Lance brand crakers and cookies - even the vanilla creme!

When you go out to eat, ask what type of oil they use. There are several fast food places that use peanut oil
- Chik-Fil-A - uses peanut oil for their chicken and some for their fries
- Boardwalk Fries
- Jerry's Subs & Pizza

The severity of the allergy is also important. My son has an allergy to tree nuts, but its not an airborne allergy, so as long as he doesn't eat a nut or touch a nut he is okay. His friend has an airborne allergy and the mere smell of peanuts can cause a reaction.

Hubby used to work in a store that had a 'nuts' bin. There was a mom there that would get upset all the time because her daughter had an airborne allergy and so for the mom couldn't take her into the produce dept., she would have to ask one of the clerks to pick out certain things and bring them to her. She would put in a request every so often for the nuts bin to be taken out. The store declined.

Try dairy and egg free. I had to go on a complete eliminiation diet with both of my girls when they were nursing. Didn't figure it out unit my oldest was about 6 months old and her eczema was horrible. She also is sensitive to detergents and All free & clear really made her break out. We also used Aveeno lotion for years and then when she was 7, she had a reaction to that - took us forever to figure out since we hadnt changed anything. It's a very frustrating process but you just have to keep trying until you find what works for you. Good luck! Check out FAAN if you haven't already - very good support information.

The blood test can not show "high allergy" to any substance. It can only show the level of reactivity in the blood, which - believe it or not - is not a good indicator of whether the child has a strong allergy or a mild one. Some children show high reactivity to things like milk, corn or wheat and can totally eat them with no problems. Other children show low reactivity to peanuts and are totally allergic and can't be near peanuts. So, please don't confuse what the blood test shows with how careful you need to be around peanuts. You still need to keep her away from peanuts, of course - but you won't know her level of allergy unless he's exposed to peanuts and you see the reaction. (which isn't good, of course)

Unfortunately, you really have two problems. First, the peanut allergy. Second, eczema. The eczema can't be caused by peanuts if all she's eating is Enfamil Gentlease. There's no peanuts in there and no cross contamination. Kids with peanut allergies drink Gentlease all the time with no problems. It's much more likely that your daughter has a milk protein intolerance (wouldn't show up on an allergy test). If that's the case, switching her to Alimentum or Nutramigen could certainly help. But again - I want to make sure this is clear: all formulas are fine for children with peanut allergies.

PS. Forgot to add - I have a four year old with a peanut allergy, AND she had a milk protein intolerance until she was about three, so when I stopped breastfeeding she had to be on Nutramigen. So I do feel your pain!

They put my son on Neocate . It is a hypoallergenic formula. It is expensive and prescription but not covered by insurance. He did very well on it. He had bad excema too and we did all the same things aquaphor , California Baby Bodywash(target), and no scent in anything. It didn't go away until he was about one . The sun helped but you can't put a child in the sun until over 6 months and you can't put sunscreen on open skin . So really you just have to keep doing what you are doing. We did get a prescription for Dermasmooth Oil which had a steroid but can also be purchased without the steroid. They sell gauzylike clothes too that are supposed to help. My son has a peanut allergy too by the way. hang in there. I hope this helps=0)

When your doctor told you she has a peanut allergy, she really meant that excema is a sign of food allergies. If you have severe excema you will probably have a severe allergy. Peanut,treenut and shelfish are the most severe.