Strawberry Reaction

It sounds like he is allergic. I would not try giving him anymore. If he is allergic, the allergy could become worse each time he is exposed to strawberries. The best/safest way to find out is to have the doctor do a skin test. sorry.

You've already gotten enough advice about possible allergies. I'd like to address your comment about "sneaking" strawberries. I hope you don't mean that you help yourself to the strawberries because you're right next door and "it's just a few strawberries". It's stealing if you take something without permission and/or without paying. I can't tolerate the people who "test" produce in the store. Stealing! I hope your son develops an allergy to theft.

When I was a small child I was very allergic to strawberries, but as an adult I eat them all the time. I think I was eight or nine before I could eat them. You might want to check with your ped or an allergist.
I hope he grows out of it. I think summers without strawberries would be hard.
S.

My nephew is 5 and half and he is still allergic to strawberries and anything that has them in it. He knows that they make him sick, so he just doesn't eat them. He also has other food allergies such as cows milk. So he has goat milk butter and drinking milk. You might just wait until his sytem gets a little older to have him try them again. Sorry and good luck.

I don't know if this is of any help, but I just wanted to mention. My one daughter had a similar reaction to strawberries and chocolate (separate times, of course). She got a red rash on her cheeky and I think on her belly. This was probably around when she was 12-18 mos. I just assumed that she was allergic and would keep her away from them. Well, at some point down the road she has strawberries again, but this time, no rash. So I don't know if she outgrew it or what.

Thought maybe my experience might help you piece together what might be going on. =)

If he is allergic to strawberry.... it is best NOT to give it to him again...unless it is in a controlled situation and you are at or near the Doctor.
Don't experiment.
Strawberry allergies can be very serious... even anaphylactic shock etc.
Here is a link on it:
http://www.brighthub.com/science/medical/articles/30465.aspx

Not everyone "outgrows" allergies, or it can become worse.

My daughter for example, is allergic to Kiwi fruit. She used to eat it just fine... but suddenly at about 2 years old she got allergic to it.... She is 7 years old now, and we have NOT ever, given it to her again. I will not chance that. Kiwi allergies are very serious... some people even dying, and/or suffocating from the throat swelling and/or going into anaphylactic shock.
I have since learned, that Kiwi is actually a HIGHLY allergenic food. Even our Ped didn't know about it though... because it is not a common allergy.

all the best,
Susan

I'm definitely not saying this is the thing to do - especially after reading the responses before me. Plus we now have friends w/ strawberry allergies. But my daughter who is now 8 had strawberry allergies & it took me some time to realize but by that time she had gotten over them. At around age of 1 I gave her strawberries a few times & I noticed she was getting a rash around her mouth but did not connect it w/ the strawberries. it took a few times until I finally realized. She kept occasionally getting strawberries & eventually she stopped getting a rash & at least by 2yrs old she did not get it again. Just my experience I thought I'd share.

My granddaughter and I both have food allergies. Do not give him any more strawberries. I recommend that you make an appointment with an allergist and have him tested. It is rare that someone will be allergic to only one food.

As Cindy G. said, our reaction to an allergen does increase with each exposure. That is why children with a peanut allergy have an epi-pen. Peanut allergy can be so severe that one could go into anaphylactic shock the first time they eat one. Exposure to an allergen can be fatal, tho it rarely is.

My granddaughter is a part of a study to see if a person can build up an immunity to an allergen by gradually increasing the amount that they eat. My daughter has asthma. She did have a reaction when the amount of peanut was so small it had to be put into a liquid to be eaten. Her lung capacity measurably decreased. She did not have any visible signs of a reaction. She is up to eating 2 peanuts without any sort of reaction. It is my understanding that peanuts is the first time science has attempted this test. And to build up a tolerance they started with such a small amount and gradually increased the amount over weeks and months.

Babies usually do outgrow food allergies. My daughter was tested allergic to milk protein. By the time she was 6 she was no longer allergic. If you want to wait and see I would recommend waiting until he is 5 or 6 before trying them again.

I also think it's possible that a baby will not outgrow an allergy if they continue to eat the food because his body will continue to build up defenses against it. The body's defenses will become stronger and therefore not be reduced. That's just my idea. I haven't researched that part of allergies.

I also suggest that your son's cold was not a cold but the way that his respiratory system reacted to the strawberries. The diarrhea was also most likely caused by the strawberries.

Your son has both a local and a internal allergic reaction from strawberries. His pediatrician might know a good Allergist who could answer your questions and give you advice/meds?? for treatment. Good Luck!

Both my son and daughter grew out of the same kind of reaction to strawberries at around age 2 1/2 - 3 1/2. I would just try reintroducing strawberries when your son is around 2 1/2 (maybe through yogurt or something similarly unconcentrated) and see how he does. My mom and I both had similar reactions to strawberries when we were little, and can both now eat them with no noticeable side effects. So ... time should help!