Tell If Baby Has Allergies

Nuts are highly allergenic for some people. You might consider eliminating those for awhile and see if they help. I would also switch to non-allergenic soap and detergents, if you haven't already. Good luck!

Some times babies have an allergic reaction to the chemicals used in vaccines... did this happen after her first shots or before? Doctors don't test to see if infants are allergic to the ingredients in shots.

Hi L.,
What is your breastmilk like? Do you have lots of milk? It sounds very much like what I experienced with my first born. You probably know that there is FOREmilk and HINDmilk when you nurse. The foremilk has more carbs and protein. The hindmilk contains all of those good fats that are essential to good brain development, easy digestion and skin health.
Sometimes when you have an abundance of milk (or a baby that is full quickly) they will get all the sweet foremilk but miss out on the hindmilk. That is what usually causes the green/brown mucousy stools. It will also cause them to be gassy and uncomfortable, not to mention that they are missing out on one of the big benefits of breastfeeding.
You can try a few things to correct this... When your milk lets down express some of the foremilk onto a cloth so she is not filling up completely on the foremilk. When she seems full, burp her well (it is a myth that breastfed babies don't need burping, some need it very much, some not at all) then put her back to the breast to get the last of the milk.
Also some bad advice that has been going around for YEARS is to make sure that the baby nurses from BOTH breasts at each feeding. This doesn't work well for most mama/baby pairs, especially if you have a lot of milk to begin with. You should let her COMPLETELY empty one breast per nursing. If she is still really hungry and you are completely empty on that side, go ahead and offer the other breast. But usually one breast is enough. That makes sure she gets all the hindmilk at every nursing.
You are so smart to be eliminating milk products! I had to be very strict with that with my twins, and it paid off! If I had even a trace of dairy we struggled with gas, colic, congestion, rashes, etc. But when I stayed away from dairy they were happy and healthy all the time.
A couple of good resources for you that I highly recommend are... Dr. Jack Newman's website~ it is AWESOME and he is VERY knowledgeable about breastfeeding, the whole site is dedicated to it and he will personally answer email.
Also a book called Baby Matters, google it. I learned SOOOO much from that book that noone else had ever told me.
Blessings and Hope every thing resolves nicely.
S. Cheek, NC
Mother, Midwife and Doula
Blessed Beginnings Midwifery Services
###-###-####

My son is now 3 months old, and although he is not brestfed he has the the same symptoms you are describing. My pediatrician did not seem concerned, I however followed my instinct and visited a new pediatrician. She said it was a milk allergy. He is now on the Similac Alimentum. Also another good indicator is if your baby has trouble sleeping during the day or night. You must eliminate all milk products from your diet, including prepackaged items the contain milk, you must look at the ingredients list, alot of items have milk in them. The chances are also high that the baby will also have problems with egg, and soy products. It takes around one month to notice a difference in the baby's stool and even longer for the eczema to clear up. I recommend you get another opinion, even maybe go to a pediatric allergist, they can test your baby for food allergies. My son has been on the special formula almost one month and is just know starting to improve. It is very important to clear it up, mucas in the stool is a sign that the intestines are in distress. Good Luck!

This sounds like a forceful letdown problem, not allergies, though it could be allergy issues also. Eczema is usually from a dairy allergy and you could cut all dairy from your diet for 2-3 weeks to see a difference there, though if skin issues run in your family you may never see a difference. Look up forceful letdown on kellymom.com it'll help alot!

Yellow poop is perfect for breastfed babies. Sometimes a little green is OK too. Is she gaining well and reasonably happy most of the time? If it is always green and frothy, it could be that she is getting a lot of foremilk and not enough of the rich creamy hindmilk. Check out this link http://www.llli.org/FAQ/foremilk.html

Rashes, especially in the summer, are common. My 13 month old always seems to have some kind of funk somewhere and his doctor isn't worried. It doesn't bother him either.

I'm a RN with a baby that had TERRIBLE formula problems and then some allergies to some medications and a yeast infection. Fortunately I was very comfortable dealing with MDs and telling them that hands down this arrangement isn't working - telling them to be more aggressive and first and foremost listen to the mom. You have the right to change peds - which I honestly think is your best bet. Stool with mucous and a frothy consistency sounds like it most certainly deserves a second opinion. Remember - it's your most precious thing - your baby, your time and your $ - if they won't readdress the issue to your satisfaction simply request your records and find a new MD. My OB/GYN was very helpful at recommending a good MD and so were some of my RN friends.

Sounds like possible teething to me. Did your ped. mention that?

I hope your baby doesn't have allergies. However my daughter had eczema and i read that they have a 80% chance of having an egg allergy. I breastfeed her for 10 months. When she was 5 months old I touched her after eating a PJ sandwich and she broke out in hives. I had no problem getting an appointment with an allergist (maybe b/c of the hives reaction) I read that Pedatricians don't give many referals to alergist b/c they don't have the referalls, they want to treat your allergies themselves, allergy test have hight percentage of false positives, they aren't educated about allegies and they fear parents may avoid nutritious food the baby needs. My sisters pediatrician wanted to treat her sons allergies with medicine instead of having him tested - thank God he got test he was very allergic to the cat, which was the cause of him constanly being sick.
Anyways my daughter had the pick test and a blood test and was allergic to Peanuts and eggs and some other things. When I stopped eating those she seemed to have much less eczema (especially on the face)
Eczema seems very specific to each child, certain things work for some and for others it doesn't also different things flare up the eczema for different children. I wish you so much luck and try not to worry it gets better

Hi, L.. I am so sorry that your little one is suffering! Happily, I do have an answer for the eczema! I represent a health and wellness company called Arbonne and we have a complete baby care line. Many children with various skin disorders have been helped by these products. They are botanically based without mineral oil, chemicals, fragrances, or any animal by-products. In addition, I am a registered nurse and work in the newborn nursery! I would be delighted to send you a free sample of these terrific products! Call me @ ###-###-####.

Yes, it sounds like she is allergic to something; but since your typical doctor won't/can't deal with it, you may be able to benefit from an alternative "complementary" doctor. Ask for recommendations from your nearest health food store, if there is anyone around that deals with this sort of thing. Check out the book "No More Allergies" by Gary Null for more info (see if your library has it, or can get it).

In the meantime, keep a food diary for yourself, and see if anything you eat has any impact on it. Since it can take so long for these things to clear out of your system, and since there are so many foods that have "hidden" wheat or dairy, what you can do is to overload one day on wheat (eat as much of it as you can) and then see if it makes her worse, and then you'll know she has a sensitivity to wheat. Ditto with the milk and everything else; but take a few days between to make sure.

The bowel movements may perhaps be not allergy -- contact your local La Leche League to see if your leader has any ideas. I remember when my first son a few months old, his poop was green and watery several times, and I found out it was a foremilk-hindmilk imbalance. I was nursing him on both sides like I was "supposed" to, but I produced so much milk that he was just getting the watery foremilk and not getting the good, fatty hindmilk. It is probably an allergy, but just in case it's not, LLL is another avenue you can explore.

I would find another pediatrician! One who is educated about breastfeeding. Constant green and frothy stools in breastfed babies usually mean either dairy intolerance (or possibly some other allergy, like you thought), or that she isn't getting enough of the rich hindmilk. Either way, they are a sign something isn't right and it shouldn't have been brushed off. If you eliminated dairy, it might take awhile for all of it to work out of your system and hers before you see results. I would also carefully try block feeding, where she nurses on one side during a three hour time period then for the next three hours you only give her the other side. That will help her get the hindmilk from each side if she isn't nursing long enough to get it in one session.
I hope you get the problem figured out soon!

Hi Lezlie,
I would eliminate egg from your diet, as well. My son had the same problems (green frothy poo, eczema, etc). He was also extremely colicky. Like you, I eliminated wheat and dairy. It wasn't until later that we found out about his egg allergy and I was eating eggs left and right when I was breastfeeding (they tell you the protein is good for you). I think that was a lot of his problem. The doc said that when eczema is present, there is an 80% chance that there is another allergy at play. There is also a strong hereditary link. Ask family members if they have had allergies, as well. That might help to narrow down what food might be causing the problem. Good luck!

I'm no expert, but when my daughter was a newborn the pediatrician warned me to watch for green mucous-like stools. Apparently, it can be indicative of an allergy. I'd see another pediatrician for a second opinion if I were you.

Not sure about the eczema, but my baby was exclusively breastfed until 5-6 months (still breastfeeding at 10 months now) and her diapers were like you describe. I think it was that she got a lot of the foremilk and not enough hindmilk. She would nurse for 5 minutes at a time. As we added solids, her diapers lost the frothiness and have been a rainbow of colors - haha.
Her diapers were always leaking before, but now she has good solids! Yuck.

You might be worrying too much. But then again, I think moms have great instinct. Never feel bad about getting answers to anything concerning your child. :) You know that though!

It sounds like she is allergic to something. There are so many things out there anymore they can be allergic to it is scary. I have 4 boys and i have found some brand of diapers can break them out. I don't know what brand you use, but I have found Parent's Choice and CVS are among these. I have found Target brand, Pampers, and Dollar General don't. Also I have found that some brands of wipes do the same thing. Among these are Huggies, Pampers, Parent's Choice, etc. I have found I have to make my own wipes, it is a very easy recipie if you want it let me know. Also I have found that the laundry detergent i used and cleaners I use around the house has formaldehyde in them and was causing problems. This really freaked me out and i started shopping at a new store that makes these products with natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals. If you would like some more info on this store you can go to my website www.worksthomeunited.com/myfoursons or email me at ____@____.com you don't, I hope the other things I mentioned helps. It is always scary and tricky with the first child.

My first son also had mucous in his stool as a baby and had lots of excema. I even had a nurse practitioner tell me he was very allergic, but it turns out he's not allergic to anything! To get rid of the excema, I started using Arbonne baby products, and it cleared up within a week! Arbonne products are pure, safe, Ph-correct and most importantly, they contain no mineral oils (also known as petrolatum)!! That's very important. The dr. checked out the mucous and said he could just be having trouble digesting some things right now. I cut out dairy and peanut butter for a little while, but later reintroduced them. One other thought -- green stool can mean that the baby is not getting enough hind milk, so be sure she fully drains your breast when feeding. I hope that helps!

Please check out Mealeuca:The Wellness Company at www.melaleuca.com. They manufacture all kinds of products that are non toxic and safer for your baby. Mt daughter's eczema cleared up when we began using them. Her neck and elbows were pretty bad. The detergent and kid's body wash and a lotion called Renew made a huge difference. They are all very gentle on sensitive skin.If you want to get more info, you can reach me at ____@____.com.

Hi L.,
maybe a good source to start is "la leche" a organization for breastfeeding moms. They have a 24/7 hotline and a website.I exclusively breastfed both of my kids. #1 Do NOT use cortizone on her skin. I know they tell you that but it is really not good for such delicate baby skin. Buy some Aveeno Oatmeal bath for Baby
that will help sooth her skin. Also her excema may be from your laundry softner and laundry soap. Most soaps contain so much chemicals it irritates her skin. Some with diapers and wipes. I could only use one type of wipes on my daughter, ( Huggies natural) everything else gave her a rash.
Try out a different brand of diaper also.However, one thing at the time, if you change everything at once, you won't know what causes the problem.About her stool talk to La Leche about that. My daughter had once no bowle movement for 10 days.Her Ped told me everything wrong, because they usually don't deal with breastfed babies. La Leche told me that this can easily happen to nursed infants because there is less waste.

Hope this will help.

Take care S.

My oldest son (3) was diagnosed with food allergies when he turned 1, shortly after we had a scare with formula (milk proteins). He also had eczema, but no strange bowel movements that I noticed. At first, we thought his eczema was cradle cap, because his scalp was so scaly. After an extended period of this, however, we noticed red patches in the creases of his arms, legs, and diaper area (anywhere hot and sweaty). Our pediatrician suspected eczema and prescribed a regimen of Zyrtec (daily) and Westcort - a stronger hydrocortisone (as needed). We also switched to using Cetaphil bodywash and lotion (fragrance free). Within a few weeks, everything cleared up and he appears eczema free now; we still follow the regimen. He tested positive for milk, egg, and peanut allergy and still is. We use the fragance free bodywash and lotion with my youngest and have never had any eczema. I also eliminated milk, egg, and peanut from my diet when he was 4 months old, because he spit up so much. He has not yet been tested. Many allergists do not like to test until babies are 1 and/or have had an allergic reaction. Elimination diets are tough and tricky, because you want to get all the nutrients you need (especially when breastfeeding). I have found many alternatives due to my older son's restrictions if you need suggestions for certain things. There are so many things a child could be allergic to also (other than milk and wheat). Hope this helps!
C.

Get this book.
Dealing with Food Allergies in Babies and Children
by Janice Vicerstaff Joneja, Janice M. Joneja

It is a great and very scientific look at food allergies, and it gives info on elimination diets for nursing mothers as well as for children. It states that any allergy testing at this age is very inaccurate and the only reliable method of finding out the culprit is elimination diet. My child had this problem as well and her ped. also said it was nothing and that her father had allergies so she would have them too. Then she started having chronic ear infections. I removed wheat from her diet. (she was about 2 when i finally figured it all out and had just finished breast feeding)She has not had an ear infection since and her seasonal allergies that started to develop have all but dissappeared. Keep trying to find the culprit (using the book as a guide). It may be difficult but it is really worth all the trouble and saves alot of trouble in the end.

I notice you have stayed away from dairy & wheat, which is good. May I ask if celiac disease runs in your family? Many people with infants/children have described bowel movements just like you have, stinky and frothy. Also her excema raises alarms as well. I would consider having her tested for it. It is not uncommon for infants to test positive for celiac disease. You may need to consult with a gastroenterologist and not a regular pediatrician. Finding out while she's so young is good and easier to adjust her diet.

Best of luck to you.

Keep track of what you eat and when this happens.Its might be an allergie and this way you can narrow it down..good luck..
S. B

How much chocolate and tea and coffee do you use, eating that can cause the problem. Also sometimes, Soda pop can be a problem. Try without just one thing at a time for 1 week and see if there is a difference. Good luck, and I hope this will help. A Mom

Green stool means she is not getting enough hind milk. Don't think it has anything to do with allergies. Not sure how long she feeds on one side, but you may want to try to keep her on a little longer. I thought mine had allergies and when I researched online is where I found out about the green stool. Do not know if that helped you any.

A. M