6 Month Old with Severe Food Allergies

I have a 9 month old with possible wheat and dairy allergies. We have done blood and skin testing with our allergist who has been very helpful. Thd doctor we saw was Dr. Harvey Leo at Providence Park in Novi. We did Neocate for a short time, but my son does well on soy now. I give him rice crackers, rice chex, Veggie booty (I know that has corn) and lots of fruits and veggies. Rice pasta with organic tomato sauce goes over well too. I would try to narrow down with an allergist how many of those positives are real because it is common to get false positives if you have only had a blood test, or only skin test. Together they give more accurate info. Also, your obsevations are important. Corn and soy are very difficult, but babycenter.com has a food allergy board that I found to be very helpful. Good Luck!

Hi D.

with so severe food allergies you really should avoid anything store bought. I guess you saw an allergologist for him since you say he's allergic to corn, soy etc What does he recommend ? He probably knows brands or support groups that could help you out figuring what to do.
Rice crackers may be a good idea (check labels and call the manufacturer !)

Stick with the neocate obviously your baby has a really severe milk intolerance, sometimes babies outgrow it by one year old but you do have to avoid dairy totally (no butter, cream...)
Somebody mentioned to look for gluten free diet, yes if your baby is allergic to gluten/wheat.
That's a lot of allergies for one baby are you sure of the tests ? Sometimes they are not really reliable when babies are so young. And I heard that gluten allergy is not found that easily you have to study the inside of the intestine for that.

You can check out those links too :
http://www.actagainstallergy.com/aaa/2581-introducing-sol...
http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/baby-food-allergies

Hope this helps !

BTW probiotics could be a good idea except it's dairy !

Hi D.,

You may want to do some research on gf/cf diets. (gluten free/caisen free) Lots of children have issues with these ingredients and are doing fine now. It's a little more expensive and a little harder to find foods but it's also well worth it. Farmers markets and organic food stores can normally help. You may also want to investigate whether or not he has bacterial imbalances in his intestines. Sometimes probiotics can help, too. You may find more support within the autism community with these kids of restrictions and supplements. Holistic doctors may be able to help, too, if you haven't consulted one of them. If anything it's worth looking into.

I hope this helps - S.

Hello D.,

I feel for you. I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'll be direct and to the point of sounding blunt/judgmental....
please know that I'm NOT judging you in any shape, way or form.

I'm surprised your doctor had you try a different milk after only 3 monhts! you usually should wait more like 12 months. your baby definitely needs to be seen by an allergist. check www.enterolabs.com for stool sample tests, etc. there are tests that can do while waiting for your baby to be older in order to do the skin test.

when confronted with allergies...it's a big learning curve. it will be overwhelming for a little while, then you'll be OK. Get ready to read every food label, every time... even lotions, shampoo, medicines, laundry degergent, dishwasher detergent, etc.

Read all you can about allergies. learn the many names of WHEAT. read about celiac's disease. it might not be what your son has, but it sure helps you learn how to spot wheat...which unfortunately is in almost everything! (the same for soy and corn!)

http://www.celiac.com/
http://www.livingwithout.com/?p=all_glcd&s=gl_pd&...

http://www.livingwithout.com/2009/augsep09-backtoschool.html

http://allergykids.com/

http://foodallergy.org/

With so many allergies, you'll be better off making everything yourself. it's the only way you can really make sure what he's getting. and you'll have to train everyone not to give him anything without checking with you FIRST. As your baby gets older, read about cross-contamination (depending on the severity of the allergy).

I know neocate is soooo expensive.

remember, read food labels EVERY TIME because they DO change/substiture ingredients.

feel free to challenge the doctors opinions. you know your baby. sometimes they'll recommend stuff that you know it's wrong for your baby. ask for alternatives. You are your child's advocate.

keep a food journal and the status of his bowel movments (date, time, consistency, smell, color, etc.) take pictures if needed so you can compare. it might sound gross but it's your son's health.

Good luck and keep asking questions until you get the right answer for you and your baby!

~Carmen~

D.,

I have a friend that faces some of the same issues you have. She has allergies to certain foods and so does her 2.5 year old son. I am sending you her e-mail as she might be able to offer you some great suggestions. Her name is Christina Barba, ____@____.com has a natural baby boutique that you can check out as well at www.footprintsbaby.com.
Best wishes to you.

I'm not sure of all the things your child it allergic to, however, you might want to look into FPIES. It is NOT common and very hard to figure out what it is. There is no test that says up, you have it, it's more of a testing game. The Pregestimil formula should work for your child because it is used with kids with FPIES. I would be very careful with what solid foods you try with your son. The earlier you catch this, the better the chance your child will have to out grow it. I know rice is usually a big no-no with FPIES kids, so your son may be showing signs of it.

If your child doesn't have FPIES, I would look at making everything from scratch. My son is allergic to dairy and eggs and I have found there are so many food processed in a factor with dairy or eggs. Boxed/processed foods just aren't an option any more, unfortunately :( Good luck with it.

Oh and if you do discover your child has a form of FPIES, let me know, I can hook you up with a support group of moms that have kids with it....it will be very helpful for foods and what not :)

Dear D.,

my son has some limited allergies and asthma. there is an allergist in bloomfield that is brilliant and specializes in difficult, by that i mean complex, pediatric cases. i can't recommend him more.

Dr. Chad Mayer ###-###-####. ask for carol finkelstein and tell her S. weiss referred you. she has a son with severe food allergies and is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge.

best of luck to you all. :-)

S.