Infants and Young Children with Food Allergies

I have created this site to help parents to access information about food allergies in infants and babies. My son was diagnosed with allergies to milk and soy at the age of 10 weeks. He later tested positive for peanut allergy as well. Because we breastfeed, I cut all the soy and dairy (and nuts) out of my diet, which is not small task. I will use this website to share what we have learned. It has more emphasis on breastfeeding and on milk and soy allergens because that's what I know best, but I hope it can be of use to those with similar but different situations.

*Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am not an expert and that some of this information is my opinion or experiences and not all based in scientific fact.*

Good luck and feel free to email me! Please check out my Food Allergy Links for more information!

A place to start: this question and answer get down to the basics. It's specifically related to blood in the stool and eczema.
Here's another good one from About.com on breastfeeding a milk allergic child.

Do I have to give up nursing?
Some women have been told, upon diagnosis of their baby with food allergies, that they will have to wean the baby. This is actually not necessary. You will have to make some modifications to your diet, but keep in mind that they are temporary. The benefits of breastfeeding are even more important to a child with allergies. Breastfeeding gives them their best chance of outgrowing the allergies and preventing others. One widely accepted concept is that the more strictly you avoid the offending allergen, the more likely the child is to outgrow the allergy. Many mothers actually find that they had some sensitivity to the offending food as well and feel healthier without it. Also, most mothers find they lose weight and eat healthier when nursing an allergic baby. This has been our experience as well.

But I'm going back to work! More on working and breastfeeding

WHAT is my baby allergic to?!?
It can be frustrating trying to figure out what your baby is allergic or sensitive to. Keep a detailed food diary, writing down what you eat each and what the baby's reactions were and when. Most mothers find that the baby will react anywhere from 12-18 hours after mom eats the offending food. But it can take much longer, up to 72 hours. It takes up to 3 weeks for your body to fully rid itself of cow's milk protein so the reactions to this can persist for a while. The two most common allergens are milk and soy, so that is a great place to start. Eliminate foods from your diet and see what happens. There is more information at the bottom of this page on common allergens.

Click here for more info on milk allergy
Click here for more info on soy allergy (coming soon!)

The good news is that the majority of babies who have cow's milk and soy allergies outgrow them by the age of 3.

Is a milk allergy the same as lactose intolerance?
NO! Lactose intolerance is different from milk allergy. Lactose intolerance: Some people don't have the enzyme necessary to digest the sugars in milk - the lactose. This is very common in adults and increases with age, but it is rare in infants and babies. Milk allergy is a reaction to the protein in milk - the other part and is very common in infants and children.

Supplementing:
Breastmilk is best but if you need to supplement, or if you have already weaned, there are some formula choices. If your baby is allergic to milk, but not soy, you can use soy formula. But read the label carefully and look for any whey or casein or other milk names. Also, be watchful as 30-50% of babies with milk allergy also have soy allergy.
Alimentum and Nutramagin are both hydrosolate formulas. They are cow's milk based but the protein is broken down to the point where most babies' bodies won't recognize it as the allergen. Beware: some babies will react to these hydrosolate formulas as well. There is also something called Neocate which is an elemental formula and is available only by prescription. These are all very expensive, much more so than regular formulas.

The peanut allergy tends to bring about severe reactions. Some experts believe that you can not outgrow it but recent studies are showing that some people may outgrow this. Many people have anaphylactic reactions to peanuts and must carry an EpiPen. Many professionals now recommend keeping babies with any food allergies away from peanut products until the age of 3. Peanuts and peanut butter are a choking hazard as well. Cashew and peanut allergies commonly occur together.

What is anaphylaxis? Anaphylaxis is a rare but potentially fatal condition in which two or more systems of the body experience allergic reactions. These may include itching, hives, swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, lower blood pressure and unconsciousness. Symptoms usually appear rapidly, sometimes within minutes of exposure to the allergen, and can be life threatening. Immediate medical attention is necessary when anaphylaxis occurs. Standard emergency treatment often includes an injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) to open up the airway and blood vessels.

Support:
A great place to start is the Breastfeeding and Diet message board at Parent Soup - it's a great board for discussion of breastfeeding an allergic or colicky baby.

If your child has multiple allergies or very severe reactions, you may benefit from joining a group called POFAK. This is a Egroups group mostly geared towards older children with more severe food allergies. These are the kids who didn't outgrow their infant food allergies. They have wonderful links and resources. La Leche League is another great place to get information and support.

What is La Leche League?
If you are breastfeeding, you probably are already aware of La Leche League (LLL). It is an organization with the sole purpose of helping breastfeeding mothers by giving information and support. Go to their web site for lots of good information or to find a group near you. I have gotten much information from leaders and other mothers. I was surprised how many people had experience with food allergies in babies!

Is my baby still allergic?
There are some "landmark" ages when some babies outgrow their allergies. Again, each child is different. There is a maturation of the digestive tract that occurs around 9 months. After that, many parents report their children outgrowing allergies at the ages of 12 months, 18 months, 3 years, 6 years, and puberty. One way to test if baby is still allergic is to have mom eat some of the food. This is safer than introducing it directly to the child. For example, when my son turned six months, I ate a yogurt. He reacted with blood and mucous in his stool, which was no big surprise. When he turned 12 months, I tried again. He didn't react the way he had as an infant but he did get a bad diaper rash and his face broke out. So the reactions may change as the child gets older. Some people theorize that no allergy is truly outgrown. Dr. Doris Rapp, author of "Is This Your Child?" believes that many behavior, attention and other problems in older children are due to undiagnosed food allergies. So, use caution even if your child appears to have outgrown their allergy

What about allergy testing?
There are two main types: RAST testing and skin testing. Many pediatricians believe that these tests are not very conclusive for children under 2 years. Both are questionable in accuracy but can give you some helpful information. RAST test is a blood test that sees if antibodies are present in the blood to certain foods that are tested. The presence of antibodies doesn't always mean that there will be an allergy-- so these tests are only about 50% reliable in diagnosing a food allergy-- but they can be helpful if you are trying to sort out a child's allergies. Here's a link: http://www.pride-net.com/aac/gi007.htm

Learn more about food families here: http://www.cadvision.com/allergy/botanical.htm

Symptoms of food allergy/sensitivity in babies: (most common in bold type)

Respiratory Passages: recurring ear infections, congestion, wheezing, runny nose

Skin: eczema, cradle cap, facial rash/infant acne, dark circles under eyes (allergic shiners)

Intestines: diarrhea, mucousy stool, dark green stool, constipation, gassiness, occasional spitting up, excessive spitting up, vomiting, reflux, blood in stool, poor weight gain, burn-like rash around anus, abdominal discomfort

Other: fussiness (possibly due to upset stomach)

Starting solids
If you are breastfeeding, your baby doesn't need any solids before six months. Solid food in the first year is really just practice anyway. Many parents of babies with food allergies report that their baby showed no interest in solids until closer to 9 or 10 months or even later. I know one baby who didn't start solids until 14 months and he thrived on breastmilk alone. When introducing solids, take it slow and follow your baby's cues. That is the best advice in my opinion. Each child is different. It can be very frustrating to figure out if a reaction is to something mom ate or baby ate. When baby starts solids, keep track of that with your food diary as well. There is a list of least allergenic foods below. We did well starting with sweet potato and avocado.

Eating out
It can be tricky to eat out since you don't know what is in prepared foods. Several restaurant chains have listed their food ingredients on their web page. Here are the ones I know of. Please let me know if you find others.
Subway
Pizza Hut
Burger King
McDonald's

Colic
Often when a baby is colicky, the pediatrician will recommend the mother removes all cow's milk from her diet. Here is some more info: http://www.pathfinder.com/ParentTime/sears/leafs/trackdo.html

Most-Allergenic Foods:

dairy products, wheat, egg whites, peanut butter, corn, citrus fruits, soy and food additives.

Also common allergens:
                      berries                    buckwheat
                      chocolate                cinnamon
                      coconut                   mustard
                      nuts                        peas
                      pork                        shellfish
                      sugar                      tomatoes
                      yeast

Least-Allergenic Foods:
                      apples - apricots - asparagus - avocados
                      barley - beets - broccoli - carrots
                      cauliflower - chicken - cranberries - dates
                      grapes - honey - lamb - lettuce
                      mangoes - oats - papayas - peaches
                      pears - poi - raisins - rice
                      rye - safflower oil - salmon - squash
                      sunflower oil - sweet potatoes - turkey - veal

90% of child food allergies are due to egg, milk, wheat, fish, peanuts and soy.

Food Allergy links Food Allergy Books

If you have comments or suggestions, please email me.