Is anyone a food allergy guru? Can't work out what's going on with baby DD's facial rash after all meals and feeds

[Hamabeadseverywhere]

DD is 10 months old, breastfed (still feeding lots day and night), and we've been doing BLW since she was six months.

She tries everything, though doesn't eat masses yet. But her poos have become more solid, so she's eating something. Firm favourites are tomatoes and dairy products like cheese, yogurt, cream cheese (common allergens …).

For the past month or so, after every breastfeed and every meal, DD has developed a rash around her mouth. Sometimes it's angrier than at others, but she gets it pretty much every time.

I can't think of anything I started eating and started giving her about a month ago that might be causing this.

What's perplexing me is that she gets it whatever I feed her. If she has a day with no dairy or tomatoes and I haven't eaten either for a few days, she'll still get inflammation around her mouth; likewise with wheat, eggs, nuts, fish and so on. I can give her the plainest meal and she'll get it. I don't understand it. It looks like a contact rash – she gets it exactly where a baby tends to smear food around their mouth. But she doesn't get any rash on her hands, which end up covered in food too.

I thought with an allergy, the reaction is fairly instantaneous – like DD's is – so why is she getting it irrespective of what I or she eats? And not anywhere else the food touches? Could it not be an allergy, in which case what would cause a localised rash around the mouth after every meal and breastfeed?

She's generally a happy baby, and the only other possible symptom she's getting is odd bouts of loose stools.

The health visitor has said "keep a food diary and come back in a month", which I'm not finding in any way enlightening so far. I'm wondering if we both need to go down the lengthy elimination diet route, although I don't see how it'll help to be honest, if DD's skin is getting instantaneously irritated, whatever she eats. But I need to work out what's going on before it might get any worse, and so that I (and the childminder) can start feeding her food and drink which doesn't irritate her and keeps her well.

Any ideas what could be going on, or what I can do to get to the bottom of this?

[ScatterCat1]

Hi there,

Do you clean her mouth with babywipes after feeds/meals? If so, might be worth trying paper towel or flannel and water? Also, do you use plastic spoons? Might be worth trying a metal tea spoon? There may be some latex or rubber in it that her body does not like (PVA or something, I think it's called).

Anyhow, our DS is severely affected by eczema and allergies and it does not sound like any experience we had....apart from anything else the rash always was all over, not localised, except that his mouth would swell up and the rest of his face.

We tried dietary exclusions and it made absolutely no difference. If the rash does not go away between feeds/meals, might be worth seeing a doc as it could be a fungal infection, especially if it is in the corners of her mouth....

However, I am not a doctor or an expert at all, so if in doubt go and see a doctor.....especially with babies. Might be worth asking Allergy UK for advice.
Hope this helps.

[BarbarianMum]

Certain foods (like tomatoes in fact) contain high levels of histamines and so cause existing rashes/eczema to flare, esp those on the face where the skin is sensitive. Mimics an allergic reaction but very localised.

[WhoTheFuckIsSimon]

I would also go for histamine allergy. Tomatos, cheese and yoghurts are all triggers for me.