Food allergies/intolerances and anti biotics - is there a link? A quick survey...

[Cokie]

My DS developed eczema when he was only 4 weeks old and it only started to get better when we found out at 6 months he is intolerant to diary, wheat, soya, nuts, egg, sesame and oats. I stopped breastfeeding (on Neocate now) and we control his diet and as a result his skin is heaps better. However one thing I am looking at is whether the antibiotics he had when he was a couple of hours old and still in hospital could have contributed to these problems. I read there is a condition called "leaky gut syndrome" which could be a possible reason for some food allergies and which could be caused by antibiotics. So I would like to know if any of you out there have little ones with intolerances/allergies AND were given anti biotics for whatever reason when they were very young.

[DesperateHousewifeToo]

Ds has egg and nut allergy- requiring epipen (although just outgrown egg allergy this year at 7yrs).

He had no anti-biotics as a baby.

[Weta]

YES! Obviously no idea whether that's part of the cause but I have often wondered. DS1 had respiratory distress when he was born and was put in an incubator and had antibiotics for 5 days in case it was caused by an infection.

He had colic which disappeared overnight when I stopped having dairy myself, and later turned out to be very allergic to dairy products (and still is at nearly 6), plus had an egg allergy that disappeared at age 2 and also kiwifruit.

He was also given a small amount of formula (10 ml) that first night in hospital as he was struggling to feed and wouldn't stop crying and the nurses thought he really needed to sleep to try and get over his medical problems. Some of the breastfeeding literature (propaganda?!) I've read has made me wonder whether that may have made a difference.

It's so hard trying to imagine what could have caused it and never knowing...

[girlsyearapart]

Yes my dd2 had antibiotics as a small baby but only because her excema was so bad it became infected so think the allergies/intolerances came first.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

No antibiotics for either of mine as babies, although I did have some when ds was tiny. Both were/are milk intolerant.
No link for me.

[CarriePooter]

ds1 is peanut allergic. He didn't have antibiotics but I had them for infected stitches when I was breastfeeding

dd no antibiotics or allergies

ds2 had iv antibiotics soon after birth for an infection (turned out later he didn't have one) also he was born by cs so I had antibiotics and breastfed. He has a suspected milk allergy (should get results on mon).

[MaybeAfterBreakfast]

Ds1 had antibiotics for the first 2 weeks of his life (and other meds for the first week) - born with chicken pox - and was/is dairy intolerant (was intolerant of tomatoes too until recently).

Ds2 had anti-biotics as a baby and was allergic to them, but has no other allergies or intolerances that I'm aware of.

[Cheepz]

ds had anti b's early for ear infection, and has had quite a few since is now 2, no allergies though.

[Joycey29]

DS had antibiotics at two weeks and has a dairy intolerance - improving recently......

[Cokie]

Weta, we have a similar scenario going on and DS was given antibiotics for the same reason as yours. The allegy specialist at the hospital asked me whether DS had any antibiotics when he was born which set my alarm bells ringing and made me look into whether there is a link. I have no idea if this is the cause but I do wonder if antibiotics (and the fact they this was the first thing he ever had even before any milk!) could have caused some internal inbalance and upset. He was also given a small amount of formula in hospital as we were not togther (he was in special care being watched for his breathing, me in high dependancy) for the first couple of days. I am just hoping as his systems mature he will grow out of the allegies and intolerances.

[Stigaloid]

Yup - DS was on anti-biotice for first week and we ended up in children's ward for second week of his wee life - tried to do a dairy and soya free diet so i could bf but ended up back in hospital when DS was 8 weeks and put him on Neocate. Was like a different baby. He had eczema and skin problems and acidic nappies and bad gut problems - neocate really helped settle him back down and after 15 months was able to eat dairy and soya and now can eat anything - although not a big cheese fan he didn't have it early and will only drink rice milk, not cows milk.

[Stigaloid]

anti-biotice? sorry - anti-biotics

[idunnop]

I have allergies and so does DD (21 months). I took no antibiotics while pregnant or breastfeeding, and DD has never had antibiotics.

[Bilbomum]

DS has severe eczema and allergies. I was on antibiotics for at least a couple of months whilst pregnant with him because of kidney stone problems. I've often wondered if there is a connection. DD has no allergies (so far)and I took no medication at all when pregnant with her. I don't suppose they could prove the link but it does make you think...

[suiledonn]

DD1 has eczema, asthma and egg allergy. I was on a course of anti-biotics after her birth and was breastfeeding her. Also she had chest infection requiring anti-biotics at 9 weeks old. Had never heard of a link before now.

[LuluSkipToMyLou]

DS severely allergic to milk/eggs, no antibiotics as a baby. I'm allergic to penicillin though, and I'm pretty sure his food allergies have come from my side of the family. So maybe an indirect link?

[Beccabell]

My dd2 has nut allergy and used to have milk allergy. She had no antibiotics (she's never had any and is now nearly 5 yrs old).
My dd1 who is now 9 yrs old had strong IV antibiotics at birth after we both picked up a nasty hospital infection - she has no food allergies or other allergies at all. No link with antibiotics and allergies in our family, but there is a familial/hereditary link with allergies on my husband's side.

[Weta]

Cokie,

I try to tell myself I did the best at the time with the advice I was being given.

One reason I wonder about the formula is that a paediatrician we saw asked about it as he said many children with allergies have been given formula at birth (not sure if this was dairy allergy specifically or not). Also I did some breastfeeding classes before the birth and they talked about formula kind of weakening the gut lining (actually it sounds like your leaky gut syndrome) so I don't know...

Hope your DS does grow out of his allergies, or at least some of them! We still have some hope despite DS1 being nearly 6, as have talked to people whose children grew out of dairy allergy around the age of 10.