How do you know if your child/baby has a food allergy?

[Stillmonday]

How can you tell? Apart from extreme allergies, do they get rashes/sick etc?

Generally their stools have mucus/blood or both in. Skin rashes, irritable, vomiting. If a more severe allergy hives or swelling after eating the food.

Are you worried about your child having an allergy?

My 10 month olds nappies have changed colour & consistency the last 3 weeks and I can't work out why.
Doctors have done a test but found nothing so I'm wondering if he's allergic to something?

No idea?

My son has CMPA and a soya intolerance.
He had mucus, stringy poo in his nappies, very irritable after feeds, regular projectile vomiting. You could feel and see his stomach cramping.
He's only 6mths old now, but was put on prescription formula for allergies at 8 weeks old.
I tried carrying on with breastfeeding and avoiding dairy and soya, but he was even reacting when something had trace amounts in. He's a lot more settled now, happier and relaxed.
We've started weaning and can work on the milk ladder then introducing soya when he's around 8mths old.

He hasn't had any actual tests though, the doctor diagnosed on his symptoms. They will do allergy testing when he's 1 if we have no success with the gradual introduction using the milk ladder.

Eczema, facial swelling and hives for us.

The egg was easy to work out as he ate them in isolation. The biggest reaction was connected with baby porridge when we started weaning, but it took longer to isolate it to cows milk. With hindsight the eczema triggered when I tried some formula feeds in desperation when we had a lot of night waking at 5m. He seemed OK on breastmilk.

It took 3 trips to the GP to get a referral, even though the first visit was running in in panic with a screaming, half dressed baby with barely recognisable facial features.

I only have experience of acute reactions but Hives, bad rash, vomiting, facial swelling. Usually shortly after contact with allergen. Allergies are very tricky as they can develop suddenly, and often they will only react after 2 or 3 exposures to the allergen. Skin prick tests advisable if you suspect severe allergies. A change in nappies alone I wouldn’t worry about. It could be many things.

My son had hives a lot and really bad eczema.

Both my DD's had CMPA. The main symptoms were all over excema, irritability and screaming, terrible wind, projectile vomiting and stringy mucousy poohs. Both resolved almost immediately when prescribed Neocate.
I hope you manage to work out what's causing the change in nappies and your little one feels better soon.