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Allergies and intolerances

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Original poster

Baked milk challenge - any experiences?

13 replies

Bilbomum · 26/01/2011 12:06

Following on from the posting by babybarrister I've done a bit of googling on baked milk challenges. From what I can see there was a study in this country that found that out of 100 children with a milk allergy 75 tolerated baked milk (ie. in a muffin). There also looks to be a study going on in the States at the moment. I found an interview on Food Allergy Moms website with a mother of a child going through the challenge, she was anaphlactic to dairy but was found to tolerate baked milk and within a year could also tolerate pizza.

Obviously from what babybarrister has said her consultant is happy for her to do a challenge at home however I wondered if anyone else has had the challenge offered?

DS (4.5 and allergic to dairy/egg/nut/sesame) has his yearly appointment on the 8th with the allergy clinic and I'm quite keen to quiz them and see if it's something they will do for him. It would make such a difference if he could tolerate it that I think I would take the risk of a challenge (in hosp preferably).

Has anyone got any further info/experience/thoughts on this?

Thanks!

OP posts:
babybarrister · 26/01/2011 14:49

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Original poster
Bilbomum · 27/01/2011 10:20

No, we're up in Leeds babybarrister. It's a good clinic but they don't have a full time allergy specialist unfortunately. I just feel like it's time to try and see what he could tolerate given that it would make such a difference to his life/diet. Given his RAST results have increased every year quite significantly I accept he probably won't grow out of the problem so feel I should investigate anything I can to help live with the allergy as best we can.

St Thomas' are obviously streets ahead with their thinking given the advice that you've had. They must be pretty sure your ds has a good chance of tolerating it given they've asked you to do it at home.

Let us know what happens when you decide to have a go... fingers crossed.

OP posts:
BlameItOnTheBogey · 28/01/2011 07:03

I'm also at St Thomas' with the same consultant as babybarrister and we are a bit further along the process with the baked milk challenge.

We tried dd with baked milk at the begining of Jan. The way the consultant explained it is that milk protein has a three dimensional structure. Baking it changes that to a two dimensional structure and the body no longer recognises it as the protein to which it has an immune reaction (I am not a scientist, this is what I understood him to say anyway...). We were told to start dd (who still tests positive to raw milk) on a small piece of cake the size of her finger nail and then to double the amount each day (providing no reaction) until she was on normal toddler portions. So far so good (although the first time we did it we sat in A&E car park). She's shown no reaction at all (other than delight at being fed cake). We're on small amounts. But provided we get up to normal size, the next step is to try her on a hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan (wibble). I can already see how much this is going to change her diet for the better. It means I am much less stressed when we are out and that she can start to eat the same as her brother.

Good luck - happy to answer any questions.

Original poster
Bilbomum · 28/01/2011 10:56

Thanks for that information BIOTB, it's really useful to have a bit of prior knowledge at these yearly appointments, my mind sometimes goes blank!

I'm glad it's been positive for your dd, as you say it will make such a difference to you both if the challenge is a success. I'm definitely going to push in that direction for ds, it's got to be worth a try.

Keep us posted on your progress, and thanks again Smile

OP posts:
BlameItOnTheBogey · 07/02/2011 19:00

Thought I'd update on where we are at with our baked milk challenge. DD ate a reasonable slice of cake today and no effects at all. We've been working up to it with size of portion and it hasn't caused and reaction at all - she's still happy, stomach fine, no rashes etc. So we'll keep this going for a few days and then think about other things containing baked milk we can try her on.

Good luck for your appt tomorrow Bilbomum and keep us posted.

Whelk · 07/02/2011 19:05

Thats great news BIOTB!
I'm really pleased for you.

Weta · 08/02/2011 10:59

That's great, hope it continues!

Original poster
Bilbomum · 08/02/2011 20:59

Great news BIOTB, glad to hear it's going well. Our appointment not so great, apparently ds' RAST result was so high last year (over 100) that they won't even retest for dairy this year to check the levels. Consultant said even if the levels had halved we wouldn't be anywhere near a challenge. Also same for nuts and sesame unfortunately. I did push and get egg and pea retested, it looks like we're clear for peas but the egg skin prick was 8mm so he wouldn't let ds have baked egg challenge either (sad).

However on the positive side he's growing out of eczema, not showing signs of asthma or hay fever so cons seemed pretty positive that he will grow out of all allergies except nut at some stage in the future. Also ds is made up that he can eat peas like his sister, little things ... (grin)

OP posts:
Original poster
Bilbomum · 08/02/2011 20:59

Great news BIOTB, glad to hear it's going well. Our appointment not so great, apparently ds' RAST result was so high last year (over 100) that they won't even retest for dairy this year to check the levels. Consultant said even if the levels had halved we wouldn't be anywhere near a challenge. Also same for nuts and sesame unfortunately. I did push and get egg and pea retested, it looks like we're clear for peas but the egg skin prick was 8mm so he wouldn't let ds have baked egg challenge either (sad).

However on the positive side he's growing out of eczema, not showing signs of asthma or hay fever so cons seemed pretty positive that he will grow out of all allergies except nut at some stage in the future. Also ds is made up that he can eat peas like his sister, little things ... (grin)

OP posts:
Original poster
Bilbomum · 08/02/2011 21:01

Sorry, not got hang of iPad yet!

OP posts:
babybarrister · 09/02/2011 07:27

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Original poster
Bilbomum · 09/02/2011 10:10

That's interesting babybarrister, consultant said it would have to be 5/6mm to try however he's not a specialist allergist although he's generally pretty good.

I'm quite inclined to have a go myself as I'm sure we had a cock up at Wagamamas and he had something coated in egg white and then deep fried and showed no reaction at all. The baked egg challenge he had a couple of years ago was fine until we left the hospital and he had quite bad stomach pains. However he had a huge piece of cake and I'm wondering if I did it slowly a small piece at a time his body might get used to it more successfully.

It's a hard one, I don't like going against medical advice but it would make such a difference for ds Confused

OP posts:
babybarrister · 09/02/2011 14:15

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