How quickly would an allergic reaction to food happen?

[Twinklemegan]

ie could a reaction yesterday evening (around 5.30ish) be caused by food at lunchtime?

could, I've eaten smoked fish before at lunchtime, went for a nap and late afternoon had a rash.

Oh definitely. I have delayed reactions but it depends. In adults yes, in kids generally it happens sooner because their bodies aren't used to handling high levels of cortisol, the hormone produced when the body thinks it's being attacked when you are allergic to something).

It was my 9 month old DS.

Can you describe the reaction? and what it was you fed him?

The first time ds had a reaction it was after eating a muffin, he'd had a little bit, gone down for a nap and it was only when he woke up i realised his eyes were totally swollen and he had a rash. The general thinking was that it was the egg in the muffin that caused it so we've avoided egg ever since - he also has had a similar but much much faster reaction to cream and milk so we're waiting for a hospital appointment to get him checked out (and some advice on what to feed him)

Well he had scrambled egg at lunchtime. I didn't give him eggs at all until he was 9 months. Then I tried some pieces of hard boiled egg in a fish pie recipe and he had that twice with no ill effects. The possible reaction was watery diarrhoea at tea time and, possibly related, a bright red rash like nappy-rash on his tummy and chest as well as the nappy area. He had diarrhoea again this morning. The nursery did say though that one of his nappies was very loose the day before so it might just be a tummy bug?

how old is he now?

i wouldn't give him eggs again until he is at least 2.
my DD2 had scrambled eggs (less than a teaspoon) at about 8 months and was a bit (very little) sick.
i gave her them again at 11 months and she came out in hives.
she has now been diagnosed with an egg (yolk) allergy though she is ok with well baked egg, say in cakes.

If you don't give him egg again, chances are he will grow out of it. If you do give it to him again, the reaction next time may be worse as his body recognises it as a foreign substance, then he may end up with an allergy to it. Best to be on the safe side and just avoid it for now. I wish i had, i didn't realise it worked like that. I kind of thought giving her bits may help her body get used to it / be less sensitive to it.

and it might be a bug, but i think egg is such a likely allergy in young children that i just wouldn't risk it again for now. It's not that hard to cut it out.

OK thanks. I've had it on his notes at nursery for ages that he isn't to have egg and I get the impression they think I'm really fussy! I'm a bit cross with myself really for risking it, but I really thought he was OK after the first couple of times. I've compromised a lot of things because I've felt like a fussy mum, but I think my instincts were right.

he sounds like he has the same reaction as my dd2 - fine with well cooked egg (say in cooking) but not lightly cooked (like scrambled egg, omelette, quiche etc.)

my dd is also ok with ice-cream etc.

i was quite surprised when they diagnosed her as i had thought she must have grown out of it, but she hasn't had scrambled egg etc. since the hives.