How can I pinpoint 5mo allergy?

[BergamotMouse]

DS is 5 months old. Has had a runny nose since birth, some I believe is due to having colds but he can't have had a 5 month cold. He's also had very long lasting coughs.

The worst thing is the eczema. He flares up frequently but I can't find the trigger. He also has recently started getting what appears to be hives.

He's breastfed. Haven't started weaning. I've been dairy free since Friday but no improvement yet - should I expect to see anything so soon?

We have a cat.

What else can I do to work out what it is?

He's already got steroid cream and antihistamines for the eczema and itching.

I feel so sad for him and a bit useless at figuring out the cause.

Dairy can take up to 6 weeks to notice a difference in a breastfed baby. 50% are also allergic to soya so may be worth trialling that too! Next down the list is eggs x

Join CMPA breastfeeding support Facebook group xx

I don't know if it's possible to do allergy testing on a baby, but maybe you could ask your GP?

Thanks. Have requested to join FB group.

I've found dairy a huge change in diet as probably ate quite a lot and it seems everything contains soya.

Do I rule out one thing before I eliminate another? Can imagine my diet becoming very restricted if I just keep cutting more and more out but I do want to sort it.

Is it more likely to be diet based than environment based.

Sorry for all the questions - I'm a bit clueless.

Thanks. Have requested to join FB group.

I've found dairy a huge change in diet as probably ate quite a lot and it seems everything contains soya.

Do I rule out one thing before I eliminate another? Can imagine my diet becoming very restricted if I just keep cutting more and more out but I do want to sort it.

Is it more likely to be diet based than environment based.

Sorry for all the questions - I'm a bit clueless.

I didn't think they did allergy testing this young. I haven't asked though but have been several times and it hasn't been offered.

Hi op my dc were tested at 7 months after one had a bad reaction to something ( still not sure what). Go to your gp and ask for a referral to allergy. Keeep a food diary as well. They will ask you too anyway if you see anyone and then try and see if there are any patterns !

Re allergy testing - these are not very accurate (not even sure if they’re done on under 1s) and will only show a result for IGE allergies - think hives, Epi pens, anaphylactix. Non - IGE allergies, think gastro, vomiting, dihorrea, mucous/blood in nappies, ecsama - will not show in an allergy skin prick test. The only way paediatricians diagnose this is by exluding the possible allergic from the diet for a length of time and then reintroducing and looking for a reaction. Hope this helps :)
For context I have an 18 mo with dairy, soya & egg Non-IGe allergies