Any experience of childhood fish allergy?

[ThisSharpNavyRaven]

My 4yo has just been diagnosed with a fish allergy. Salmon, cod, anchovies and tuna were specifically tested and confirmed but the allergy specialist said that it's an allergy to a protein in all vertebrate fish. He's got an EpiPen and an allergy action plan now. Just wondering if anyone has any experience of this with their children?

He's been fairly unwell since he was around 18 months old, with vomiting 'bugs' every 4-6 weeks or so which we were told was his body dealing with viruses (the vomiting always coincides with cold-like symptoms). I'm wondering if these were actually allergic reactions? We've been feeding his fish fairly regularly since that age - fish fingers, salmon, tuna pasta etc.
I'm also wondering how worried we should be about cooking fish in the house? I've read it can be an airborne allergy.

Anyway, any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

My daughter has a fish allergy she has had it since birth and reacted to me eating fish.
Her's are delayed allergies which cause gastric symptoms similar to bugs you described. The fact they have tested positive shows they have immediate IgE allergies although I think you can have mixed allergies where you have some delayed allergy symptoms as well as the immediate symptoms. Seeing if they improve when fish is removed would the be only way to tell for sure

I'm not sure about the allergy being airborne as my daughter delayed allergies aren't airborne

You shouldn't be cooking fish in the house. When you have a child with an allergy severe enough to require an epi pen you need to do everything you can to make sure they don't come into contact with that thing. Cooking it in the house is too risky, you can not guarantee there won't be touch contamination.

Mine developed in my twenties. I do cook cod for my husband, but I'm extremely careful (I'm not specifically allergic to cod, its more the oily fish with me, but GP said to avoid it as it could develop).

Best advice I can offer you is check all ingredients thoroughly and don't trust anyone - most people don't know that there are anchovies in most Worcestershire Sauce!

Thanks for the replies!
@Superscientist that's so helpful to hear. I've been going to the GP for years about his vomiting but kept getting fobbed off. We finally were referred to paediatrics because his weight is very low, so it will be really interesting to see if they think the allergy is the answer. I really hope so!

My little one has many food allergies and fish is one.

We also fed several fishy meals when he was little without realising, and he'd always throw up after!

Once the reaction progressed to coughing/red face we made the link and tests confirmed the allergies.

He can eat tinned tuna (many fish allergic kids), so may be worth asking for a hospital challenge for this if your keen for some fish to stay in the diet.

We cook fish inside foil in the oven but don't fry it, so no airborne issues.

@ThisSharpNavyRaven sorry, thought I should tag you as it's an older post.

Thanks @Alloveragain3 this sounds so similar to my son! I feel really guilty for having fed him fish so much and not made the link with his sickness. It never was as obvious as feeding him fish and a few hours later he throws up. The vomiting seems to be a more delayed reaction for him. Like you we only made the connection when he got serious facial swelling one time and ended up in a+e. They did tuna specifically on the skin prick test because he had been saying that his mouth felt itchy when he ate it and unfortunately he is allergic.

If you don't mind me asking, what are your son's other allergies? I'm wondering if he's got any others which we haven't tested for yet.

He's a very picky eater and salmon/tuna etc was the main way I used to get protein into him, so it's a bit of a blow! I may try to see a dietician for some advice. Now I'm wondering if his pickiness was his body's way of telling him/us to be more careful! I've read that children with allergies are often very cautious about food.

It's all such a minefield and mind fuck!

My son's very unlucky and is allergic to milk, egg, nuts, sesame, kiwi and legumes as well. I think this many is pretty uncommon!
Reactions were usually hives or vomiting when he was weaned.

We've been doing immunotherapy for some but I'm not sure this is an option for fish just yet in the UK.

Our DD is also allergic & has epipen. Gradually got worse, she is 20 now. She had a severe reaction few months back when she cut an avocado on a wooden chopping board on which the previous day salmon had been... this was at her friend's house.

We don't cook or have anything in the house she reacts to.

When young she used to get a clowns mouth and hives, didn't eat fish for long time. Went away with friends to Greece, ate loads of fish and was so ill, her legs didn't work, couldn't walk straight etc.. than had salmon& oyster sauce and that triggered the throat swelling etc, luckily near a health centre who were amazing.