Possible Dairy/Wheat Allergy

[Loolallama]

If you are worried about allergies to dairy and wheat, at what age do you introduce them? My son is 8 months and has been breastfed exclusively.

I was worried about possible allergies due to family history but didn't delay introducing anything once we started weaning at 6 months, other than nuts.

Sure enough, we found out fairly quickly that DD is allergic to dairy and egg, and skin prick tests revealed a peanut allergy too. However, the consultant we saw said there was no evidence that delaying introduction of particular foods prevents allergies so we should continue to introduce new foods, even the "risky" ones. Her advice was just to introduce one new food at a time so that you can monitor carefully for any reactions. DD reacted the very first time we gave her cow's milk, so she must have somehow been exposed already, perhaps through my breastmilk??

However, I would say that allergies are such an unknown field that this is just one person's opinion and it may well be that a different consultant would say something totally different!

Does your DS have eczema at all? That's often a warngin sign so I would see it as a positive sign if he doesn't (though this obviously is not 100% by any means!)

you need to introduce foods with gluten now. You could also introduce live yoghurt or cheese - do these before milk. Keep a bottle of piriton handy if you have any family history of allergy.

I was in a similar situation, as my DD had a severe allergic attack at 6 months and I didn't know what I could give her...not great, I know.

Have seen various allergy consultants over time and the consensus seems to be that children can inherit a likelyhood of developing allergies but not normally the actual allergy of their parents. So if you have a problem with dairy/wheat in the family, it may well be that your child has an allergy, but it may not be to dairy/wheat, but could be pollen, nuts, latex, bee stings, you name it. For example, my DH has severe allergy to Walnuts, I have mild allergy to Penecillin - DD has severe allergy to Egg & Hazelnuts. This seems to be the common scenario.

Therefore the best thing seems to not specificly exclude wheat & dairy, but as tatt suggested, to introduce them one at a time.

If you're nervous, for extra comfort, try rubbing a bit of the food on the skin first, wait a bit (about 15mins) to see if anyting happens. Then start with a very small amount (pea size) to eat, wait a bit again, then a spoon full, etc. - this is what they do at the hospital when they test if a food can be tolerated.

Good luck!

Does anyone know if allergies can skip a generation? My mother and grandfather are/were allergic to penacillin. I am not but dd is. My dh has psoriasis and sdd2 is allergic to nuts and untolerant to a whole host of things.

I did not delay trying dd on anything apart from nuts. She proved to be intolerant to eggs, skin prick test negative. Real wheat based products give her ezcema like shreddies and pasta,, skin prick test negative and blood test negative. So, every now and then I try things but I think she knows inherintly that they don't agree with her. She is 2 and won't touch eggs, pasta, creamy sauces or cheese. I will continue to try every few months however as she has never had an allergic reaction, just intolerant symptoms.

Sorry I am rambling.... I am really desperate to know about nuts though ....

BBF you don't inherit allergies, just the tendency to have them. Some research suggesting probiotics reduce the risk of developing allergies. Some research on coeliacs suggesting there is a window when you need to introduce wheat or the risk increases - hence my comment to the OP about getting on with wheat. Suggestions that you need to be exposed to foods through the mouth before you have them on your skin.

Bottom line - lots of speculation, not much known. Best advice I can find is do everything you can to make sure your child has a healthy gut when you introduce the more allergenic foods. So not weaning too early, not when they have a fever, if possible while still breast fed and when you/they are having probiotics, carrots and flaxseed oil- because vitamin A and essential fatty acids may help. Toolate for most of that advice at 2 but you may have others

Thanks Tatt, you are always such a brilliant source of information. I do give probiotics when I can but I have been fixed with giving Dalivit in her night time milk since Xmas and we have had no need for antibiotics since then (I don't want to jinx it by stopping).

DD never ever finishes a meal or a drink or a bottle of milk apart from her nighttime and I don't spose I could put both Dalivit and Acidophilus in one bottle could I? Wouldn't it be too much for her tum?

I am desperate to try nuts but know I need to wait. DD had all the signs that SDD had, cradle cap, eczema, egg intolerance etc so I am super scared.

My friend's daughter has the little bottles of probiotic yog so I might try those as a compromise.

COuld I mix probiotic into yogurt?

Thanks BBF - I try but I'm not perfect. I've been wondering lately if vitamin D has a role in allergy so maybe vitamins are a good thing. I give my child live yoghurt as their probiotic, we don't have a separate one. The little bottles are quite high in sugar but kids like them, I'd probably try those.

You know there is the big debate now about whether introducing nuts early is better than waiting. If she's 2 now and is fit and healthy it's a hard call. Would Cambridge test her for you? You know test results aren't conclusive but she may be fine. Has she had lentils as if she has and she's OK with them that's a good sign?

You know that is a good point Tatt, I think I did the routine 'Lentil Surprise' AK dish when I was weaning her. Not sure that she liked it much but no reaction. I put it down to texture. So, no reaction that I can remember.

DD eats very little of anything. Just the smallest thing sets her off food. During weaning she also had reflux. So much came back up in those days I lost track of what was reflux and what was food.

She is off food again right now due to teeth. She does not eat any carbs right now. She cannot have pasta but usually manages rice and bread but apparently these are the work of the devil at the moment too! I gave in at lunch and cooked a couple of sausages which she ate with an apple. Hmmmmmm. At least she ate something I guess.

Cambridge won't test her until she is 4. I am thinking of writing to my GP to ask for a nut allergy test in light of her sisters allergies. Our GP has know the kids since birth so he is pretty cool with this sort of thing. He also knows that DD has proved to be allergic to Penacilin so its not like she has been proved to be allergy free.

I will get some of the bottles of probiotics, yogurt is one thing she is actually eating right now. Hey ho, we have been here so many times before and each time I tell myself I will not get stressed by the food strikes but every time it reduces me to a wreck. (not in front of her of course!) I try each time to be calm but it does wind me up, especially when she then wakes at 6am starving hungry.

Sorry Tatt, I have just been moaning on and on! How rude when you were being so helpful!

Still remember how stressed I got when my first child spat all their food out - you get more relaxed later. There are bits of carb in sausage, most have wheat in them so I can't have them now . I know its not much but she had protein and fruit, that's not bad. A frozen bean allowed to thaw slightly went down well with mine when they were teething.

You could always try a different nut first rather than peanut - almond and walnut probably best avoided though.

Hmmm, that is true. I think she may have been exposed to a pecan the other day in a bit of cake, I know she did not actually eat the nut but she did lick the cake! Surely that must be a positive result!?!?

She has now decided no carbs at all. I used to bet that she would eat rice now apparently not. Meat and Veg as long as it is hidden!

If anyone wants a good diet leader.... just follow my DD!! No pasta, bread or now rice.

Hmmmm.