Oh No - didn't realise I had fed DS with a peanut product!!!

[ChocolateMouse]

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone knows of any potential future problems associated with having accidentally fed LOs a peanut-containing product?

I was told to avoid giving DS a few kinds of foods due to food allergies in the family and I have been pretty good up until today when I stupidly cooked a veggie haggis meal for DP, DS and I - after DS, (16.5 months), had a couple of spoons of his meal I wondered what the crunchiness came from - it's only peanuts isn't it! Silly me thought, "Veggie haggis - yeah, yummy vegetables", but didn't stop to think of what else could have been in it.

Luckily he didn't react but could he still possibly develop an allergy to peanuts later or is it an allergy that is set from the beginning?

Sorry, I am confused somewhat. :-(

This could be the proverbial first exposure from which an allergy can develop or, it could be that your DS is ok with peanuts.

If there are other serious allergies in the family, I would be taking care of having help available should a reaction develops next time he has peanuts. If not, well chances are he will be perfectly fine. So, please don't worry.

Try not to worry.
My hv told me if my dc's ever have a reaction to somethibg and start to swell up, I should give them an adult dose of anti-histamine(sp?) to control swelling while I get to a hospital. Might be an idea to keep some piriton or something in your bag if you trhink allergic reactions are likely?
(disclaimer: not medically trained myself, just passing on info I've been given )

My dd is allergic to peanuts. They do say it is the second exposure that they react to. To be honest our dd is alergic to most things minorly but her nut allergy is the worst(life threatening). However,as reassurance, she has not had a serious nut reaction since she was diagnosed at pre school age! She is seven. Its going really well but we are very cautious on what she eats and never goes out without her own packed lunch. Try not to worry too much but if it made you feel better carrying around a tiny bottle of periton then you could. We have to anyway along with epepens and so you could seek advise on dosage incase of the chance of a reaction if it is in the family. But like the others say it may never happen. I think you should have a chat to your doctor about it and maybe if he knows you are anxious perhaps he could arrange for him to have a skin prick test to see where you stand at the mo. I am not sure when they start testing in little ones but my dd was tested whilst at pre school after the first reaction. Probably closer to 3.5 yrs

Nut allergies are peculiar in that children sometimes react on the first known exposure, unlike other allergies where its usually the second one. They can develop anytime, though.

chloesmumtoo are they doing any retesting on your child or was the reaction so bad they think outgrowing it is unlikely? Mine is in that category but they still wanted to restest at 11. It was still very clearly positive but some do outgrow their allergy.

tatt- it's funny you should say that (about reacting on first exposure to nuts). DS1 has never been given nuts and yet is RAST grade 4 or 5 for all nuts, which I though was weird. Could it be all those products saying "may contain traces of nuts" which act as a sort of first exposure or is there just something weird nut allergies?

(Sorry for hijack, I just wondered about this).

ChocolateMouse, try not to worry. So far as I know, nobody knows the answer to your question (when an allergy is "set"). This is why there is so much conflicting advice e.g. don't eat peanuts in preg/eat peanuts in preg etc etc. I think however, this kind of thing happens to everyone, he didn't have a reaction and that's great but don't fret about stuff you can't undo (I know easier said than done).

AM don't know but you might find these studies interesting pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/110/2/S1/434-a

and this one says its not present in cord blood so is an after-birth thing.

content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/348/11/977

Chocolate Mouse - apologies for digression but we're showing you that no-one really knows. Some people suggest early exposure is helpful. Either way no point in worrying.

Thanks tatt, will take a look.

(Apologies again for the digression).