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Allergies and intolerances

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Original poster

Stupid Question Maybe - allergy to pineapple?!!

30 replies

GeorginaA · 16/05/2005 13:25

Just given ds2 (1 year old) a baked potato with cottage cheese & pineapple. He's had cottage cheese before, I think but not 100% sure... I lose track. He was fine until he tasted a bit of pineapple when he spat it out and examined it in disgust then chucked it on the floor. Then the next mouthful of cottage cheese he spat out (in anticipation?) which smeared around the top part of his mouth.

When I cleaned him up later, I noticed a pattern of red all around the top of his mouth in the exact pattern of where he's spat the cottage cheese out. Didn't look overly swollen but a definite red skin mark. Does this mean he was allergic to something in that?

Now, he's a yoghurt and cheese ADDICT so I'm fairly confident that it's not a dairy allergy (we just would have noticed by now, I'm sure of it). Is it possible to be allergic to pineapple? Or is it just sensitive skin to the acidic nature of pineapple?

Just seems like an odd thing to be allergic to seeing as he's shown no sign of allergies whatsoever up to now and has a pretty extensive diet.

OP posts:
Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/05/2005 13:44

Anyone? Please? Rather worried...

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sparklymieow · 16/05/2005 13:45

I would think that if he has eaten cheese before he is fine, but the pineapple might have been a bit acidic for his skin, give him some priton and that should take the readness away,

Heathcliffscathy · 16/05/2005 13:47

pineapple is a big time allergen georgina, not weird at all that he had hives round mouth afterwards...means that not a full blown allergy, but is intolerant, i would avoid pineapple, trying it now and again, as he may grow out of it (ds used to get this with tomatoes, but doesn't anymore, altho still does for egg )

sparklymieow · 16/05/2005 13:48

My DD1 has these reactions to certain cooking oils, and red food colourings, and tomatos.

sparklymieow · 16/05/2005 13:49

and eggs.....

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/05/2005 13:50

Relieved that it sounds like it's not a full blown allergy. Will avoid it and see how it goes.

Should I take him to the doctor? Or not really any need unless it becomes more severe?

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Chandra · 16/05/2005 13:51

Mine has the same for tomatoes and Heinz products. It's improving though.

sparklymieow · 16/05/2005 13:51

Gibe him some priton, he'll be fine..

Original poster
GeorginaA · 16/05/2005 14:01

Thanks

Sorry, know I'm being feeble - but whereas I have allergies myself, I get an asthmatic reaction, and this is the first allergy I've had to deal with in a child, iyswim!

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foxinsocks · 17/05/2005 19:38

Georgina, was it fresh pineapple or tinned pineapple?

Pineapple (I say this from memory as dd reacted to it once!) contains something that reacts in the body like a histamine (I think it is called bromelain) would - i.e. gives allergy like symptoms. It doesn't necessarily mean he is allergic to pineapple but it can do.

This reaction normally only happens with fresh pineapple.

sunchowder · 17/05/2005 19:40

Georginamy DD had a reaction to fresh pinapple too, big red bumps on her tongueshe is OK with canned now, but really doesn't want to eat it as that was her first reaction (she's almost 11 now!)

Original poster
GeorginaA · 17/05/2005 19:50

That's interesting - it was in a tub of cottage cheese with pineapple in the chiller cabinet - so would assume fresh? (lol, not that you can assume anything with supermarkets...)

I had planned to make a sweet & sour stir fry in the week (with tinned pineapple) but I think I'll be giving ds2 something alternative to be on the safe side anyway. Do you think trying him again in about 6 months time is a reasonable timeframe?

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foxinsocks · 17/05/2005 20:15

has he had kiwi before?

Original poster
GeorginaA · 17/05/2005 20:20

nope, not yet - is that one best avoided as well?

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onlyjoking9329 · 17/05/2005 20:21

could be that pineapple but could be the cheese people with allegies often crave the very thing they are allergic to, the first time you come accross a food you can have a small reaction to it the next time can be much worse, don't want to worry you, it maybe worth doing the allergy testing route

onlyjoking9329 · 17/05/2005 20:22

i tested as allergic to kiwi and was told to aviod latex as the two are related, i now have massive reaction to latex and avoid kiwis too

foxinsocks · 17/05/2005 20:28

yes that's the reason I was asking. Kiwi and pineapple can be indicators of a latex allergy.

BUT, fresh pineapple often causes what looks like an allergic reaction but isn't one (because of this stuff it contains). We just avoided pineapple for around a year (it was when she had her egg, milk and soya allergy so I was being cautious) and dd is fine with it now so it obviously wasn't an allergy.

I was only mentioning the kiwi just to check. I wouldn't go out my way to avoid it but just make sure you are around when he has it for the first time just to be on the safe side.

starshaker · 17/05/2005 20:32

i get that im alergic to it and kiwi fruit does it to me 2 so just watch if u give him that.

Original poster
GeorginaA · 17/05/2005 20:35

Eeep. Okay, will be aware of that. May well introduce kiwi myself in a month's time (want to rule out his system being unsettled at the moment and being overcautious) so at least I know either way.

Showing my complete ignorance yet again... he plays with balloons LOADS (has even popped one by biting it ) and we've seen no sign of reaction at all with them. If he had the potential for a latex allergy wouldn't it have shown up by now?

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foxinsocks · 17/05/2005 20:40

sorry Georgina, wasn't meaning to over worry you, just wanted to make sure that you weren't missing anything! I knew absolutely nothing about allergies (other than hayfever) until I had dd then suddenly, I had to find out about all these things!

It's just a pointer to be careful with kiwi after his pineapple reaction.

Original poster
GeorginaA · 17/05/2005 20:44

lol no, I'm really grateful for all the info - just realising just how ignorant I am over all this stuff. I have allergies but as an asthmatic reaction and obviously my parents had to deal with it really, not me I'm in new territory!

But balloons are latex, yes? Would it have shown up by now? Or is it something that can develop later?

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foxinsocks · 17/05/2005 21:01

balloons are latex so if he's fine with them now then he hasn't got a latex allergy (there's someone on this board with a child with a latex allergy, is it bobbybob? it's someone in NZ I think). But yes, latex allergy can develop at any stage (like any allergy I think).

Original poster
GeorginaA · 17/05/2005 21:07

Ah okay

Will try the kiwi fruit later anyway, and if he reacts to that will definitely push for proper allergy testing I think.

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bobbybob · 18/05/2005 02:15

Yes it's ds who is allergic to latex. He always spits out pineapple, but is not allergic to it - I think it makes his mouth itchy the same as kiwi fruit and banana (which do cross react with latex). Is he okay with banana, because that is the major cross reactor.

As he plays with balloons no problem (and I presuming banana is okay) I wouldn't worry about the latex allergy. Honestly you would know.

Read the tub - was there any preservative in the pineapple?

Original poster
GeorginaA · 18/05/2005 08:40

That's a relief, thank you bobbybob - I remember reading all about your little boy's allergy, it sounds very frightening and difficult to avoid. Yes banana is fine.

There were four ingredients in it - cottage cheese, pineapple (20%), salt and potassium sorbate.

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