When to introduce wheat, tomatoes and soya

[Sheilsie]

My 7.5 month old DD has a cows milk allergy (she's on Nutramigen milk) and probable egg allergy (as per skin prick test) and quite bad eczema. The skin prick tests she had done a few weeks ago gave a positive result to wheat & soya too, but not quite so strong a reaction as to milk and eggs. The doctor (a dermatologist) said I should not exclude wheat & soya from her diet, as "you can't exclude everything". But I'm quite nervous about trying them. At what age do you think I should first try? And what about tomatoes? Thanks

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I'm surprised the derm said that about not avoiding the foods. I'd be hesitant to give my child something that had popped up in a skin prick, though I know they are not definitive.

Did you get a referral to a dietician? If you didn't I'd call back and get one.

She's v young so I wouldn't be thinking about the wheat and soya anyway. I don't know if you know this but milk, egg and soya allergies often go together (dd had those lot).

Wheat is harder as it will rule out toast etc. I would leave it for a bit. You'll be going back I imagine so that they keep an eye on the dairy allergy. If you do ever give her something with wheat in, really keep an eye on her eczema or reaction in case she does have one. Personally, I'd not give it to her until she's older (say 2) but I'm quite cautious and you may want to try her on it beforehand, if you're feeling brave (and her other reactions aren't anaphylactic).

Start her off with the plain fruit and veg ones (like pear, carrot etc.) and just take weaning v slowly. That vile nutramigen stuff gives them all the nutrients for a while I think!

Thanks foxinsocks. Yes, I saw the dietician immediately afterwards and when I expressed concern that I was being told not to avoid foods that my DD had had a positive reaction to on the skin prick test, the dietician said "well, if that's what the doctor said then that's what you should do" (all the time me thinking but the doctor is a dermatologist, so not an expert on baby weaning). Was originally going to try Weetabix a week or so before next dermatologist appointment (end of July). But I think you're right and I should delay for longer. Cows milk allergy was vomitting and head-to-foot in hives. But think it affected eczema too, as her eczema improved when I stopped breast feeding. I've been making bread in a bread-maker with wheat-free flour so DD is not missing out on toast.

yes I think that sounds sensible to be honest

especially if she has eczema now

with the results of that skin prick test, hopefully you can wean her onto foods you know she can manage and her eczema might improve (though it might not! - so hard to know)

just keep an eye on the soya in the loaf ingredients (don't know much about the home made bread) - am very impressed you make loaves. I should have thought about that when mine were suffering from their allergies, is a good idea!

you can also ask to be referred to a paed with a specialist interest in allergies if you like I suspect

dd's eczema also improved substantially when she was moved onto the nutramigen. I think it was the dairy I had been eating in my breast milk tbh.

DD's eczema also improved a lot when she moved onto Nutramigen and I'm convinced it was down to exposure to dairy through my breast milk. Although strangely dietician didn't tell me to avoid dairy (this was while I was still partially breastfeeding). Also, DD had low weight gain (and even some weight loss) for months before moved on Nutramigen and dietician's theory was that she was burning off loads of calories by all the wriggling she did in an attempt to scratch. But someone has since told me it is common for breast-feed babies with cows milk allergies (where the mother consumes dairy).

it's quite reassuring to know that I think (that it has an impact on the eczema)

yes, weight loss/slow weight gain quite typical in milk allergic babies like that I believe (and nasty nappy rashes, upset tums, reflux)

DD2 cows milk protein allergy and egg positive RAST haven't had skin prick yet. Wheat makes her bad so we don't give her an y or dairy or soya either. Also tomatoes and bananas and plums not good. Think go with Oatibix instead until she's older. Nutramigen AA we're on. (OMG it's vile but she glugs it back!)
Fox- what was that about carrot and pear? dd ok with pear but have a bad feeling about carrot. I don't know the linked allergy groups really except main ones.

oh I think carrot's one of those ones that most people are fine with so normally a safe food to start with! but if you have a bad carrot feeling, you don't need to give it straight away. Loads of other fruit and veg to try!

Just sick of the whole thing now really fox. She looked beautiful for 2 whole days (obviously always beautiful to me!) clear skin which was SOFT. Hands uncovered for first time in months sleeping through happy mood etc. Gave her chicken, carrots and potatoes cooked in olive oil for dinner then last night up for 3 hours, excema up on face and arms, swollen eye. Know it's def food related but finding it so hard to pin down. Sick of feeding her potato and broccoli or wheat free pasta and broccoli.. AIBU to want her to have variety??

oh girls

it is so so hard

tbh, you know they say chicken is one of those foods that is good to give as so few allergic to it. Well dh is allergic to chicken and gets horrific eczema if he eats it - I mean really horrible, virtually untreatable.

how old is dd2? do you have a good paediatrician?

does she have reflux by any chance? I found dd appeared to react to a lot of things she wasn't allergic to (so neither in the RAST test or the skin prick) - things like peas. One doc explained to me that her digestive system was very immature (she also had a hernia).

this is good for allergy groupings

thanks fox. yeah it maybe chicken. Dermatologist really quite crap but dietician vg. Haven't been referred to a paed at the hosp. HV said is worst excema she had ever seen in 20 plus years of hv ing. It doesn't look like it did before somedays nearly clear but the itching drives her crazy anyway. As dd1 was fine with food i'm just not used to watching every bit of food that i give. No reflux as far as i know. good friend has 2 with it and can't see that dd2 is similar. She is nearly 10 mo having skin pricks at 1. Just feel awful I'm her mum and i should be able to sort things out for her but i can't..

Sheilsie I don't know what to say about wheat. There is a study that suggest the optimum time to introduce is 4-6 months news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4554661.stm but obviously they wouldn't usually have a positive skin prick test. If you are breast-fedding and plan to stop I'd try it before you stop. When you do introduce then just a tiny amount at first.

Pear, carrot, lamb, avocado, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli, rice rarely cause allergies in Britain. Salmon is supposed to be the safest fish to try.

Good luck

I really feel for you, I know how tough weaning can be with an allergic child. I think you should really push to see a paediatric allergist, I wouldn't even settle for your general paediatrician. In my experience the subject of allergies is fairly poorly understood by HV's, GP's, dermatologists and even some general paeds. In addition, the advice you read in baby books/ websites is also often based on out-dated approaches to weaning allergenic children. As a worse case scenario maybe you can arrange a private consultation. I credit my daughters consultant with not only helping her but saving my sanity. Good luck

Am in exactly the same boat - have a 7 and a bit month old with suspected milk allergy. doing baby-led weaning but running out of ideas!! bought some dairy free bread and some vitalite today only to discover bread contains egg white - gah!
ds has had tomato (didn't know about allergy risk!) and loved them and was fine.Tried soya yog and was sick.
Anyway good luck to you!
bx

Hmm. I have ishoos with tomatoes and wheat and have decided to keep DS off them until he can tell me himself if they give him tummyache.

So far he has inherited my allergy to plasters (we discovered this at 7wo) so I'm not inflicting the lifetime of stomachache on him that I had; if he tries them and is ok, then he can eat them; but if he gets any problem then he can stay off them as I do.

There are quite a lot of good wheat free breads out there now - have a look at the Free From sections in supermarkets. And tomatoes are relatively easy to avoid (except they are in lots of baby foods - however, I managed to find enough without tomato to keep DS happy) He is 19mo now btw.

Also, you might want to look at this website - lots of wheat free biscuits/rusks/cereals etc. DS particularly loves the Baby Dinkelkeks - he still has them mashed with hot water and milk and has done since I weaned him. these are a real hit now as well. I have no problem with spelt which is why I let him have it.

Good luck!

Of course, being a bit fick, I haven't checked if all of those things I linked to are also dairy free/egg free, sorry! But the choc biscuits definitely are and the others probably are too.