Food Challenge in Hospital - advice please

[Cokie]

My little boy is going to hospital next week for a soya food challenge. As he can't tolerate eggs, diary, wheat, oats, nuts and sesame I have all my fingers crossed for this which will be our first food challenge. We found out about his intolerances before we started weaning so I have controlled his diet very carefully so we have no idea how he will react!

They have asked us to bring some stuff in for him to eat so I thought soya yoghurt and soya milk; do you think this would be OK or shall I take more or different stuff in? Can anyone give me any information on what I can expect when we go in? Thanks

My daughter had a soya challenge aged 2, but the hospital provided a soya yoghurt, weighed and measured in exact doses to be given at timed intervals. They began by rubbing a small amount on her lips, and gradually upping the amount until she had eventually eaten a couple of yoghurts over the time period. And it really wasn't easy getting her to eat any of it!

This was for allergy however, rather than intollerance. It took about 6 hours in total, so I would suggest you take plenty of books for you and toys for your little one!

We have since done a bean challenge, and in april she will undergo a cooked egg challenge. I found it extremely comforting to do this on the ward, rather than at home, inspite of how long it takes.

The only downside is, once you've spent a day force-feeding your child one type of food, it's a sure fire way to get them to refuse it for ever after!

Can you take something with cooked soya. Best to start the trial with something cooked as cooked food is generally less allergenic. My child with nut allergy tolerates the small amount of soy that you find in bread/biscuits but reacts to soy milk with throat symptoms. We've never tried soy yoghurt. With that list of allergies I can't think of anything offhand but maybe someone else will have a suggestion. Perhaps textured vegetable protein?

The little boy who was having a soya challenge when my DS was having a tomato challenge had soya milk measured in a syringe.

Thanks for all your replies! He is 15 months. He was first tested (skin pricks and RAST bloods) at 5 months and then again at 1. Soya is the only one they would consider doing as the other results were still too high.

He passed!! I am sooo pleased. Yoghurts here we come, and soya milk and pretend cheese etc etc etc...(can you tell I am happy?) 1 down, 6 to go. Fingers crossed the eczema stays away!

wonderful which hospital are you under if you don't mind me asking

Not at all. St Georges's in that there London!