Epipens - Should we have one?

[Whelk]

My 1 year old dd2 is allergic to dairy and eggs. We have piriton which I make sure is always with her.
We don't have an epipen. Having read babybarristers thread about anaphylaxis I feel we should have one.

Crappily we don't have an appointment for 6 months.

What do you think. She weighs about 20lbs. My dh seems to think she is too small for one.

It all depends on the severity of the reactions you have experienced and sometimes on whether there are other complaints eg. asthma. Babies can have Epipen if the allergic reaction is severe and affects more than one area for example skin, eyes, nose/mouth, respiration, blood pressure, consciousness.
Can you tell us a little more about your dd's history?

Epipen is recommended for children over 15kgs or 33lbs as the dose is too high for smaller children though there is apparently another option with a needle and adrenaline dose to be measured based on weights.

Thanks for your replies.
Her reaction to dairy was that where it touched her skin she had hives and her eyes swelled up. She only had a smallish amount.
Her skin prick test shows 4mm weals.
She has never had egg but her skin prick test showed 6mm weals.She hasn't showed any signs of asthma.

Did he have a bad reaction? Was it worse than the one I described above

getting an epipen for a small baby who is not asthmatic would be quite difficult unless they have had an anaphylactic reaction. They can be prescribed but a consultant has to decide on the basis of the clinical history. How far you are from the nearest hospital can also be a factor.

Many children outgrow both milk and egg allergy, often by age 3. You will probably be fine without an epipen, although they do provide reassurance.

I always take Piriton out with us (and whoever looks after them too). DD1 is allergic to egg and I've never had an epipen for her. (We had a slight glimmer of hope with her skin prick test going from a 6 to a 4 but not getting hopes up as I know its not necessarily significant.

I guess the posts about anaphylaxis have got me thinking.