Aibu To not really understand why so many children have food allergies?

[daftpunk]

Babies are weaned later ......? I didn't know anyone allergic to nuts or milk when I was at school, can someone explain it?

[TheOldestCat]

Mmm, I'm following this with interest. I'm 33 and have always been allergic to tree nuts (proper 'body shuts down' allergic).

I have asthma, eczema, hayfever etc (loads of allergy/sensitivity in both families) so when pregnant with DD (2006) I was told to avoid nuts. Not hard, but I did crave peanut butter, which is odd as I hate peanuts (remind me of nuts).

So in my current pregnancy, should I actually eat peanuts?

[CarriePooter]

Different allergies dominate in different parts of the world eg peanut allergy is relatively common here but almost unheard of in African countries. Rice allergy is common in Asia but not here. Its not simply a case of Britain has allergy ishoos and everyone else is fine.
Chinese people are often itollerant to alcohol and get very redfaced if they drink oriental flushing syndrome but Europeans don't get this, probably because the gene died out during the time when alcohol was the only safe drink. Chinese/Japanese boiled water to make it safe but europeans made beer.

40 years ago people didn't eat so much processed food so there wasn't as many labels to read. There also wasn't a constant supply of food at every toddler event so there wasn't as many mothers being forced to draw attention to themselves by announcing their childs shortcomings to the room.

My ds probably won't die of his allergy. The worst that has happened is vomiting and hives but it would be stupid of me to not protect him against it.

What do you mean by parents being overprotective? Do you think that the allergies are being caused by people doing something to their dcs, or do you mean that parents like me should allow their dcs to eat the food they are allergic to because they are more likely to live than die?

[daftpunk]

No....I'm not telling you to eat nuts .....(talk to your doctor) I ate them while pregnant, and gave peanut butter to DC, but no history of allergies in our family....

[CarriePooter]

TheOldestCat, there is no evidence that allergic children are sensitised in utero and no specific IgE has been found in cord blood. I didn't eat nuts during pregnancy because I spent 9 months deciding on what was the best thing to do and by then it was too late.

[stuffitlllama]

I agree with Sooty. I think vaccines must share a large part of the blame.

If we are looking at lots more profoundly damaged immune systems, then it makes sense to look at an early trauma that affects almost every baby before its own immune system is fully developed.

In addition to the direct effect of the vaccine, you have the lateral effect of not having the diseases. For example, you are less likely to develop asthma if you have had measles. Given that asthma I believe (last figures I read) kills about 1400 people a year, this is quite interesting I think.

If you look at many auto immune system disorders, they are on the rise. Diabetes, lupus and so on.

It seems so obvious to me. I don't know why it's not thrown into the mix more often when the allergy question comes up.

[daftpunk]

You spent 9 months deciding what to do? I can make decisions in 10 minutes....

[CarriePooter]

But you are great. I am obviously a shite mother who has made her childs life more difficult by inflicting this of him through my own stupidity.

[2shoes]

yanbu
when I was at school I knewone girl who had an allergy(pets) and even in dd's sn world I only know one.
ds was weaned at 3 months and tbh tried everything(same with dd)
oh and I only avoided food I didn't like when pregnant

[daftpunk]

Carrie: I didn't say that.

[curiositykilled]

Allergies/intolerances (yes, agree they are very different) are complicated. Could be they are just more studied now, people might be more aware and seeking diagnosis. Research indicated early exposure (before 6 months) to some allergens could provoke an allergy that might not necessarily have happened otherwise, but you can find research to support most views if you try hard enough.

If it is true that milk allergy has increased and that allergy can be created by exposure to allergens pre 6 months I would assume it could be related to formula feeding (already a statistical relationship between allergies and methos of feeding) - it is cow's milk after all. But I don't know how or if the statistics for cows milk allergies and method of feeding correlate in any way.

[CarriePooter]

So what is your point? Why post that you are better at making decisions than me? If you think that I could feel worse about what I have done or haven't done to make my son allergic then you are mistaken.

[brimfull]

I also think the early baby vaccines have something to do with it.

My ds developed eczema after the first vaccine.

He has tree nut allergy ,I ate nuts all through out my pregnancy and have alwasy assumed that I have caused his allergy.

I ate nuts becasue I assumed you only had to be careful if you/your family had a history of allergies and mine doesn't.

I have slovenly housekeeping habits yet he has asthma/eczema and allegies.Go figure!

[brimfull]

one good thing though
ds is not allergic to housedust mite!!

[TheOldestCat]

Carrie - thanks for the response.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

I'm not paranoid about nuts dp. I avoided them (well, peanuts - I ate other kinds) whilst pregnant with dd, and she was milk intolerant (outgrew it around 20 months). I ate all nuts inc peanuts whilst pregnant with ds, and he is milk allergic (allergic because he comes out in hives, but his symptoms overall are no worse than dd's), and appears to also be allergic to mussels (hard palate of mouth swelled alarmingly on first exposure, so we've not given them again), and to something that he ate last night - maybe aubergine. Both are fine with peanuts.

No history of food allergies on either side (except dh gets a headache from chocolate).

[Bibelots]

I wish I knew what caused them. Both of my boys are dairy intolerant and now DS1 has developed an allergy to mushrooms. We are seeing a consultant about it next week.

I am pretty sure I was dairy intolerant as a child, as I hated dairy products with a passion and would feel sick if I had a milky/cheesy meal. But no one paid it a great deal of attention and I grew out of it. I remember children at school having allergies in the form of severe excema and asthma, only no one knew it was allergy causing it. One friend of mine gave up eggs as an adult and the nasty, weeping excema all over her body cleared up within a few days.

What I am trying to say is that we can't compare 'the past' with today, as there are lots of people who seem to think a passing dislike for something means they are intolerant (but can still eat it anyway, when they feel like it)- whereas in the past there were lots of people with obvious allergies who didn't know about it.

[stuffitlllama]

There is something in what you say Bibelots! People just used to say "oh tomatoes don't agree with me".

But the increase is real too. Just look at the medical cupboard of any school full of epipens.

[GwarchodwrPlant]

DS who is 10mths suffers with eczema on his arms, face and neck despite being fully breastfed exclusively until he reached 6mths and is still breastfed now.

I don't have any allergies on my side of the family and have grown up surrounded by animals and being allowed to play in the mud and dirt of the garden.

DP gets hayfever and is sensitive to animal hairs as is his mother. His brother has suffered with eczema and they never had any pets growing up and lived in a very clean house.

I don't know if early exposure to animals and dirt helps to strengthen the immune system and prevent allergies, eczema, athsma etc but I'm taking no chances with DS and making sure he gets plenty of exposure to grot and pets through my mothers house! It's a great excuse for living like a slattern too!

[daftpunk]

Carrie; my decision making skills are excellent 99% of the time, like the Mmr vaccine, I took my doctors advice, had all my DC vaccinated. I didn't spend years on the Internet Reading about dubious cases In Canada. Decision made in 10 minutes.... my point about food allergies?... I don't really have one,.....although I think some parents are over protective and dramatic..... Ime

[oldraver]

Anniemac.. similar with my DS2. He was slightly premature, and reluctant to suck so was given formula the day after his birth, cue violent vomiting, so not really any time for me to be too precious. He was diagnosed with Reflux, which he still has but its very obvious he reacted to the Formula. He should of been in SCBU where he would of had EBM, but they had no room for him and he was deemed ok to go on a ward rather than be transferred to another hospital

I dont feel I overprotect him with it, its not an allergic reaction he has but I prefer him NOT to constantly vomiting anymore which leads to other issues, most notably haematemesis

[mawbroon]

I have a theory about the nut thing. Purely a theory mind....

Nuts are always labelled reminding us that young children can choke on nuts. Grapes and apples (for example) are also a ckoking hazard for young children, but they are not labelled so.

My theory is that in the past, children have had coughing/choking type allergic reactions to nuts, but they have not been recognised as such at the time and hence the warnings about choking hazard.

There are 5 sibs in our family, brought up in the 70s, all of us are allergic types, you know hayfever, asthma, animals etc, but interestingly enough, none of us had food allergies. Between us, so far we have 8 children. 4 are hayfeverish etc and three have/had (now outgrown) food allergies. It is too soon to tell with the youngest one.

I had an allergy appointment for ds the other week and I asked the consultant whether I should avoid nuts during this pg, and his answer was that we don't know.

[Laquitar]

YANBU

Some people call the slightest discomfort 'allergy' which is insulting to those who have real allergies.

But i am also wondering if this is part of today's fat-phobia and a way to control your child's diet. If a mum comes to your party and says 'i don't want my dd to have cake because i want her to be size zero' you will be , but if she says 'because she has allergies' you ll respect it.

[CarriePooter]

What is your point about me taking a long time to make a desicion apart from boasting that you are better than me? I didn't think too much about MMR either. Non of my dcs have had an adverse reaction to it and I had no reason to think that they would. If my ds1 had had a bad reaction to it then I would have agonised about giving it to the others. I didn't think about eating peanuts in my first pregnancy. My first child has a peanut allergy. Most people would understand that because of that it was harder to decide what to do in my subsequent pregnancys especially in light of the conflicting advice. I don't see how you making a decision about mmr when you had no reason to think that they will have an adverse reaction is at all relevent.