Can young babies have hayfever or similar allergies?

[Lexiesgirl]

I'm just wondering really, to see whether anyone thinks this is worth me seeing the GP about.

18wo DD has started getting red and swollen eyelids, one eye more than the other. This comes and goes, generally getting redder as the afternoon wears on, but isn't linked to her being tired. They don't seem to bother her too much, though she is a bit of an eye rubber anyway.

This all really started about two weeks ago when her left eye swelled(sp?) quite quickly in the late afternoon and so I took her to the emergency docs - my main concern, as it is now, being that when her eye swells the lower lid looks as though it is turning in on her eye. The doc said the eyelashes weren't scratching her eye but he didn't know what it was as there was very little discharge or any sign of infection. As usual, he just said 'keep an eye on it and come back if it gets worse' His only guess was that her tearducts and sinuses are all backing up a bit (but when I read about this online, I'm not sure as she doesn't have a teary eye when she's not crying). He said it couldn't be hayfever.

So, the point of this waffle really is does anyone know if babies this young can have hayfever or other similar allergies? Does this sound like something quite common and I'm just having a PFB panic? Anyone had an similar experiences?

My DD has hay fever. And was diagnosed with it aged 6 months. After about 10 trips to the doctors. They didn't believe me but I knew it was as I suffer myself with it. She now takes piriton when ever the pollen count is up.
it sounds like it to me but I'm no expert. But runny eyes, puffiness and redness is exactly what me and DD get if we don't take our medicine.

Hope this helps. And good luck.

I might try the docs next week and see if they believe me. Sounds like you had fun getting them to believe you!! Like you, though, this has been going on for a few weeks so I know something is causing her eyes to flare up. But we've just been for a walk through some fields and at the end her eyes were very red, they calmed down when I wiped them with salty water. Does that sound a bit like your DD?

We took ds to the docs at around 12 months with puffy face and watery eyes, doc thought it was hayfever, I was a bit as he was young but doc says they do see it in children as young as 6 months (bit like asthma apparently some children display it earlier) she suggested piriton which worked but eventually realised it was an allergy to parmesam cheese - I'd been putting it in risotto and mac cheese as it wasn't every day and then came back after a few weeks - I googled it and its something to do with a chemical in the cheese, he's now 3 and totally grown out of. Are you weaning? any new chemicals/soaps being used? although sounds like you have a link if you see it getting worse whilst on walk - I'd keep diary, if it dies off in a few weeks then could well be seasonal and worth having diary for next year when it comes on again

Incy, we haven't started weaning yet or used any new soaps etc but the diary suggestion is a great idea, thank you - I can at least keep track of what the weather has been like, if she has been outside/had the windows open all day, that might help suggest what is causing it.

If it was just her getting a bit red and snuffly I think I wouldn't mind too much, but its that it seems to turn her lower lids in when they do inflame and I'm worried that one day the lashes will start scratching her eye.

My son first had hay fever at 16 weeks or less- eyes were streaming. He rarely gets it now.

Can you try piriton and see if it works? It certainly used to be allowed at even her young age. Or bathe eyes with sterile saline on cotton wool and see if that helps- if it's hayfever it should as you would be washing away at least some of the irritant.

View, we've been washing her eyes with salty water as the doc recommended and that's certainly calming them down, so I guess it really does sound like an allergy? Poor little mite . She's worse in the afternoon so I'll make a docs appt for then so they can see what I'm on about!