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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

7 month old with hives and swelling after eating egg today

61 replies

JodieG1 · 18/08/2007 18:14

I'm assuming he had an allergic reaction to the scrambled egg he had for breakfast but he's had egg about 4 times before in the past week or so and had no reaction to it. Is this usual? Is it wise to avoid egg altogether from now on including products with egg in them? It was at 7am at breakfast in the hotel (we were visiting legoland) and a few mintues after eating scrambled egg he started getting hives around his mouth. He also had some sausage but I'm assuming in wasn't that. We're BLW by the way. The hives spread to his cheek and above his eys (I think where he rubbed the egg into his face) and by the time we were back at the hotel room his lips started to swell.

I gave him a breastfeed and watched him but although I was worried he seemed fine and had no trouble breathing. About an hour later all the hives had gone and he was completely fine.

Any advice and do I need to take him to the drs?

OP posts:
CantSleepWontSleep · 19/08/2007 10:31

Sorry, typed your name wrong.

Isababel · 19/08/2007 10:33

Yeah, sometimes they are not quite up to date.

Original poster
JodieG1 · 19/08/2007 10:36

salaldsucks - thanks, I will try for an appt with an allergist tomorrow.

Tapster - I hope so, would be good to know for sure

Isababel - Thanks for the link I think I'll stick to that then. I'll see how it goes with my diet

Can'tsleep - I'll wait and see what the dr says first. He barely ate any egg and on retrospect he actually started spitting it out so maybe he knew it wasn't right. If he ate any it was a tiny amount and he had swollen lips and lots of hives so I don't want to risk a worse reaction on my own.

Waiting for the hotel to call me back about what was in the food now and how it was cooked.

OP posts:
amidaiwish · 19/08/2007 10:40

DD2 had exactly the same reaction (hives) at about 9 months to scrambled egg.

She does have an egg allergy confirmed by skin prick test. However she is fine with cakes and products containing egg so long as they are baked. So she can't have scrambled egg, omelette, quiche etc. Her RAST test was quite clear so they have told me she should out-grow it. Just wanted to share a fairly positive story as i know the whole allergy thing is so frightening!

The MMR by the way is no longer egg-based.

Isababel · 19/08/2007 11:32

BTW, the table shown in the other thread it is a bit conservative. (i.e. nuts after 2). DS put a peanut in his mouth when he was older than 2 and... he is allergic to them now, I don't know if things would have been any different if I had been more careful for longer, but I deeply regreted not paying more attention to the advice indicating I should wait until he was 3-5 yrs old.

MrsCarrot · 19/08/2007 11:51

Hi Jodie

How awful this has happened, you were so worried about allergies weren't you? There never seems to be a right answer either.

I saw the consultant allergist at our hospital last week and we only waited three weeks or so for an appointment. He said that testing is inconclusive before a year and that as I was bf and symptoms (coughing/wheezing/mucous) were quite mild to just carry on as I was and come back at a year if there was still a problem. (They don't seem mild to us)

LO had a hivey rash on his feet once after I'd eatena boiled egg at a party and held him rubbing his feet. That's the only thing I could think of to have caused it. I asked about the MMR and he said that's not for six months anyway so not to worry about it. He didn't mention it wasn't egg based any more? Really annoys me the different advice we're given.

He referred us a to a dietician who was worse than useless. Seriously. She said if cutting wheat and dairy out of my diet was getting a bit tiresome why don't I stop bf and give him their hypo allergenic formula. I said I thought it was best to bf with allergies and she said yes, up to six months, but I could carry on if I wanted to.

I then asked if it was derived from cow's milk and she said no, then yes, then, wait for it, she wasn't sure. Went to find out. Yes, she says, it is cow's milk and then it's broken down so much it's no longer cow's milk. Because if you break down a protein you get amino acids. Er, yes, I did do biology in high school.

Sorry for ascerbic tone, she just really annoyed me, especially when, seen as I'd reported a problem with dairy/wheat, perhaps I should introduce other allergens from the LIST OF TWELVE before them, like mustard and celery. Mustard? Grrrr.

Maybe you will get a sensible dietician As you know I've cut a lot out of my diet while bf so if you need any food tips let me know. I'm not vegi though so that is harder for you but still I have some good recipes/products. I assume you don't eat fish?

amidaiwish · 19/08/2007 12:33

maybe the advice re MMR is conflicting as in some regions they may still be using MMR cultured in egg. The latest one available however is no longer egg based.

i saw a consultant paediatrician at the hospital re DD2's allergies and she said it used to be egg-based but no more. However i still insisted it was done in hosp rather than at GPs. They said there was absolutely no reason to, but they did (we're in SW london, uptake is v low. they'll do it wherever you like to get the immunisation rate up).

Original poster
JodieG1 · 19/08/2007 13:34

amidaiwish - I hope that's the case with Ethan too as if he can't eat anything at all with egg in then it's a lot of food really.

MrsC - Hi thanks for all the advice I think I will need some tips regarding cutting out food when bf as I don't intend to stop soon and I eat egg and egg products quite frequently. I don't eat fish at all no so some recipes would be greatly appreciated The dietician you saw sounds useless, why ask you to stop bf. I eat quite a lot of dairy and he hasn't been affected in any way from that (that I've seen) so I'm hoping to be able to eat dairy still. I was worried about egg actually and made sure I wasn't alone with the children when I first gave Ethan egg and thought he'd be ok with it now. Hotel made the egg with butter and milk and the sausage was just pork grilled so I think it was probably the egg. I make scrambled egg with milk too, I do find it odd the way he didn't react before but do understand why and how that can happen. Hopefully we won't have to wait long for an appt either.

OP posts:
twentypence · 19/08/2007 20:11

"just pork grilled"

No way was a hotel sausage just meat. Ask them for the ingredients list scanned and faxed to you.

Original poster
JodieG1 · 19/08/2007 20:37

It was a 4 star hotel and quite pricey so it could have been a decent sausage. I'll see what the dr says and get back to the hotel if they think it could be the sausage.

OP posts:
MerlinsBeard · 19/08/2007 20:41

did they use the same pan as they did something else in?

am only asking because i am wondering what oil they use. thinking maybe it could be that? ie groundnut oil maybe?
sounds like you have every angle covered in any case

Original poster
JodieG1 · 19/08/2007 20:55

I wondered that too but asked what they cooked it in and was told butter for the eggs and grilled sausages.

OP posts:
MerlinsBeard · 19/08/2007 21:10

glad you have checked and ruled that out

Psychobabble · 19/08/2007 21:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumtodd · 19/08/2007 21:28

Hi Jodie, we have recently been through this with dd. As she has eczema we intoduced new foods very slowly. She had her first taste of egg at just over a year and had a reaction very simialr to the one you described. We got a referral for allergy testing and she had her tests at 14 months. She test positive for an egg allergy on the skin prick and RAST blood test. Thankfully nothing else showed up. THe advice the consultant gave us was to avoid all egg and egg containing foods until she is 3 and then have her re-tested. We got a list of all the names egg can appear under in foods and we have been told to always keep a bottle of Phenergan available. He did even discuss the necessity of an Epipen with us so he obviously does consider egg allergy to be quite serious. I would get a referral and avoid all contact with egg. He said he has seen cases of severe anaphylatic shock in response to egg although it is quite rare.

KerryMumbledore · 19/08/2007 21:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mumtodd · 19/08/2007 22:24

Meant to mention the MMR too. In Ireland too and we were told that dd will have to have her MMR administered in hospital because of the egg. Not sure if it applies to the UK.

Original poster
JodieG1 · 19/08/2007 22:57

Thanks again. I choose the single MMR with my other children and plan the same with ds2 so will look into that in relation to allergy.

OP posts:
Original poster
JodieG1 · 20/08/2007 13:44

Spoke to the dr this morning and he said he would see him today if I wanted but that he doubted there was anything to see now so I agreed to make an appointment and talk it through. He didn't see the point of referring so anyone give me something to say to that? I will push for a referral but he also said the egg would go into my milk in such tiny amounts that I wouldn't have to give up egg. I think I will anyway and would really much rather see a specialist. He also said it's not worth testing him?? Said a blood test would be upsetting for him but I thought there were skin tests that could be done. I'm calling at 2 to make an appointment (shut until then) so will hopefully get one this week.

OP posts:
Original poster
JodieG1 · 20/08/2007 14:29

Just got an appt with a different doctor for 4pm today so will see what she says. Would have been next week otherwise.

OP posts:
Isababel · 20/08/2007 14:33

I would like to tell you to insist in getting an appointment for testing so you can get your mind at ease but, TBH, I think it would be difficult to get it as the reaction has not been strong enough to get them extremely worried about it, and your child is still too young to get a more or less reliable test result. (Mine reacted to peanuts being 2 years old and the glorious appointment materialised after eighteen months of waiting).

However, if it happens again, insist in getting a testing appointment, don't try to discuss anything with GP, it's pointless because he has not been trained or be prepared to give you adequate answers. Unfortunately food allergies are unknow territory for most GPs, so press for the appointment, and avoid egg in the mean time, carry a bottle of Piriton at all times just in case.

Anyways, regarding the testing being upsetting... I can asure you that the vaccines are far more painful and upsetting than the tests and nobody would dream in advising against them for this reason.

LilianGish · 20/08/2007 14:45

Both my dcs born in France where advice is not to give egg before the age of 12 months to avoid an allergic reaction. I realise this is not very helpful to Jodie, but thought it might be relevant for other weaners,

Isababel · 20/08/2007 15:09

Actually... it's the same here (8m for egg yolks and 12 for whites but, unless you are cooking hard boiled eggs I can't see how to separate them succesfully). Problem here is that someway you only find those guidelines once you get into trouble. They should be included in the red book.

Original poster
JodieG1 · 20/08/2007 17:04

Thanks, you'd think I'd know about the egg this being my 3rd baby but I must have forgotten he shouldn't have it yet I would never have given it to him otherwise and we waited until almost 6 months to wean (BLW so he chose when to start).

Dr said to see the allergy specialist nurse there but she's not that good, she's also the vaccine specialist and I've seen her before. In the meantime she will speak to the hospital about a referral but said 6 weeks. Dh has bupa with work I wonder if I could go through them?

She wasn't sure about me bf and eating egg either.

OP posts:
Isababel · 20/08/2007 20:37

Go thorugh Bupa, they can get you to see a proper allergician within a week!

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