Allergy FAQs

Archived Allergy FAQ's

• I gave my daughter green beans for 4 days and she didn't have any problems so we moved onto peas. She developed little red bumps on her lips and her top lip looked a little swollen. Do you think this was an irritation or an allergic reaction? NEW!
  
• My baby is developing a rash on his chin, thoat and chest...
• My child has eczema and it is getting worse. Can my pediatrician test for a wheat gluten allergy? NEW!
  
• I've been giving my son a lactose free formula for a few months now with great success. My doctors and many other people have told me that babies are not lactose intolerant. Both my husband and I are lactose intolerant though. I was wondering what I can expect when trying to introduce new foods? NEW!
  
• My nine month daughter has had allergies to milk and soy. When is it safe to try yogurt due to the allergies? NEW!
  
• My 10 month old has had rashes and dry patches since she was born. I then stopped feeding her dairy for 2 weeks and the dry spots disappeared. Does this indicate she may have a lifelong allergy, or just a temporary one? NEW!
  
• Can you please describe an allergic reaction? What do I need to look for and is there a difference in "spit up" and food allergy 'toleration'? NEW!
  

I gave my daughter green beans for 4 days and she didn't have any problems so we moved onto peas. She developed little red bumps on her lips and her top lip looked a little swollen. She has eczema very badly and it also broke out on her face. I stopped the peas and moved to squash. Should I try the peas again? Do you think this was an irritation or an allergic reaction?

The answer to your question depends on exactly what happened. If the bumps and lip swelling occurred within minutes of eating the peas it is likely an allergic reaction, and peas should be avoided. Irritation is very common from wetness (saliva, foods) and cold air outside. However, real swelling of the lip does not occur if the cause is just irritation.
 

My baby seems to be allergic to rice and oatmeal cereal. He develops a rash after every time he eats it. Is there a chance that it is the formula I mix it with that is doing it...? His rash develops under his chin, throat, and upper chest area. Maybe the milk on the skin? Though, he drinks the formula without any problems. Is there another way I can get him enough iron at 5 1/2 mos. old? Thank you.

You are correct to point out the 3 possible causes of this rash. If it's on the chin, neck (in front), and upper chest, the rash is most likely an irritation rash. Probably, your son drools, spits up, or gets formula or cereal over those areas. The wetness and contact of such items with the skin can cause a rash. Try keeping a bib on him and perhaps, change his shirt after meals or when there is wetness there.
 

My child has eczema and it is getting worse. I now suspect the culprit is wheat, as she also gets a distended belly after eating wheat pasta and crackers. Can my pediatrician test for a wheat gluten allergy? Also, the problem is that her favorite foods are wheat pasta and crackers. Could you suggest some other toddler foods that are soft to chew that she may enjoy? She is 18 months and enjoys self-feeding finger foods.

It is now known that food allergy may play a role in eczema. In about a third of children with eczema, the skin condition is made worse when a specific food is eaten. Wheat is one of the more common offenders. Other common foods include tomatoes, strawberries, citrus fruits,milk, eggs,and a few others. You can do a test to see if a particular food influences the severity of your child's eczema: remove the food from her diet for a week. If this food affects her eczema, the skin should get much better. Then re-introduce the food; the skin should get much worse. If your child also has abdominal symptoms when wheat is ingested, let your doctor know. Your child may be reacting to gluten in the wheat products. Gluten allergy is also known as celiac disease (abdominal distention, diarrhea, poor growth, abdominal pains). A blood test can be done to see if your daughter has this condition, which is treated by giving her a special gluten-free diet. There are many products available that are gluten-free. Use the internet to search for these products.
 

I've been giving my son a lactose free formula for a few months now with great success. My doctors and many other people have told me that babies are not lactose intolerant. Both my husband and I are lactose intolerant though, and after giving many other formulas (except soy) without success (excess gas and fussiness) and then having so much success with this I am convinced he is lactose intolerant. My husband and I became lactose intolerant later in life so I'm not sure how it works in infancy. I was wondering what I can expect when trying to introduce new foods? He eats rice cereal and a fruit or vegetable together as a meal, once everyday. I'm concerned about introducing yogurt, cheeses and milk later. Is this a life long issue or should I attempt to give him these things on the regular schedule? Also what about giving soy milk, instead of milk after 12 mos?

It is unusual for lactose intolerance to occur in infants. Lactose intolerance is the inability to break down the milk sugar, lactose, a compound sugar, into simple sugars. Usually this is due to a low level of an enzyme, lactase, produced by intestinal cells. There are two types of lactose intolerance. There are temporary cases of lactose intolerance (these result from illness, such as a stomach virus, and last only as long as it takes the intestinal lining cells to heal after an injury) and the life-long type. The life-long type usually does run inparticular families, but it is unusual to see it until a child is 3-4 yrs old. Children with this type can usual eat or drink a small amount of milk or dairy products, but symptoms will develop once this limit is exceeded.Has your child had a stomach virus recently? Do your child's symptoms occur after regular cow's milk formulas (if so he may have cow's milk protein intolerance and not lactose intolerance.) However if symptoms occur with regular cow's milk formula but not with lactose-free cow's milk formula, lactose intolerance is more likely. You can certainly try introducing cheeses and yogurt. As stated, many children with lactose intolerance have no symptoms as long as the amount of these foods taken isn't large, but again you should consult your pediatrician.
 

My nine month daughter has had allergies to milk and soy. When is it safe to try yogurt due to the allergies? Also, when is a good time to switch from stage 2 to stage 3 foods?

Most children who have a milk allergy early in infancy will no longer react to milk after a year of age. So I would try milk and milk products then. It is interesting, also, that many children allergic to milk do not react when given yogurt or cheese. Apparently, the process of making these items changes the milk proteins so that they are no longer the same as milk.

There is also no one answer to your second question. I recommend starting finger foods at 8-9 months. Remember that gagging is a normal part of learning to eat finger foods. In highly allergic families or if a child has many allergies, I recommend not introducing the more allergic foods (eggs, strawberries, tomatoes, etc.) until the child is over a year of age.
 

My 10 month old has had rashes and dry patches in the creases of her elbows and knees since she was born, which I attributed mostly to sweating and the heat (we live in Florida). She has been breast fed exclusively, started solids at 6 months and started dairy at 8 months. I was recently told by someone that babies shouldn't begin eating dairy until after 1 year of age to avoid developing an allergy. I then stopped feeding her dairy for 2 weeks and the dry spots disappeared. Does this indicate she may have a lifelong allergy, or just a temporary one? And if I stop feeding her dairy, should I be concerned about her getting enough protein? (I still breast feed and very rarely give her poultry) How can I supplement the protein at this age?

From your description, your daughter has dry, rough patches of skin. This is commonly called "eczema", but themedicalterm is atopic dermatitis. Several factors go into a child getting eczema. First, there often is a family history (genetics) of others with eczema, allergies, or asthma. Second, whenever the skin is dry or irritated, the eczema will be worse. In cold climates, eczema often worsens in the winter when the heat is on and homes get quite dry. Frequent bathing or swimming sometimes worsens the eczema also, as can harsh clothing rubbing against the skin. Finally, in some children, a food allergy may show up as worsening of eczema. It sounds as if your daughter is reacting to cow's milk, so avoiding it seems wise. Allergies to cow's milk are often outgrown. When she is older (perhaps 18 months or 24 months) you might want to try introducing cow's milk again to see whether or not her skin worsens.Meanwhile, she can get protein from meats, eggs, fish. Calcium is also an important ingredient of milk. For this, she can drink calcium fortified juices.
 

Can you please describe an allergic reaction? My son is very fair and has sensitive skin, so I am having trouble distinguishing between heat bumps, too much detergent or "new food" allergy. What do I need to look for and is there a difference in "spit up" and food allergy 'toleration'? Thank you!

When children show an allergic reaction to a food, it usually takes the form of a rash. (Rarely, a severe reaction occurs with vomiting, wheezing, shortness of breath, swelling of the lips and tongue, pale color.) One type of rash is commonly called "hives" or to doctors, "urticaria". Hives are large red blotches (either flat or with a raised, puffy central area) that come and go over hours and are quite itchy. They occur anywhere on the body. Some children show food allergy by a worsening of eczema. These children usually already have dry patches and their skin feels rough to the touch. When they eat a food they are allergic to, the skin condition gets worse. Typical areas involved are the cheeks of the face, the front part of the elbows, the upper chest and lower abdomen, the thighs, behind the knees. Heat rash is typically found over a broad area (usually the upper back) and consists of many separate small pink pimples, which may or may not have a small white head in the center.
 

Archived Allergy FAQ's