Is oatmeal considered an allergenic food?

[strmis]

I think I might be confused with oat and wheat and their relationship to one another, but is oatmeal typically considered allergenic?

What about rice (both brown and white)?

Thanks

[txtarheel]

Rice is considered one of the least allergenic foods, but plenty of us on this forum are or have kids that are allergic to it. Oats are kind of middle of the road as far as allergenicity is concerned, but really all that matters is if you or your child reacts to the food.

[Wugmama]

Unless you go out of your way to get gluten free oats they are likely cross-contaminated with wheat, too, which further complicates things.

~Tracy

[Ruthla]

It doesn't matter much what's "typically considered an allergenic food". It matters what you and/or your child are actually allergic to.

I have a friend who's deathly allergic to garlic (an almost unheard of allergen)- yet this same kid has no problem with strawberries (a very common allergen.)

Oats are often contaminated with wheat, but many people with wheat allergies are still fine with oats- the contamination isn't always enough to cause problems in every individual. In general, rice and oat allergies are much less common than wheat allergies, and "general guidelines for infant feeding" generallly recomend introducing wheat much later than rice and oatmeal.

Generally, somebody allergic to rice can't have brown OR white rice, and somebody who's fine with one is fine with both. Some individuals have trouble with the fiber in brown rice, or trouble with the "heavy starch without the fiber) of white rice, but that's generally not an allergen issue. I suppose it's possible to be allergic to rice bran, and be OK with white rice but allergic to brown rice, but that's extremely uncommon.

[strmis]

Thanks
I'm EBFing my 8 month old and she has eczema. I figured I would start with the top allergens and get rid of those from my diet for 2 weeks

BTW... How long should I eliminate before I start some reintroductions? How long before I start seeing a change in DD's skin and itching once I start the diet? How instantly will she react if I eat something that she might be sensitive to??

[mellowjello]

This is such a guessing game. For us, DD reacted to shrimp and garbanzo beans right away, but eggs were fine in moderation for about a month before she broke out in rash. After a year dairy free, she was fine with dairy for about a month before stomach trouble started. Reactions can be so varied, from the extreme, scary, kind, to just sleep disturbances. If you can maintain some balance, and introduce some foods for you to stay healthy and stay sane, while going as slowly as you can for your LO, then IMHO that is the best you can do. I hope it goes well!!!!