7 week old and probably allergies---what do you think I should do?

[princesstutu]

My 7-week-old dd has food allergies. I took her to the ER for the second time today due to her horrible face, head, and neck rash, which is getting worse. Her skin has peeled off her face to the point of loss pigment. It was really itchy last night and she barely slept. Nothing I put on seemed to help.

She doesn't have a ped yet due to moving and insurance issues. Hopefully she'll have one next week. Or I'll start looking for one next week, anyway.

But, my question: I've dealt with kids with food allergies before, so I'm not new to this, but her eczema is out of control and I feel so badly for her. I've already cut out the top 8 allergens, she's solely breastfed, and her bio dad told me he's allergic to raw veggies. Should I cut out vegetables? I just can't imagine not eating veggies.

What veggies would you cut out first? I'm not eating a wide variety, anyway, due to my living sitch, but I'd like suggestions. I eat fruit, too. Should I cut back on fruit? Other than that, I'm mostly just eating oatmeal and meat sometimes. I had fried rice the other day and she didn't seem to react to that. I can't have any soy or her eyes swell up.

I'm going to start taking digestive enzymes, again, soon (when I get money). What else should I look at? She projectile vomits practically every night and she pukes a bit post-nursing. The puke is usually of soggy scrambled egg consistency and yellow or green. The dr. said she'll probably outgrow the vomiting soon (I agree), but I'm concerned she has so much undigested milk in her tummy to puke up so often. Obviously, I should cut out something else.

I really don't want to do that elimination diet (I will if I must), so any other suggestions? She's growing fine and she's pretty happy, except when the rash is crazy itchy. The dr. gave me a prescription today for gel to use to help the itching and antibiotic ointment b/c she has infected spots in her eczema. What would you do now if this were your baby?

[kjbrown92]

Oatmeal is cross-contaminated with wheat/gluten, so you're not top 8 free. Another big offender is corn. Look at ingredients of everything, including supplements/meds/vitamins.

You pass down the tendency to allergies, not the actual allergies, according to the GI & the allergist we went to. Eczema can be due to food allergies, food intolerances, or environmental allergies. What kind of soap do you use? detergent for washing clothes?

[ASusan]

I agree with Kathy - you LO has inherited the tendency to be allergic, NOT specific allergies. If the baby's father has an allergy to all raw veggies, he most likely has oral allergy syndrome, and your little one is not likely allergic in that way.

[Therese's Mommy]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

You pass down the tendency to allergies, not the actual allergies, according to the GI & the allergist we went to.

This is what our allergist said as well.

[alegna]

(((hug))) I would also investigate things like detergents and things that may be touching her skin (soaps? lotions? etc) before assuming food at that age with those symptoms.

-Angela

[princesstutu]

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Oatmeal is cross-contaminated with wheat/gluten, so you're not top 8 free. Another big offender is corn. Look at ingredients of everything, including supplements/meds/vitamins.

You pass down the tendency to allergies, not the actual allergies, according to the GI & the allergist we went to. Eczema can be due to food allergies, food intolerances, or environmental allergies. What kind of soap do you use? detergent for washing clothes?

I was wondering if the oatmeal was cross-contaminated. I keep rereading ingredients, hoping to see something new and insightful. haha

I don't use soap on her and I use some natural tea tree oil soap right now. I use All Free & Clear for laundry. The rash is just on her head, face, neck, and shoulders, so I don't think it's a soap issue.

[princesstutu]

Originally Posted by ASusan

I agree with Kathy - you LO has inherited the tendency to be allergic, NOT specific allergies. If the baby's father has an allergy to all raw veggies, he most likely has oral allergy syndrome, and your little one is not likely allergic in that way.

Originally Posted by alegna

(((hug))) I would also investigate things like detergents and things that may be touching her skin (soaps? lotions? etc) before assuming food at that age with those symptoms.

-Angela

Thanks for all the replies!

I keep telling myself she's not really allergic, just sensitive right now. Thanks for that reminder. And, thanks for that oral allergy info. Glad that's not her sitch!

Again, I really don't think it's a soap issue. Her legs and belly are so soft and clear-skinned. She was having rashes in her crotch and on her bottom, but those have cleared up now that I put an oily barrier btn. her skin and the diapers. She does get a rash every now and then if she poops after I've eaten certain things.

I will cut out the oatmeal and see what happens.

[Huck]

I wanted to share my experience to see if it will help you at all. My daughter is 5 1/2 months old, has had eczema, cradle cap, and yeast since she was about 3 months old. Her head is the worst, extremely itchy, at times it has oozed clear fluid. I have to keep a hat on her, keep her nails cut, and keep mittens on her a lot, otherwise she scratches her head up and it gets worse. Her checks get red and sometimes crack/dry. She has a rash on her upper back and shoulders, sometimes also on her chest and back. It seems worse in places which are often wet (hands in mouth, drool areas).

I am doing a fairly comprehensive elimination diet, recommended by my naturopath. I'm avoiding gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, nuts, sesame seeds, coffee, chocolate, sugar, citrus fruits, tropical fruits, and nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers). I've been off of all of those foods for 5 weeks now, and her head does seem better, but it still itches her and other areas flare up at times. We haven't started to reintroduce foods into my diet yet, and it seems like it will be very difficult to know if it is the reintroduced food causing a problem or an environmental trigger.

Anyway, the topical treatments that I have found to work the best so far are calendula cream and apricot kernel oil.

Internally, I'm taking cod liver oil and probiotics, extra B vitamins, a good quality prenatal, etc. Oh, and I found a gluten free oatmeal to use.

Good luck!

[kjbrown92]

Many people who are sensitive to gluten, are also sensitive to oats, whether gluten free or not, because of the similarity of proteins. So when you're doing an elimination, it's best to take them out until you get to baseline (just like you should take out all mammal milk: goat, sheep, etc.) until you reach baseline. Then you can add things back in to see what can be tolerated.

[princesstutu]

Thank you, Huck and Kathy. Her face is so much clearer today. Her scalp, too. Like her skin magically healed overnight. I've been using EPO and rosehip seed oil on her scalp and shea butter on her face for a little over a week. I really think it's the dairy being completely out of my system, now. I know it takes a week or 2 to be out of my milk ductss and maybe months to be out of my body. It was the first thing i cut out 2 or 3weeks ago. So maybe that, I think. I hope. Her skin's still peeling, but it looks less inflamed and less patchy.

I'm soooo happy!

nak