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3/1/11 at 6:23am
Thread Starter 

 

5 month old with constant congestion
 
Hi all,  I could use some help/support getting started... my 5 month old DD has been congested basically since birth, it seems.  Sometimes it's worse than others, but it has never completely gone away.  It's a cough and runny nose, and ear infections.  She doesn't have any rashes.  It's not terrible -- it's thin mucous, so she never has trouble breathing and she sleeps ok at night (she sleeps with me). But, I'd like to see if I can make her feel better by eliminating whatever is causing her issues.  I have already greatly reduced dairy because it was clearly affecting her tummy - painful smelly gas, smelly poop.  After reducing dairy, this got much better immediately.  I'm still working on going a good 5 days with no dairy at all.  
 
We recently switched to a new more holistic pediatrician to see if we could get some better ideas re: ear infections, since my 3 year old had them as a baby too.  She's given me a few options:
 
1. do nothing, since she's doing ok, and some people would say this is normal for an infant (not what she recommends)
2. elimination diet for me - starting with no soy, dairy, wheat, corn, nuts
3. 3 days on allergen-free formula
4. singulair
5. go on a week vacation to see if it's environmental allergies -- I wonder if we have mold in our house (although no one else is sick) or if it could be constant viruses from being in daycare 3 days/week.  
 
Option 3 doesn't work because DD doesn't drink bottles.  (Not my preference, but it is what it is.)  
 
I'm open to trying Singulair, but right now I feel she is still too little for that, so I want to try some diet things first.  
 
So I have a few questions...
 
1.) Does anyone have experience with Singulair in infants?
 
2.) Does anyone have any ideas regarding her symptoms and what type of allergy this could be?  My 3 year old is allergic to peanuts & sesame, but, silly me, I haven't been totally eliminating peanuts from my diet when nursing DD, although I don't eat them very often.
 
3.) On the elimination diet the pediatrician recommended, are sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds ok?
 
4.) The pediatrician said once the offending food is eliminated from my diet, her symptoms should go away in 5 days.  I thought it took longer than that... what do you think?
 
5.) what about oatmeal?  rice milk?
 
Thanks so much...
 
Bethany
(mama to DD - 5 months, and DS - 3 years)
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