Possible food allergy...help!

[sarbetrog]

I have a 6 1/2 mo old girl that gets sick and vomits from eating rice cereal and oat bran. I told her doctor this and questioned whether or not it could be some level of a gluten intolerance and her doc said that may be the case. she suggested I start giving her pureed meats to make up for the iron lost from not eating the iron fortified rice cereal. choosing not to give my infant meat I have been giving her lentils and some spinach instead...however, doing some research today found that neither rice cereal nor oat bran contain gluten! (though it is possible the oat bran has it from cross contamination) so my question is: is there some other possible allergen that both rice and oats have that I am missing?

[kjbrown92]

depending what brand you're getting... either (maybe both) beech-nut and gerber rice cereal used to have soy in it. oat bran would be cross contaminated with gluten unless certified gluten free. But maybe she's just not ready for grains. is she okay with the veggies?

[sarbetrog]

she has had a wide array of fruits, veg, herbs and spices with no negative reaction to any. at first i thought she didn't like the taste (rice cereal is awfully bland) but i prepared the oat bran with cinnamon, nutmeg and pureed bananas (all things she has had many times before). she ate it as if she liked it and then threw up every drop of it about an hour later. i feel very clueless right now...?

[kjbrown92]

maybe there's nothing in common except that they're two foods that she reacts to. or she's too young for grains (some people are opting to put grains in last instead of first because they are harder to digest).

[Vanessa1111]

You might check out the Carroll Food Test (tests for genetic food intolerance and food combination intolerance) or find a Naturopath near you. Many people are having issues with grains in general these days either because of the level of processing they go through or due to lack of being soaked before cooked (which helps to activate the enzymes needed to break it down and absorb the nutrients). Seems like the evidence is there though, if she throws up right after, clear indication it doesn't work for her system. Hope you figure it out!

[organicviolin]

I think that she's not ready for grains.  Babes lack the enzymes required to properly digest them.  I had given my DS1 grains early, and it caused issues, took them out then gave him properly soaked, sprouted grains after a year and he was cool with it.  This babe (6 weeker currently) won't be given any grains until @ least 1 yr.  Then it'll be the brown rice we eat with dinner and the quinua etc. all soaked and sprouted :) hth

[deborahbgkelly]

What about yeast?I don't know whether that is an issue for rice, but it certainly could be for oats. People are correct that oats are not gluten-free without certification.

[Jenny Sprague]

Yes, if your child has a soy allergy most of the baby cereals also have soy- as I found out the hard way!~ Check my website- multiplefoodallergyhelp.com I started it after both my boys were diagnosed with multiple food allergies- starting at an early age, my youngest is allergic to : dairy, wheat, soy, oats, eggs, barley, green peas, lentils, strawberries, peanuts, and tree nuts, and rapeseed/ canola!  So, My best advice is get set up to see an allergist and have scratch tests done on your child, best solution is to get allergy tested so you can know what foods to avoid! I have a facebook page for the website too- but seriously, I have I ton of information and advice on there- hope you get some answers!~jenny

[Mylie]

My baby did the same thing when we started cereal..I started with Gerber Rice...After a day she started vomiting..I stopped giving her the cereal but she vomited it for a good week..she couldn't process something...She is now 3 1/2 and allergic to Gluten,dairy and soy...I waited another month and half to try cereal again but this time I used Earth's Best Organic Rice and she did fine with it. No gluten or soy in it like the commercial brands...she still likes to eat it....I tried that when she turned 5 1/2 months old and that really alerted me there was a possible multible allergy problem like my son...so we only did one new thing at a time and super slowly...I kept a diet diary...It really saved me alot of trouble..Hope you get it all worked out..l know how frustrating it can be....

[Francie Healey]

I appreciate your post and all the insightful responses to your food allergy question. As you mentioned, oats are often cross-contaminated with other grains that contain gluten. In addition, grains can be very difficult for 6 month old infants to digest until their GI tract epithelium becomes more mature and until their pancreatic enzymes are manufactured more efficiently.

In our Western culture, it is very common to introduce rice cereal as the baby’s first food. In fact, my oldest daughter’s first food was rice cereal because that is what my pediatrician told me to feed her. However, I later learned that white rice cereal is a highly refined product with limited nutritional value that has been stripped of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Plus, it is often fortified with iron that is often difficult to absorb, and can be very constipating. Keep in mind that refined white rice is a carbohydrate that quickly converts to sugar in the body.   

I also feel it is noteworthy to mention that grains contain phytic acid, which makes them difficult to break down in the digestive system. Plus, phytic acid is a known mineral blocker. Therefore, when you choose to offer your baby grains, I recommend that you soak the grains for at least 8 hours in an acidic solution. (I personally cover my grains with warm water and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and soak overnight.) Soaking grains for 24 hours is even better. Eating grains without soaking them can cause digestive upset, particularly for babies or for those people with weak digestive systems.

It is important to rotate the grains in your baby’s diet to reduce the chance of an allergic response. You’ll also expose your baby to a larger variety of nutrients. Because your baby has already had a strong reaction to oats and possibly rice; I do recommend waiting to reintroduce these grains. I tend to take a more conservative approach, but I suggest delaying grains until your baby is at least 9 months old. I would then experiment with quinoa and millet. If at that time you feel that you want to reintroduce rice that has been soaked, you could try brown basmati rice, but again you may want to consider airing on the side of caution and delay reintroduction. I would particularly wait on reintroducing oats, since you’re feeling that is what caused the allergic response.

As you may already know, it is recommended that new foods be introduced one at a time, each for three consecutive days. It is important to observe for signs of allergic reactions such as redness of face, rash around the mouth or anus, runny nose, diarrhea, change of personality, vomiting and/or hives. If you observe an allergenic reaction, like in your baby’s case, consider leave the offending food out of your baby’s diet for 6 months before reintroducing the food.

As for iron, foods with the highest iron are swiss chard, dulse, mustard greens, leeks and apricots. Foods with moderate to high iron levels include kale, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin and peas. You can also use cast-iron cookware when preparing your baby's food and incorporate sea vegetables into your baby’s diet.

I hope this is helpful. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your post.

Francie Healey