16 Month old has persistant rash- Thinking about dropping milk and/or gluten

[SeattleRain]

My 16 month old son (who was formula-fed with regular dairy formula) has little red bumps on his back and legs, like a classic rash or even eczema. This has been going on for MONTHS. I don't remember this being an issue when he was tiny, so I suspect it's dietary and not something environmental. Currently, Daniel is allowed to eat pretty much anything he wants without reservation. He drinks organic whole milk (14 oz/day) and eats whole wheat and all kinds of nuts and fish, so basically any common allergen. I'd like to start some kind of elimination diet to see if this rash is connected to something he's eating and I'd like to start with milk. My question is what kind of milk should I replace the whole milk with? He doesn't gain weight easily, so I want to make sure whatever I replace the milk with has a nice amount of fat, whether it be inherent or added to the milk. How long should I eliminate dairy before moving on to another allergen?

[somegirl99]

I'd suggest coconut milk or hemp milk as a replacement for dairy.

Having gone through elimination diets over the past year or so, I would recommend if you can to just eliminate all the top allergens in one go.  He is just as likely to be allergic to multiple things as to one thing.  If you eliminate only one thing at a time it could take much longer to figure it out.  Once I eliminated all the suspects all at once, we were able to get to baseline quickly and start doing food challenges on each one.

[Just1More]

Yes, I agree with the pp.  I'd take him down to a few basic foods, and then start adding stuff back in.  The other way doesn't give enough clarity, imo.

I don't know about a good milk option.  But I do know that you can get calcium and fat from lots of other sources, and they don't have to have milk.  Like spinach, broccoli, bone broth, etc. Fat from avocado, olive oil, etc.

Different allergens have different recommended times to be fully out the system, but I think the standard is 2 to 3 weeks.  Residual effects can take longer to subside, up to 6 months.

[bendmom]

J is anaphalactic to egg, peanut, and dairy. So rough. Also highly allergic to fish, wheat gluten, and soy. We did a blood test and the skin prick test. After the ER visit from egg, it was worth the $60 test from the allergist. If you don't figure it out when they are just starting out wtih it, it can get worse as the body grows. We eat a modified version of the Paleo Diet. You can look it up, but it's pretty much meat, fruit, veggies. We do rice, quinoa, coconut milk, rice milk, etc, though. Good luck. Our allergist said taking out milk, fish and wheat can be the first to go if eliminating without testing.

[Momo123]

You've gotten lots of advice already, but I just wanted to point out that while it could be a food and that route is definitely worth pursuing, it is possible to develop allergies to environmental things as the child grows. My allergist has said that some kids do develop reactions to environmental allergens as they continue to grow and it is something to watch out for, especially if they are already "atopic" as in if they are allergic to foods.

[newmamalizzy]

Similar to PP, just wanted to mention that my now 19 month old started with an eczema-like rash last fall, along with some major allergy rings under her eyes.  She wasn't on solids yet, and was on Alimentum, so it was most likely not a dairy/food issue.  She itched and scratched for several months and then just snapped out of it sometime in midwinter.  I almost forgot about it until, about a month ago, she started getting little bumps on her torso - almost exactly a year from when she started with it before.  She still has the bumps and now has a dry, eczema-type spot on the back of her neck, too.  Not sure if it's a seasonal allergy or just something to do with the drier winter air, but it sounds similar to you LO's condition, and seems to be environmental rather than food-related. 

[IngaAnne]

Are the bumps bothering him? I have a child who is very allergic to a large number of foods, and honestly, I would not cut out a whole bunch of foods due to a minor rash that isn't bothering a child, at least not without an allergist's confirmation of true allergies. I wouldn't want to risk nutritional deficiencies without being certain the foods needed to be avoided. If he is having no other symptoms, I'd suggest looking into issues with soaps, lotions, and detergents first. He may very well, just have eczema or as a pp meantioned, it could simply be the dry winter air. My son reacts to just about everything on his skin, so these are some things we do: 1) Never use fabric softener in the machine used for your child's laundry. 2) Use free and clear detergent. If you are already, try another brand. Kid's can react to one brand, but be fine with another. 3) Only use cotton blankets and clothing on your child. My son reacts to polyester, including fleece. 4) Use gentle and unscented soap. Those Johnson baby soaps were the worst thing that ever touched my son's skin. We use California Baby Sensitive baby wash and shampoo. 5) Moisturize your child's skin immediately after his bath. Since my son is overly sensitive, we use Vanicream. It's the only lotion he can handle. We get a huge jar from the pharmacy counter at Walgreens.

Good luck.