a question about peanut allergies

[elmh23]

nak

my dd is 18 months old and yesterday had peanuts for the first time. i'm not sure how many she ate (four year old nephew was giving them to her, i think, he says he didn't but there is no way she could have gotten them off the table.) anyways, after a little while of her chewing on the peanuts (it takes her awhile to chew sometimes, esp. if she had been given a lot at one time because she then just stuffs them in her mouth) i noticed her lips her getting really red and there were red marks outside of her lips, almost like she had bitten them or smacked into something. they were a little puffy but she wasn't really swollen and she was breathing fine.

should i be concerned she has a peanut allergy? my inclination is to not let her have any more peanut products until age 2. also, no one in our family has a peanut allergy though many suffer from seasonal allergies and pet dander allergies.

[greenbeing]

I definitely wouldn't give her anymore peanuts! It seems like an allergy to me.

[sixpence1978]

i agree. it sounds like a minor allergy to me. i would probably try again closer to 3 though just to be safe. both of my kids have a peanut allergy and broke out in hives from head to toe after eating only a tiny bit. give her body a little more time to mature.

[Nicole888]

Peanuts -> Anaphylaxis

Definately trust your instincts - it's probably an allergy. With peanuts, you have to be extra careful because many people develop anaphylaxis reaction to peanut over time.

Allergies, in Oriental Medicine, start in the digestive system. If your digestive is not functioning properly, your immune system will suffer. i.e. it is not able to absorb enough of the essential nutrients. From there, things like environmental allergies, asthma, etc. may develop. So there is a link between your family's allergies and your child's.

[Boobs]

Keep in mind that her next exposure to peanuts could give her an anaphylactic reaction!!
Peanut allergy is not something to take lightly and it does sound like your dd had a reaction. This instance may not have been serious, but the next one could be fatal. Please, please, please don't let her have anymore peanuts and if I were you I would arm yourself with as much education as you can get on the subject.