My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Allergies and intolerances

eczema and excessive wind since startig solids - possible food intolerance?

15 replies

MadMonkeys · 06/04/2013 21:45

Dd2 started blw at 24 weeks when she started trying to take food off my plate. She lives it, eats loads right from day one and is generally an easy baby. She is now 28 weeks. Prior to starting solids she slept well, often 8 hours unbroken sleep a night. Since starting solids she has had excessive wind, waking her every hour or two every night, sometimes it takes 3 or 4 hours to settle get, previously it would have taken a quick breast feed to settle her. I'm getting 2-4 hours sleep a night...

She also developed eczema at the same time which started as a couple of small patches but is now coming in patches all up her arms, hands, thighs, shoulders etc. She also came up in a red bumpy rash around her mouth, chin and neck after meals which never really goes away. Gp gave me doublebase emollient for the rash and 1% hydrocortisone cream for the eczema, neither of which are making a massive difference although the rash is less noticeable most of the time and the original arches of eczema are slowly fading.

Does this sound like a food allergy/intolerance? I raised it with the Hv who has referred dd to a dietician but it will take at least 6 weeks for an initial appointment. I'm considering going privatey although we don't have much spare cash, but 6 weeks of doing nothing while the eczema gets worse and I get no sleep doesn't sound great. How much is this likely to cost?

Is a dietician the right person to see? I would have thought there are allergy clinics? Can tests be done for intolerances or is an elimination diet the only way? I have no idea where to start so any info or advice would be very helpful.

OP posts:
Report
MadMonkeys · 06/04/2013 21:46

please excuse my spelling and grammar, I've not had much sleep and am typing quickly on my phone before dd wakes again...

OP posts:
Report
MadMonkeys · 07/04/2013 13:29

Anyone?

OP posts:
Report
RunningOutOfIdeas · 07/04/2013 13:40

The eczema is similar to what happened with DD1. Her sleep was already terrible so I did not notice any difference! She also had bad diarrhoea. DD1 turned out to be dairy intolerant.

Unfortunately allergy tests cannot pick up all food intolerances. I suggest you think about what food your DD has eaten and see if you can relate the changes in her to anything. Dairy is a common culprit. Wheat, citrus, egg and tomatoes are also worth considering. If you are going to eliminate something, you need to do so for at least one week.

Report
MadMonkeys · 07/04/2013 13:59

Thanks Running. I had wondered about dairy. We are doing blw so she had eaten a number of things that could be the culprit. I will exclude dairy, wheat and eggs for a week and see what happens, then reintroduce them separately if the symptoms go away. She hasn't had citrus or tomatoes yet.

She doesn't have diarrhoea.

OP posts:
Report
MadMonkeys · 07/04/2013 14:49

A few more questions -

Presumably a baby can be intolerant of allergic to something they eat even if they don't react to it in breastmilk?

Can a baby react to cows milk products even if they don't react to infant formula? DD2 has a bottle of formula at bedtime - I don't express because I have super sensitive nipples and I think expressing is one of the factors that made feeding so painful with DD1 (I switched to formula after just a few weeks because I was in such a state)

How long does it usually take to get allergy tests done on the NHS? Can it be done at the GP surgery, or is it done at hospital?

OP posts:
Report
MistyB · 07/04/2013 15:06

While you are waiting you could try excluding almost everything except rice and bland, low allergic risk fruit and vegetables. (there is some logic in the old fashioned introduction of rice, apple, pear, carrot etc).

8 years in with a slightly allergic child and 4 years in with a more seriously allergic child we are excluding all grains (except rive, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat) and dairy on the advice of our consultant who's research shows if there is any allergy / intolerence, there is likely to be intolerence at some level to grains and dairy and excluding all is the way forward.

Avoid wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn (starchy grains). potato, tomato, Auvergne and peppers (deadly nightshade family), soya products, nuts and seeds, dairy, eggs, citrus fruit, shellfish, strawberries and honey.

If she recovers, introduce slowly, under supervision but only after nine months. (Leave wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, citrus, shellfish and nuts until after 12 months as she has already shown to be reacting at some level to food.)

This book by Lucy Burney does not have all the answers but is a good start.

Report
MadMonkeys · 07/04/2013 15:14

Thanks misty, although that sounds horrendous! What carbs do you include if all grains etc are excluded? I'm concerned about not giving her a balanced diet - she eats loads and is reducing breastfeeds. I'm going to try to see gp tomorrow and see if he can give me any more help than the Hv.

OP posts:
Report
MadMonkeys · 07/04/2013 15:16

Sorry misty, just reread your post, you do include some grains. My brain really isn't working well...

OP posts:
Report
MadMonkeys · 10/04/2013 13:06

since the end of last week dd2 has only had fruit, veg, porridge made with formula and rice pudding made with formula and we had the first good night for weeks last night, 8 hours continuous sleep, just like the good old days before weaning! Her eczema has improved massively overnight too, I can hardly believe it. This seems to confirm my suspicion of a food intolerance, question is what is the culprit? I'm going to keep to the restricted diet for a week I think to hopefully let us all catch our breath and hopefully by then we'll have an appointment booked with someone - gp doesn't know who will be best yet so she's got some phone calls to make. Dh has work health insurance which will cover the first appointment privately.

Is it possible for dairy to be a suspect if she is fine with a bottle of formula a day?

OP posts:
Report
MistyB · 10/04/2013 17:42

What fabulous news!! Given she has a history of reactions, I personally would keep to the restricted diet until she is at least nine months, then introduce very slowly. She can eat plenty of things and get her full nutritional requirements without having eggs, wheat and dairy. Could dairy still be a culprit, my consultant would say you don't get one without the other at some level but he is only one opinion and one voice.

Great that you have found out so soon that it is food, well done for taking the initiative!

Report
RunningOutOfIdeas · 11/04/2013 23:27

DD1 was able to tolerate formula but no 'raw' dairy.

Report
MadMonkeys · 12/04/2013 09:14

Thanks Running, that's very interesting. Was that picked up by a skin prick/blood test or by eliminating it from her diet?

OP posts:
Report
RunningOutOfIdeas · 14/04/2013 00:07

We worked it out purely by regularly experimenting on her! DD1 is nearly 5 and we still find that too much milk, cheese or ice cream can be heading for diarrhoea. However biscuits, cakes etc. that contain dairy ingredients are not a problem.

Report
MadMonkeys · 18/04/2013 13:09

Well it looks as though gluten is the cause of the windy nights. The consultant was fairly sure of that. He advised reintroducing dairy and after 2 days the eczema looks worse again so I think dairy may be out too. I can see how to go about managing a gluten intolerance but dairy too seems like quite a challenge.

OP posts:
Report
notapizzaeater · 18/04/2013 17:33

A lot of coeliacs are intolerant of dairy at first - as the bowel heals it disappears. Hope this is the case for you

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.