Author Topic: Should I stop weaning?  (Read 3986 times)

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Offline natashacs

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Should I stop weaning?
« on: February 12, 2009, 08:22:35 am »
Hi, I've put up various messages about my LO's eczema and Neocate, which we've been on for the last 2 weeks. The eczema has been slowly improving (although not as fast as I'd like but never mind). Anyway, this morning there is a patch of eczema on his face that has flared up again, which surely shoudln't be happening.

I'd started weaning early because my GP wouldn't help with hypoallergenic milk, LO was taking 35 - 40oz and I wanted to get the milk down (this was before Neocate). I've carried on with the weaning since Neocate as LO loves it. But I'm now wondering whether there are other triggers too, ie he's had quite a lot of apple in the past few days.

I can't really believe he's allergic to apples (mainly because I really don't want him to be allergic to everything but maybe I should be preparing myself for that). Should I cut out all food for the next two weeks and then start slowly reintroducing? He's still young enough to survive on milk alone. Or does eczema that is on the mend flare up like that - is that how it behaves?

It would be kind of annoying to stop weaning as we'd gone through most of the basics foods/first tastes, as we'd got through that phase and he's enjoying things like sweet potoate and carrot for lunch. But obv have to do what is best for him. What does everyone reckon?

Offline mummymoo

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2009, 08:36:04 am »
hi, my little one had eczema when she was a baby, but it wasnt that bad and i didnt need to do anything. i personaly wouldnt stop weaning now you have started.
but i have been told these things can make it flare up
milk
bread/wheat
dairy products such ad fromage frais and cheese
strawberries
marmite
also what washing powder do you use? as even sdome of the no bios can make the rash flare up.
have you try aqueous cream? this is what i used, you can aslo use it to wash them!
i hope some of this might help you. take care


Offline Spectra

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2009, 04:26:30 am »
Acidic fruits can cause eczema.  This does not mean he has an allergy per say, it may be a slight intolerance for now.  I know my son would flare up if he ate a full cup of pureed pear.  My dad will get eczema if he eats a ton of oranges.  Fruits that are acidic are:::

    *  apples
    * berries
    * blackberries
    * blueberries
    * cranberries
    * peaches
    * pears
    * raspberries
    * strawberries
    * oranges
    * lemons
    * tomatoes


The list for less acidic fruits and veggies are::
    *  figs,
    * Asian pears,
    * melons,
    * bananas,
    * dates,
    * papaya,
    * persimmons

Almost ALL vegetables, such as:

    * asparagus
    * beans
    * corn
    * cucumbers
    * garlic
    * green beans
    * greens (lettuce, kale, collards, spinach, etc.)
    * onions
    * peas
    * pumpkins
    * squash (summer or winter varieties)


I know a lot of the fruit listed are not at the same level of acidity so you may just need to try out a few different ones. Have you tried pear?  I know it is acidic too, but it is less acidic than apples.  Asian pears, or Japanese Pears, are really low in acid.  They are the pears that have a brown skin instead of green.  Perhaps you can try making your own puree?  Or perhaps try regular pear puree first to see how he reacts?  My son grew out of this.  At 12 months it was causing him eczema, and now he can have pear and apple fine.  I think they have such sensitive skin that even the acid from the fruit, inside them, can cause a reaction.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2009, 04:38:49 am by Spectra »
Melanie
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Offline natashacs

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2009, 09:03:58 am »
oh my god its all too much to take in!!!! I am making my own purees but the pears at the supermarket looked a bit dodge so I just got apple - and he has been having quite alot of it! Will get some pears. Thanks for the list. I really need to get myself a bit more clued up on all of this. can anyone recommend a good book to read!? (that summarises the entire thing in a few pages?)!!!

Offline Spectra

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2009, 17:59:11 pm »
Hehe, I know.  I was in the same position as you 6 months ago.  I couldn't understand why all of a sudden his eczema was flaring up when he ate a bunch of fruit.  I feared, like you, that he was now all of a sudden intolerant/allergic to all this fruit!!  Thankfully my allergist assured me it is quite common and they will most likely grow out of it.  In the meantime I was to just give him small amounts of the fruit, and avoid the citrus fruit.  So, that's what I did and now he's able to handle the apple and pear fine. 

I don't know of any book, unfortunately.  I would have loved a guide on eczema at the time I was dealing with it!  I should have asked my allergist if he knew of one at the time. 
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Offline mommyoflogan

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2009, 03:21:19 am »
I'm the one who started the post "Allergic to apples and pears" a few weeks ago.  I'm dealing with the same thing you are, trying to figure out what foods area "safe", which ones my lo can only have a little bit of, and which ones to stay away from completely.  This board has been great in answering my questions.  I would recommend posting questions here to see if anyone else has the same problem.  These moms are pretty good at summarizing the entire thing in just a few pages! :)  For your lo's eczema, you might try some prescription strength hydrocortizone.  I  put this on any flare up spots and then I use Aveeno Baby lotion for eczema on the rest of his body.  It works really well for us.  Good luck and know that you are not alone and there are lots of moms here to help!

Offline KittysMum

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2009, 20:38:21 pm »
It's a minefield Natasha, isn't it? And the trouble is, we all have different experiences, so no one answer is going to be just right for you. Kitty's fine with pears, but seems to have problems with all sorts of other things. It doesn't help that the area of allergies/intolerances seems to be all relatively new, medically speaking.

I'd obviously try and get some good medical advice, but personally, I would go back to your Neocate for a few weeks; try and get the eczema under control; it seems like something might be causing it. If you wanted to add some solids, I'd go for some ground rice, (you can buy it in bags in the supermarket - not special baby rice, but in the aisle alongside the semolina and pudding rice) cooked up with the Neocate. I think most babies (in this country) are fine with rice.

I'd keep a food diary. One of those page a day ones, where I'd list what your lo has eaten and how the skin looks, which creams you've applied etc.

I'd stick with the Neocate drink and rice/Neocate mix for a couple of weeks. I'd use steroid creams twice a day on the eczema patches and 50-50 liquid paraffin emollient really liberally all over the body to keep the skin hydrated.

Then, when the skin's good again, I'd trial my first food - say pears. If there was no reaction after 3 or 4 days, I'd add another food, perhaps lamb or chicken, whizzed up with a hand blender and mixed into the rice. I'd keep adding different foods in that way, keeping the diary the whole time so you can spot any problems.

I was advised by my dietician to "just go for it" with foods when she reached the 'right' age. I did, and we're now in the situation where she's reacting badly to pretty much everything we try. We're seeing an allergist next week, so I'm hopeful that he'll be able to give us some answers to our questions.

A book I've found useful (but not a quick read, I'm afraid!) is 'Dealing with Food Allergies in Babies and Children' by Janice Vickerstaff Joneja. Another good one for broader allergy problems is 'The Allergy Bible' by Linda Gamlin.

Keep us posted, whatever you decide to do. (And you are the best one to decide what is right for your family - don't let any of us pressure you - you're the expert for your lo)

I really feel for you, as I've been there and know how frustrating, confusing and scary it all feels. HUGE hugs to you.

Offline KittysMum

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2009, 20:51:08 pm »
P.S Just had a peek at your website and watched you on telly - whoah! You're famous! Great stuff.

Offline Jimbob

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2009, 21:58:43 pm »
KittysMum has given you some great advice. I think I would stop weaning and go neocate only for a few weeks whilst treating the eczema with topical steriods and a good emollient (whatever seems to suit your ds best) until his eczema improves. When you feel that his skin is looking good I would then start trialing foods slowly. I would also start a daily diary like KittysMum mentioned as it really can help to identify triggers.

Kelly



James has atopic eczema, multiple food allergies, asthma and late talker

Offline natashacs

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2009, 08:14:44 am »
Hi KittysMum and Kelly, thanks for the advice. The eczema definitely seems to have plateaued. It's much better than before Neocate, and on some days appears completely gone - but then this morning its flared up on his cheek and its still at a low level all over. I really feel at my wits end. i can't bear to stop weaning as LO loves his food so much, and I think he will be seriously hungry. He is having 7oz bottles plus in the morning something like a 3 ice cubes of carrot, cauliflower and sweet potato (all mixed together) and in the evening baby rice mixed with apple or banana. But I can't get an appoointment at the allergy clinic despite being referred as I keep getting told there 'are no appointments'.
I can see how fruit could cause a probelm because its sweet, but is it really possible to be allergic to carrots and sweet potato? Maybe I should just stop with fruit and keep going with veg? (hmm, you can no doubt sense my reluctance).
Re the steroid cream, I've got some 2 per cent hydrocortisone from the chemist, but should I get a special baby steroid cream from GP? We're going at it with Diprobase alternated with 50 50 parafin stuff every few hours as well. Ruining all his clothes but never mind.

Offline natashacs

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2009, 08:20:00 am »
ps thanks Kitty's mum for comments on website!!! Am definitely not famous tho.

Offline anna*

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2009, 11:02:08 am »
Natasha, definitely get a hydrocortisone from the GP, the one they prescribe for babies is 0.5% and not available over the counter.





Offline natashacs

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2009, 11:35:09 am »
Oh sh*t!!!!! I've been using 2 per cent one!!! Crikey. Will go to GP on Monday.


Offline natashacs

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2009, 11:42:53 am »
Just spoken to DH, he says we should stop all fruit but keep going with the vegetables. He really has no idea but his instincts are telling him the sugar in the fruit could be making the eczema worse...

Offline Spectra

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2009, 12:57:12 pm »
I would give it a try for sure.  The sugar and/or the acid in the fruit could be the culprit.  Thankfully your son is still so young and you can easily get away with omitting fruit without him noticing.  Let us know how it goes.  That's too bad about not being able to see an allergist.  I can't imagine there NEVER being any appointments, so weird.  I'm not sure if there is another way to see one.  Is there only one in your area? 
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Offline KittysMum

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2009, 19:22:29 pm »
I think the only way to know for sure what's causing the problem is to go back to basics, but you must do what you feel is right for you. I don't think that there are any foods that are foolproof, allergy-wise - anything can cause problems for a particular baby.

I think I started out doubting that Kitty's problems would ever be as bad as say, Kelly's James' are, and I still hope they're not, having heard some of what she has gone through with him. But Kitty's problems have become a lot worse than I'd anticipated, sadly. I think we all hope there will be an easy pain-free solution to the allergy problems, and that if we just do the one 'right,' magic thing, it'll all clear up and go away, but it's not always that easy.

I knew Kitty had problems with milk, but had no idea that she was also allergic to dust, cats, horses...

I think your lo is small enough to not miss the solids as much as you think he might. I'd go for filling him up with the ground rice/Neocate mix instead for the meantime. It'd only be for a few weeks at the most, just to get his skin back to a good state. Otherwise, you're in the situation where the eczema's not clearing and you've no idea what's causing it, because there are already too many foods in the mix, with no idea which ones might be problematic.

I'll butt out now, because this is obviously just my view and I do think you need to make the right decisions for you at the stage you're at now. I do wish you loads of luck though. Keep us all posted on your progress, as I know we're all rooting for you and hoping your lo is soon all peachy again. Lots of love!

Offline mommyoflogan

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #16 on: February 21, 2009, 00:44:10 am »
Don't worry about the hydrocortisone cream.  My dr. prescribed a 2% cream for my sons eczema and said to use it everywhere except his face.  It worked great for us.  I just used the 1% over-the-counter brand on his face.  But of course check with your dr.

Offline Mashi

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #17 on: February 22, 2009, 20:40:12 pm »
Hi Natasha - I stand with Kitty's mom on this one! My DS is 7 months now, and the past week or so I've stopped with solids, and he barely noticed.  He took in a wee bit of extra milk but not as much as I expected, and of course that's great, so no worry on that.  I don't have something as difficult as eczema to deal with, but also not as easy to spot and be a "concrete" reaction - with DS it's just digestive and bowel issues.  I did two full days with no solids, although was prepared to go as long as it took for his poops to go back to what are normal for him, and for me to feel that he wasn't in tummy discomfort. Fortunately it only took 2 days. I then did a day on one food only, one that I knew for sure had not caused any problems (avocado).  Then tried one of the suspected problem foods (pears) and sure enough the tummy pains, whinging, wriggling, lots of trouble with his poops, etc etc.  The next couple of days just avocado again and then tried another suspected problem food (plums) and he was fine. Day after tomorrow we are onto blueberries which I also think may be a problem. 

I don't think that at 5 months he will miss the food nutrition-wise, although he may miss the fun of it, and it depends how "set" your routine is.  We are pretty "scheduled" here and it's his favourite part of the day, but DS didn't seem to notice the lack of food! 

I've also had to cut out rice cereal completely as it constipated him really really badly.

I know this link is only from Wikipedia and so of course the validity of it can be questioned, but a good starting point for something that "sums it up" is this link on pollen allergies and how they can affect food allergies:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome

So it may at least give you something to think about if you know your DS reacts to one fruit, on what some other possible reactins may be.

HTH!

Offline natashacs

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #18 on: February 23, 2009, 08:09:42 am »
Were extremely scheduled and he usually gobbles his solids, but yesterday he wasn't so bothered. Actually, we are going to nursery together today so i am sure that will distract him enough to not notice. I am terrified the nights will get really bad if i stop solids, but them am still doing one night feed anyway.
I'll see if goes ok today without solids then I think I will try stopping solids.
We changed our washing powder to eco balls which have no detergent, no perfuem, they are basiaclly little stones. Rubbish at cleaning out carrot stains. Anyway, the eczema went slightly better and I thought 'great this is it, we'r eon the home run.' I spent Saturday night washing EVERYTHING he has (great saturday night eh). Then woke up this morning and he has a huge thick swathe of eczema on his cheek. He also has two big scratches on his forehead and nose, prob from trying to scratch his cheek and missing. He looks awful. The people at nursery will prob think I'm a terrible mum when they see him.
I'lll also go back to the GP about steroid cream
thanks for your help girls

Offline Jimbob

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Re: Should I stop weaning?
« Reply #19 on: February 23, 2009, 13:31:42 pm »
It is so hard when you are dealing with eczema as there are so many potential triggers. I hope your ds manges ok without the solids as I really think it would give you a good opportunity to see if his skin does clear on neocate only and you can then start food trials.

I am sure the nursery will not think you are a bad mumy by the way. Your son being flared with eczema is not a reflection on your parenting skills. It is impossible to stop them from scratching 100% of the time and it is physically and mentally draining looking after a baby/child with eczema. It is worth all the hard work though.

Kelly



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