Allergy testing info please

[~*~Louisa~*~]

Pead has now sent us to Allergy clinic because he said its important to know if its allergy or intollerences because intollerences if there was a dietry slip up it will give belly ache but allergys can be worse... iykwim

He said it will either be a blood test or scratch test but that was it no info

I assume when we get an apt it will be explained but i dont know when that will be iykwim

what i was wondering is do they test for everything or just specific things like milk and egg ect

if they do a blood test well how do they do it in a 10mth old?

[EloysH]

We got bloods done at 10 months for allergy tests it was traumatic getting the blood for about one minute.  They basically strap their arm down to the bed so they can't move and take the blood.  For us the tests came up negative because Kai has never been exposed to allergins via my milk or his diet.   So that is something to consider.  But then after he his 12 months I gave him some goat milk products and a tiny bit of wheat.   Now at 17 months when he has had the skin prock tests, he has shown up with a mild wheat allergy.  The skin prick test, essentially exposes them to the allergin without them having to eat it.  So this is the test you need to do if they have never eaten the troublesome foods.

[~*~Louisa~*~]

She had the allergens via my milk but like 9 months ago

I think im going to push for scratch test When my middle daughter was a baby they did a blood test... heel pricked... milked it for an hour with her screaming very very traumatic for me (she didnt know anything really she was 3 days old but i'll never forget it) and i was worried about the blood test for alyssa and yeah you really made my mind up about it

Do they just skin prick for usual allergins or just ones you suspect are a problem?

[*jazzberry*]

I know nothing about allergy tests but when ds1 had to have blood taken when he was little they numbed the skin first so that they don't feel anything. If that makes you feel any better...

[EloysH]

Can I add that the hospital I went to would not numb his skin first, they say they don't do it.  But i know that other hospitals do it so a blood test may be less traumatic than a skin prick test.

Kais skin prick test was probably more traumatic actually.  It consisted of about 40 pricks to his skin and he creamed for every single one we had to hold his legs.  I know they didn't hurt too much but he was scared and I gues he felt violated, he was very angry.  That was quite hard, but again for only 2 mins.

 I guess the point is, I wonder which tests are going to be more valid for her.

[~*~Louisa~*~]

I suppose its something to discuss with the consultants, she has had milk, egg, soy, gluten, wheat through my milk but most allergens she might not of but tbh the most important is the milk due to the worst reaction

[Buntybear]

Hi - you know what the NHS is like - it is probably different for every Trust! Olly was just tested for foods we thought he had a reaction to. They dont do scratch tests here until at least 12 months old (Olly was absolutely fine with them). Blood test is done first (he cried for this but not because it hurt just because his arm was held so tightly).