« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Allergy testing  (Read 1792 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline tmhill

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 40
    • Location:
Allergy testing
« on: March 13, 2007, 14:39:36 pm »
What is everyone's experience with Allergy testing?  My son was initially tested at 3 months - with the prick test.  Milk was the only positive test on that - but since he's started eating foods - he's reacted to many (as far as I can tell).  He's now 9 months old and Pediatrician is sending us to get a blood test.  I know it's early, and normally babies don't get done until they are 1 year - but I really wanted to get him done and give me some guidance.  My Dr's son is the same age and has similar problems as my son - and they had him tested and a whole bunch came back - so my Dr is probably more "for" this than others. 

My questions:
I've heard both - the prick test is more reliable than the blood test - and the blood test is more reliable than the prick.  Anyone have experience with this - better results from one or another?

Anyone have these tests done before their child was one?  Any false negatives?

I'm so afraid that he will come back with a bunch of negatives and we will put him through this test for no reason.  Not that I want him to have tons of allergies - but I hate having him poked for no reason.  I hate this allergy thing!!

Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
Kara
Logged

Offline Mom to M&M

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 128
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 7655
  • Cool dude!
    • Location: NJ
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2007, 17:11:53 pm »
In terms of the two tests, one tends to give false positives and one false negatives. I can't remember which is which offhand but I'll look it up for you later. Neither is completely reliable under the age of 2 but they can give some guidance (although they will only show true anaphylactic allergies, not GI allergies or intolerances). What kind of food reactions does he have?
Logged
Karen: Proud Mama to Marisa (8-11-05) and Matthew (6-5-09) and happily married to my best friend and love of my life since 10-13-01

Offline tmhill

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 40
    • Location:
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2007, 17:37:48 pm »
So for I have seen direct reactions to - that I think are pretty sure - is dairy, potato, tomatoe, apple, and oat.  But he remains pretty fussy - and the dr is convinces that it's related to alerigies.  He's sick a lot to.  He mainly reacts via extreme fussiness and diahrea.  I don't know if that is tue alergies or intolerances.  Seems as if it's hard to tell at times.
Logged

Offline Mom to M&M

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 128
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 7655
  • Cool dude!
    • Location: NJ
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2007, 18:12:49 pm »
It's definitely hard to tell. Unfortunately, if his main reactions are fussiness and diarrhea, allergy testing may not show much. Have you tried an elimination diet for him to pinpoint the problems? What does he drink?
Logged
Karen: Proud Mama to Marisa (8-11-05) and Matthew (6-5-09) and happily married to my best friend and love of my life since 10-13-01

Offline tmhill

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 40
    • Location:
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2007, 14:26:44 pm »
He drinks Alimentum.  THe Elimination diet has helped a lot.  Right now he seems pretty stable.  We have to keep him away from things like apples, oats, potatoes, milk, soy, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, squash.  Unfortunately a lot of these things are in a lot of baby foods - I want to try corn on him - but I'm afriad to - we eat a lot of polenta in the house - so I was hoping to have him eating some of that with us.  I was hoping that the alergy test could give us more of a guide on what not to give him.  I also did the elimination diet when I was nursing him - it didn't help becuase the elimination diet doesn't including taking out potatoes - nowhere does it suggest that!  Although they seems to effect a lot of people. wierd - I wish I would have known.
Logged

Offline Mom to M&M

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 128
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 7655
  • Cool dude!
    • Location: NJ
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2007, 16:15:02 pm »
You can puree almost anything you eat and try that - avoiding the food families you know he has a problem with, of course. The allergy testing might help but again, only shows a certain type of allergies - not GI allergies or intolerances - so you'd still have a lot of gray areas...
Logged
Karen: Proud Mama to Marisa (8-11-05) and Matthew (6-5-09) and happily married to my best friend and love of my life since 10-13-01

Offline tmhill

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 40
    • Location:
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2007, 16:49:04 pm »
Yeah - I know I can blend things - but he doesn't seem to like them as much when I do it.  I don't know why - maybe that there is still some chunkiness to them.  I should probably get a food processor instead of a blender. 

He had red spots on his face this morning.  (and ALWAYS has spots of excema behind his ears).  I'm not sure what the red spots are from.  I don't think we have added anything new into his diet.  Only a few more days until we get the results back!
Kara
Logged

Offline Mom to M&M

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 128
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 7655
  • Cool dude!
    • Location: NJ
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2007, 16:57:41 pm »
I'd definitely look into a food precessor. I've also heard GREAT things about the Magic Bullet for making baby food.

Excema can also be from environmental allergies and just hereditary too. But keep us posted!
Logged
Karen: Proud Mama to Marisa (8-11-05) and Matthew (6-5-09) and happily married to my best friend and love of my life since 10-13-01

Offline tmhill

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 40
    • Location:
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2007, 19:23:44 pm »
We got the allergy test back.  nothing showed up.  Although we did not test for milk - because we had already tested for that and it came back positive.  I was really discouraged by the test and I'm not sure how to proceed - continue to restrict his diet or add things in?  I'm so fearful.  He's generally a fussy baby anyway - so sometimes it's hard to predict.  Arg!
Logged

Offline Mom to M&M

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 128
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 7655
  • Cool dude!
    • Location: NJ
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2007, 10:53:35 am »
Sorry to hear that - unfortunately allergy testing is notoriously unreliable under age 2 and even after 2 only shows certain types of allergies. I'd continue to restrict his diet if you see results from that and maybe start slowly testing things again after 11 months or a year?
Logged
Karen: Proud Mama to Marisa (8-11-05) and Matthew (6-5-09) and happily married to my best friend and love of my life since 10-13-01

Offline BP

  • New & Learning The Ropes!
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Posts: 3
    • Location:
Re: Allergy testing
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2007, 00:56:40 am »
I've found with my son that making my own baby food has really cut down on his intolerances to stuff.  Even though I was buying the organic baby stuff making my own is much better.  I use the food processor and freeze it in ziplock bags.  It's not as painstaking as I thought it would be.  Some food comes up smoother than others.  Anyway, its worth a try it has really helped with my ds. :)
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »