Incontinence and bumpy rash

[~S~]

My lo (19months) has had kind of scaly bumps on back of upper arms and side of legs for most of her life (for sometime on face and bad scaly yellow "cradle cap" for over a year, which still her scalp is kind of scaly)  I have tried every sensitive skin, no fragrance lotion and baby soap I can get my hands on (which where I live is not  that many).  I have found, since putting her on the potty at 8 months old, (not very consistently, but enough to see a pattern) that certain foods will make her incontinent (corn, apples, strawberries in any form and old fashioned oatmeal).  She is potty trained as far as pee goes, unless she has one of the above mentioned foods, then she has accidents galore.  Recently she got a stomach bug and so only ate bananas and rice for a few days and the bumps on her legs started clearing up.  It has to be in the food that she eats.  I have researched elimination diets, it is overwhelming.  I have asked my GP, but they said no it isn't food allergies.  When she was a younger if she at any dairy products she would spit up, but no longer does that, although she isn't crazy about milk, will drink chocolate milk, but I don't give her that regularly.  Can anyone give me a direction to go?
TIA

[Mom to M&M]

I would try an elimination diet - have you looked at Dr. Sears - to see if you can identify the problems. Most doctors unfortunately are not very up on food allergies/intolerances...

[~S~]

Yes, I have read on Dr. Sears elim diet.  Wasn't sure, but it seemed that it was for nursing mom, would it be alright for 19month old?

[Mom to M&M]

TBH I'm not sure but would assume so since a nursing mom would be passing it along to an EBF child. What does your LO drink?

[ryan's mum]

The way you describe your LO's skin is like my DS's and he has keratosis pilaris .It's a skin condition , rather than write it all up have a read of this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratosis_pilaris

we also had the yellow cradle cap and even yellow behind the ears and over his eyebrows for a long time .I started to use oilatum products and the cradle cap went for good . I find Ryan's skin is much better in the summer .

[~S~]

Karen,My lo mostly drinks water, she stopped nursing almost a month ago.  I was just worried about limiting so many foods at a time when if they aren't exposed to variety can become so picky, but then exposing them to foods they are sensitive to is of course not good .  What is TBH? 

Ryan's Mum, Thanks so much, I looked it up and that sounds like half of my family, including me.  Never have heard of that though.  I've had my suspicions about gluten for both of us though. 

If something as huge as gluten is a problem, could it also make them more sensitive to other foods, and then if we get the big problem under control then, maybe the other things won't cause as much problem?

[Giorgina]

Ryan's mom, thank you so much.  I realize this post is old but thanks to your post I now know what my son has.  It is currently on his left thigh only.  And it feels like goose bumps.  He also still has a little cradle cap.  Unfortunately I cannot see the link you attached so I looked up keratosis pilaris on my own.  Can you maybe type out the website for me.

[~S~]

I am pretty sure this is it, although I am not Ryan' mom, I thought I'd post since I think I remember
://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratosis_pilaris

[LLLena]

~S~  You already have great advice so far.  I just want to suggest Dr. Bronner's baby soap.  We use it and love it.  I also use Burt's Bees Apricot Baby Oil.  They are both natural and supposedly you could drink Dr. Bronner's soap, but I wouldn't.

HTH

Lena

[Jimbob]

~S~, what did you decide to do in the end? Did you do an elimination diet? Did it help?

Kelly

[~S~]

No, I have never done a whole eliminations diet.  I am still trying to do a gluten free along, I think after reading the wikipedia article it might help the bumps and she still has some stomach issues.  I have tried but neve have done it completely for long enough to know for sure.

[Jimbob]

I hope eliminating gluten helps.

Kelly

[Shdef]

The word "incontinence" can't be applied to children that age at all. Toddlers aren't incontinent unless there is a diagnosis that they will always be, due to spinina bifida, neurogenic bladder or something like that.

The foods you are describing are just running through her in a different speed. We do all experience that and it's actually part of PT. If we drink apple juice we need to go to the toilet faster than if we drink Milk. Or if we have coffee or beer. So if you give her foods that run through her fast and she has an accident I wouldn't quite call that incontinence. Maybe it's only necessary to eliminate the foods she is actually allergic too and not the ones that just cause her accidents? Cause she does have to learn at some point that certain foods and drinks will be fast and she needs to go potty faster.

Just a suggestion

[~S~]

They are not accidents.  When she eats those foods and only when she eats something with those foods in it she starts dribbling pee, not like when she has an accident.  It is definitely a reaction, not an accident.  I personally want to avoid giving irritants to my child.  I think that this is her body getting rid of something that it can't handle properly, either b/c of immaturity or b/c it is allergic.  I hope her body will be able to handle it later, but I would rather be careful now so that it doesn't trigger her immune system to react more harshly to these foods later on.  Her not having accidents is an added benefit to avoiding these things that don't agree with her system.  By the way this is not a theory this is a fact, food allergies/sensitivities can cause incontinence.

[Mom to M&M]

That makes sense to me S. I know that when I drink coffee I have to pee frequently and the like but what you're describing doesn't quite sound the same. How is the elimination diet coming along?