Help please with 1 year old suffering from suspected food intolerances

[Juleshill]

Hi. This is the first time I've ever posted to this site, and in some senses I feel really silly doing so because there are many cases far worse than my dd. I really need some advice on what to do. Although we suspected milk protein intolerance while breastfeeding with daughter #2, the situation has peaked since we introduced solid foods at 6 months. Kate, who is now 1 year old, seems to have a definite intolerance to dairy, wheat (gluten) and egg. She slept about 3 hours a night for 4,5 months until I started my own 'elimination' diet and since then things improved and she has slept through the night quite well. However, we still have sleepless nights quite often and recently these have started to increase. She seems to go down initially quite well, but then after 1,5 hours or so, wakes up screaming. When I pick her up, she is visibly squirming around and has terrible gas. She doesn't settle until around midnight, but is then often up after that every hour or so. In the day she seems fine and is gaining weight acceptably and reaching normal developmental milestones.

My husband believes she just wants us near her and wants me to let her CIO. I  can't do this. In addition, I live in SOuth Africa and have consulted some paediatricians about the issue but since she exhibits no other symptoms besides digestive ones, they don't believe me. I have also heard that there is no accurate test before the age of 3. My question to whoever might reply is a) does this sound like it could possibly be food intolerance; b) is there any medical/ allergy test I can do to prove to hubby and doc that she has a sensitivity c)what do you do for your allergic/ intolerant children who don't sleep - do you give meds, do you rub tummies, do you treat as you would a colicky baby?

Please help. Any advice would be appreciated.

[oilerbaby]

A friend of mine's son just turned one and he was tested for milk/egg alergies - which came back positive to confirm what she already knew.  From the first time she gave him rice cereal around 4 months she knew he had a dairy alergy as he would always break out in a terrible rash around his face/mouth and sometimes onto his body.  It would make me wonder though why she is good during the day and not at night...

I'm sorry I can't offer more advice but just wanted to reply and offer you some support if anything.  Take care.

[spd]

what is she eating?

My 10.5 month old son is allergic to dairy and soy and possibly other things we haven't been able to identify. He has had a number of symptoms, most often hives. we just tried weaning him to Nutramigen (hypoallergenic formula), and he's been breaking out in hives, has had loose stools, and now diaper rash that is not clearing up. he has also had some sleep problems, but i'm not sure if it's allergies or more because of the weaning. in the past he did have sleep problems that seemed to be related to allergies. so far, we've confirmed them by eliminating the foods--we detected them first around 5.5 months. when i stopped eating dairy, more of the symptoms cleared up. he still had some reactions after that, so i stopped eating soy, and then he was fine except if occassionally i would have a little dairy or soy, and he would get hives. we just figured out the Nutramigen problem today, so we'll see if he gets better.

our doctor said we could do an allergy test at one year, either a skin test or blood test. they are not always accurate, though. the plan is to do the blood test, and if it says he's not allergic to dairy, then we would introduce it slowly to see if he reacts.

DS has been getting some alternative treatments--acupuncture and TBM. it seemed to help with the dairy sensitivity, so he could eat a little, but as it built up in his system, he would react. we fed him small amounts of yogurt and cheese and he was fine, but after 5-7 days, he suddenly broke out in hives. then we tried just me eating some cheese, and he was fine for about a week, but then i ate a little more than i had been, and he had pretty bad vomiting. so definitely, if you're testing foods, stick to small amounts in the mornings and watch carefully!

[oilerbaby]

Oh - re: the alternative treatments... another friend of mine took her ds to a naturopath who has really helped them with their son's milk protein intolerance. 

[chezzie8]

HI there,

Sounds very familiar to what Ellie has. We have been probably taken seriously as Ellie started with foul green frothy poo when I was breastfeeding, and reflux. The reflux was shown in a test they did, and she was treated for that.

Got better when she was on Neocate, MUCH worse on Nutramigen! and settled until solids came into play. The evenings and nights were always the worst from day one. I thought this was a reflux symptom but its not. She is now under Great Omrond Street fro Esiophilic (can never spell it!) Gastrointestinal Disorder. Basically, multipul food allergies.

Things got better when they put her on an elmination diet, we were already off dairy and wheat, but now its eggs and soy too. She slept beautifully for a couple of weeks. She always woke after an hour though really screaming, but this was progress! she went to bed without screaming, and then apart from one wake up, went through the night.

EGD causes with her night sweats, bloated tummy, and lots of wind. This is the tummy inflammed and reacting to the foods. The consulant explained these children are always worse at night, as the tummy is full, and ferments at nighttime, causing the problems then. Very much like your little one, Ellie did not sleep, when new born she was awake for 28 hours! she then hardly slept, waking jerking, crying,,... god it was awful! Now she does the same, when she reacts. Take yesterday, I tried her on rye bread. Last night she went to bed ok,, ( she is on med's) but woke 4 times before 10. Then she woke screaming at 1.30, again 30 mins later. At 2.30 I gave her zyrtek, and she slept like a baby until 9 this morning. Nights are AWFUL with this problem.

Now she is off the bad foods, I have worked out what else upsets her, and the list is getting longer all the time. But its most of the highly allergenic foods, wheat dairy, egg soy, corn, oats, rye, berries, porous fruit like currants, does not leave much! and feeding her is a nightmare as she is picky at the moment too.

I hope some of that helps, your little one sounds very much the same, ellie is constanly constipated too. Im seeing her consultant next month, and will ask then about testing, I know we did skin tests at 6 months, but it didnt show.The allergy guy then said it wouldnt with gastic allergies, as they are a delayed reaction, unlike immeidate reactions like nut allergies and pollen (although ellie has hayfever now too!)

She is on med's, too many for my liking, but they do work. And it is basic anti-histamines, you can try this buy some piriton and try it at night time. If she sleeps well, then you have your answer. Ellie is also on relfux drugs too, which was cant seem to get her off.

Anyway, if you want any more info, let us know,

Cheryl x