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Jack, I was not implying that random skin testing be done on a child. But skin tests are just one way of getting an idea of what the culprits may be. Further help is the elimination diet. I underwent multiple skin testing when I was about 4 years old. Problem was back then the docs thought I would outgrow it and my partents could not afford to feed me different than the others in my family. We ate alot of beans and cornbread in those days. All I know is tubes in children’s ears and hyperactivity and childhood depression is sure running rampant these days. Doesn’t hurt to check out testing. Carol J. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> I would recommend asking your baby’s doctor to conduct some allergy >> testing when he is two years old. They won’t do it prior to that. > After a couple of scary episodes with egg and peanut, my daughter went > in for skin testing a ~ 5 months. It wasn’t fun, and her poor back was > covered with itchy little hives >She was lucky not to get long-term damage (worsening of existing allergies >or provocation of new ones). The reason these tests aren’t recommended >for children is because they aren’t safe. >Immunological blood testing is safe at any age. (It may not yet be very >informative in children, but skin tests are so inaccurate they require >expert interpretation, too). Did your doctor even consider it as an option? >—> email to "jc" at the site in the header: mail to "jack" will bounce <— >Jack Campin 2 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AE, Scotland 0131 556 5272 >http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html food intolerance data and recipes, >freeware logic fonts for the Macintosh & Scots folk music from "Off the Edge"
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> She was lucky not to get long-term damage (worsening of existing allergies > or provocation of new ones). The reason these tests aren’t recommended > for children is because they aren’t safe.
Obviously not all children should receive this kind of testing. I hope that’s not the impression given in my prior posting! She had eczema over ~90% of her body by 3 months, and we knew from hives reactions that she could not have milk, egg or peanut. After cutting those out of her diet, it was still obvious that there were multiple allergies that needed to be diagnosed. We were in agreement that she would not be at greater risk in testing than in eating the foods she was being tested for. She was not tested for new, high risk or "exotic" foods. Those were already forbidden. We had to look at "safe" in the context of a child who seemed to react negatively to all the major foods children eat, and her treatment was in the context of her own health issues. I will echo your sentiment, skin testing is NOT trivial, and was undertaken only within a broader scope of diagnosis. Blood testing was looked at. (To be honest with you – I can’t remember why we went the other way. It was all pretty new to me then.) The point is that the parents should not wait to obtain a medical opinion on their child’s allergies, and that they should not assume that testing could not be performed. Lisa
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>> I would recommend asking your baby’s doctor to conduct some allergy > testing when he is two years old. They won’t do it prior to that. > After a couple of scary episodes with egg and peanut, my daughter went > in for skin testing a ~ 5 months. It wasn’t fun, and her poor back was > covered with itchy little hives
She was lucky not to get long-term damage (worsening of existing allergies or provocation of new ones). The reason these tests aren’t recommended for children is because they aren’t safe. Immunological blood testing is safe at any age. (It may not yet be very informative in children, but skin tests are so inaccurate they require expert interpretation, too). Did your doctor even consider it as an option? —> email to "jc" at the site in the header: mail to "jack" will bounce <— Jack Campin 2 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AE, Scotland 0131 556 5272 http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html food intolerance data and recipes, freeware logic fonts for the Macintosh & Scots folk music from "Off the Edge"
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>> I would recommend asking your baby’s doctor to conduct some allergy >> testing when he is two years old. They won’t do it prior to that. > After a couple of scary episodes with egg and peanut, my daughter went > in for skin testing a ~ 5 months. It wasn’t fun, and her poor back was > covered with itchy little hives
How about hair analysis? ~debra~
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> I would recommend asking your baby’s doctor to conduct > some allergy testing when he is two years old. They won’t do it prior to > that. I hope this helps.
Trevor – Do ask your pediatrician about testing – but do it *now* – even if they will want to wait on most kids. If the symptoms are serious, or there are multiple allergies, you need to know what’s going on as soon as possible. Although the milk issue here may not be too alarming, combined with egg issues (saw your other post…) it really deserves some discussion with your doctor. If nothing else, you will establish a history in case the allergies don’t just clear up on their own in the meantime. Since you’re pretty near to two years – he may be that old before you get an appointment! After a couple of scary episodes with egg and peanut, my daughter went in for skin testing a ~ 5 months. It wasn’t fun, and her poor back was covered with itchy little hives, but we were finally able to get her eczema and hives under control. We found not just milk and egg, but peanut, apple, tomato and banana. Good luck, Lisa
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Angela, alot of doctors don’t believe in jumping to the conclusion of allergies, althought, I will tell you from experience that is usually the case. I would talk to the doc, but, I might try a soybased formula like Isomil. Both my boys were highly allergic to regular milk and forumla, this worked real well. I have fought a battle with doctors and allergies for 3 years now. The original one who diagnosed me was wonderful. So many things made sense. However, he is no longer with my insurance and I had to choose another primary. This doctor listens but I can tell he is skeptical. anyways, Good luck. I’d love to know how it turns out. Carol J. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >My 13 month old has had a runny nose for 3 months now. He’s been to the >doctor various times, and usually they say it’s just a cold, but I’m >beginning to wonder if it some kind of allergy. He does have eczema, so >maybe it is related to that. >I think I will take him to the doctor again to ask about the allergy >possibility. If it is an allergy, it is going to be something he has every >day (probably mild) because this has been continuous wiping of the nose for >3 months! Poor baby. >allergies to milk products, it is not >the lactose, but the casinate that I have a problem with. I had rash like >that when I was a baby. It’s called eczema. I had it thruout my >childhood. >Milk allergy has other symptoms besides rash, though. Hyperactivity is >thought to be related to milk. Also, respiratory problems, ear infections, >joint pain, etc. I would recommend asking your baby’s doctor to conduct >some allergy testing when he is two years old. They won’t do it prior to >that. I hope this helps.
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Hi – It sounds as though your son may have a mild allergic response to lactose or else something that he typically eats at the same time as milk. I’d suggest you try an elimination diet, starting with ALL milk products, to see what happens. You might also wish to pick up a copy of "Is This Your Child" by Doris Rapp, which has lots of information you’lkl find useful. Good luck! –Beth Kevles http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html — a page for the milk-allergic
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My daughter has had a rash on her cheeks since 9 months….the week she started 2%. I took her to a dermatologist and he said it is infant acne…has lasted since last July! I too am concerned if this is a milk allergy…… please post any more news. Thanks
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My 13 month old has had a runny nose for 3 months now. He’s been to the doctor various times, and usually they say it’s just a cold, but I’m beginning to wonder if it some kind of allergy. He does have eczema, so maybe it is related to that. I think I will take him to the doctor again to ask about the allergy possibility. If it is an allergy, it is going to be something he has every day (probably mild) because this has been continuous wiping of the nose for 3 months! Poor baby.
allergies to milk products, it is not – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->the lactose, but the casinate that I have a problem with. I had rash like >that when I was a baby. It’s called eczema. I had it thruout my childhood. >Milk allergy has other symptoms besides rash, though. Hyperactivity is >thought to be related to milk. Also, respiratory problems, ear infections, >joint pain, etc. I would recommend asking your baby’s doctor to conduct >some allergy testing when he is two years old. They won’t do it prior to >that. I hope this helps.
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> My 21 month old kid was on cow’s milk based formula since he was off > breastmilk at 8 months old. He had no problem eating yogurt and > cheese. However, he gets some red blotches/rash around the mouth > after drinking whole/2% milk. The rash disappears after 1/2 hour or > so. I’ve let him try boiled milk and food cooked with milk, and he > got no rash what so ever. So, does he have milk allergy or what? > Or is he allergic to something in the milk that once got broken down > during cooking would not cause any allergic reation? > Anyone know of similar symptoms?
Our youngest has that exact problem. Our pediatrician said that it is a -form- of an allergy that he will most likely outgrow. Now that he will soon be three, we are having some luck with lactose-free milk. Six months ago, even that wouldn’t work. He can down cheese by the wheel (and would if we let him). Just be patient. Good luck! — Charles I. Letbetter, Editor CATCH Online Magazine http://www.pagebrothers.com A new way of looking at parenting
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Hi Trevor, I am new on this newsgroup. I have allergies to milk products, it is not the lactose, but the casinate that I have a problem with. I had rash like that when I was a baby. It’s called eczema. I had it thruout my childhood. Milk allergy has other symptoms besides rash, though. Hyperactivity is thought to be related to milk. Also, respiratory problems, ear infections, joint pain, etc. I would recommend asking your baby’s doctor to conduct some allergy testing when he is two years old. They won’t do it prior to that. I hope this helps. Carol J. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >My 21 month old kid was on cow’s milk based formula since he was off >breastmilk at 8 months old. He had no problem eating yogurt and >cheese. However, he gets some red blotches/rash around the mouth >after drinking whole/2% milk. The rash disappears after 1/2 hour or >so. I’ve let him try boiled milk and food cooked with milk, and he >got no rash what so ever. So, does he have milk allergy or what? >Or is he allergic to something in the milk that once got broken down >during cooking would not cause any allergic reation? >Anyone know of similar symptoms?
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> So, does he have milk allergy or what? >Or is he allergic to something in the milk that once got broken down >during cooking would not cause any allergic reation? >Anyone know of similar symptoms?
Why not remove milk and dairy products from his diet and see what happens? If he still getst the rash, then it isn’t dairy. Children can thrive without dairy…it is not essential for a healthy diet anymore! Good luck. ~debra~
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> My 21 month old kid was on cow’s milk based formula since he was off > breastmilk at 8 months old. He had no problem eating yogurt and > cheese. However, he gets some red blotches/rash around the mouth > after drinking whole/2% milk. The rash disappears after 1/2 hour or > so. I’ve let him try boiled milk and food cooked with milk, and he > got no rash what so ever. So, does he have milk allergy or what? > Or is he allergic to something in the milk that once got broken down > during cooking would not cause any allergic reation? > Anyone know of similar symptoms?
Cooking the milk is breaking down the proteins that he may be allergic to. To visualize how heat denatures proteins, picture a cooking egg. Kim
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My 21 month old kid was on cow’s milk based formula since he was off breastmilk at 8 months old. He had no problem eating yogurt and cheese. However, he gets some red blotches/rash around the mouth after drinking whole/2% milk. The rash disappears after 1/2 hour or so. I’ve let him try boiled milk and food cooked with milk, and he got no rash what so ever. So, does he have milk allergy or what? Or is he allergic to something in the milk that once got broken down during cooking would not cause any allergic reation? Anyone know of similar symptoms?
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