1 Year Old with Food Allergies

A., Every child is different but you might consider Goat Milk as an alternative to Soy. Many times it's the protein in cow's milk that they're allergic too and the goat's milk doesn't have it. It also has more fat and is easier to digest than soy. My son has been on it for almost a year now and is doing really well. If you do go with soy, be sure you're using a full fat version. Many are low fat and your daughter definitely needs the fat at her age. I've found goat's milk at Lunds and Super Walmart in the refrigeration section near the Lactaid products. You can also find it in powder form but I haven't had much luck with it. It's very difficult to get it to mix completely.

A.,

My son is allgeric to wheat, eggs, and peanuts. At one point we thought he was allergic to milk as well, but he's not. Here are some quick suggestions from what I have learned:

Rice Milk- My son loves it. You can find it in the natural foods section in Rainbow for $3.99 for 64 oz. I special order it by the case from Trader Joe's for only $2.99 for 64 oz.

Ener Foods Egg Replacer - You can find in the natural foods section at Rainbow. It's a powder like substance that you can use for baking. (I use more than what the package recommends.)

It was a really hard adjustment for us in the begining but it didn't take long for us all to adapt to the changes. The good thing that came from all of this is that my son is eating healthier than before because he eats so many fruits and vegtables. When you eliminate all the premade and boxed food from the supermarket and go back to the basics, you'll find a lot for Cora to eat. Just start getting used to baking your own cookies and treats and bringing your own food with you wherever you go. Think fruits, veggies, and meat and Cora will be a strong, robust little girl!

Good Luck!

Jo

I am in the a similar situation with my daughter. She was diagnosed with being allergic to milk products, and peanuts at 1 year old. Luckily, she out grow the milk allergy but is highly allergic to peanuts. So your daughter may grow out of it after a year or 2. We used a lot of soy products, like soy milk, soy yogurt to help with a her get a good source of calcium and protein. We made smoothies for her too, which helped a lot as you can ad in things like tofu, or brewer's yeast, flaxseed, and fruit of course too. That really helped us get through that first year with the allergies. Also, if you don't already shop at a health food store, I would start as they have more option of dairy-free items, like Whole Foods or Mississippi Market. Good luck and hang in there!!

The Dietician will be a good source, but don't frett to much! Our neighbors daughter had the dairy allergy even just touching her skin would make her breakout. She is now 3 and has outgrown it!!!! The peanut allergy might be a little more tricky. What she did is visited the all natural isle in the store for soy products including, pudding, milk, yogurt, ice cream, there is alot to offer - check it out it could be your answer. This gal is the youngest of 3 so when her siblings had ice cream she wasn't left out.

Good Luck!

My youngest son will be 3 in April and he's allergic to dairy, soy, eggs, and peanuts. We are also avoiding tree nuts and shellfish.

The first thing I would do if I were you is to see an allergist-a pediatric allergist if possible. They will know much more about managing your daughter's allergies than a pediatrician.

Initially, finding food for him was a major pain in the neck but once you have a few basics you KNOW she can have, it will get a lot easier. Whole Foods has a consultant who will help you look for foods your daughter can have. Cub Foods has expanded their organic section and the prices are better. You may want to join FAAN(Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) and order the ingredient cards. http://www.foodallergy.org/ The cards are like credit cards, one per each food. They list all the ingredients to avoid for a particular food. For instance, the egg card will tell you to stay away from albumin etc. I kept mine in my wallet and took them to the grocery store incase I came across a funny ingredient. I have them all memorized now.

You will have to do more cooking from scratch. My son loves pancakes so I use Bisquick, Rice milk (Soy milk is better but he can't have soy), and Ener-G Egg Replacer (a Godsend). I make a batch, freeze them between wax paper, and take one out as needed. For the egg replacer, I mix 2 teaspoons of replacer with 2 tablespoons of water. This is a good recipe site: http://www.foodyoucaneat.com/food/news.php?action=addcomm...
This site lists food substitution ideas:
http://www.foodallergykitchen.com/substitutions.asp

Because of your daughters peanut allergy, you will most likely have to carry an Epi-pen. These holders are great for taking to the park etc. http://www.allstarsales.ca/index.html?lang=en-us&targ... I took my son to Lebanon Hills for a hike one day. On the far side of the lake-a good 30 minute walk to the car-he found a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrapper. After that happened, we take the Epi with us everywhere.

This is another website for sharing info with other parents of kids with food allergies: http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=bcus...

Depending how severe your daughter's reactions are, you may want to avoid other items as well. Lotions or soap with Shea Butter can in some cases, cause a reaction in people with peanut allergies. Some lotions and soaps also contain milk. Last summer I bought garden mulch from Bachman's and it was loaded with peanut shells. The shells contain peanut protein and can cause a reation.

There is a lot of information out there, it can seem overwhelming. I remember sobbing in the car in the grocery store parking lot. It gets much easier, I swear! Good luck!

My oldest had a dairy intolerance when he was younger and has since outgrown it for the most part. If he has too much dairy his eczema flairs up and he gets really dark circles under his eyes, but its not nearly as bad as it used to be, he has outgrown it.

I hope Cora outgrows it too, but it seems like many moms on here have experience with this. good luck!

Go to www.nomilk.com for a number of wonderful resources on milk and dairy alternatives.

Also, google 'non-dairy chocolate cake.' I have been making this wonderful recipe since November when my son turned 1 year. Everyone loves it and it doesn't have eggs or milk!

Hi A.
I shop from this awesome store that manufactures nothing but natural products. Allergies are caused by the foods and chemicals we use in our home. I know lots of people whos allergies have completely cleared up just by using these products in their homes instead of all the harmful chemicals. I would really like to share this information with you. Would be interested? Let me know and I can call you personally.
Thanks,
S.

My son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy and I was scared to death!!! I know how you feel, it is overwhelming at first. try this web site http://www.foodallergy.org/ they are great and have good references. good luck, it gets better after a while of working with it.

They said my son would grow out of it, but now he is almost 6 and it is at the same level of reactions as he ever was. They doubt now that he will out grow it. Join a co-op for natural food alternatives. What ever you do try not to act like it is a big deal with your son, now my son is so picky he wont even try anything even when I say it is milk free. Try to treat him a "normal" as possible and vary his food so you can avoid what my picky eater son is doing now.

Hi, A.!

I have a son who is allergic to peanuts and most tree nuts. We did not learn this until he was 3 years old and have learned to manage it pretty well. It is true that milk allergy is often outgrown as well as the egg allergy. The peanut one, though, is the most unlikely to be outgrown and also causes the most food allergy deaths in the United States every year at 95% of cases.

Of course the most important thing is to read labels and avoid those ingredients. The trickiest part is avoiding the possibility of cross contact in all food items with the allergens you are trying to avoid. Contrary to popular belief, labelling for cross contact is completely voluntary on the food manufacturers part. We made many phone calls in the beginning until we found brands we trust and foods that we were 100% positive did not contain even the most minute trace of peanuts or tree nuts. Some of the brands that consistently label for cross contact include Nestle, Hershey's, Pepperidge Farms, Keebler, Kellogg's, General Mills (the best in the business), Frito Lay. We also trust Kraft/Nabisco for our son.

Another resource is the Food Allergy Support Group of Minnesota (www.foodallergysupportmn.org) and the Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy Association of Minnesota (http://afaa.home.att.net/links.html) Both groups meet bi-monthly in the Twin Cities area (Crystal and St. Paul respectively) We belong to the first group and it has been incredible what it means to have this group to depend on and the special projects they do to help all with food allergies.

Lastly, find a great allergist who is also a pediatrician. We go to Allergy and Asthma Specialists (Minneapolis and Plymouth offices) and see Dr. Allen Stillerman. Two other good pediatrician allergists include Dr. Helm at Allergy and Asthma Care, P.A. in Maple Grove and Dr. Nancy Ott though Southdale Pediatrics in Burnsville, Edina, and Eden Prairie.

Keep searching the internet and become a member of FAAN (foodallergy.org). You will get through this. Find a great doctor, some support other than family and friends, and read labels. Good luck. I would be more than happy to consult with you if you wish. I'm just not sure how we get in touch through this message system!

Our moms group just had a women come and doa talk about their struggles with a child who is VERY allergic to milk and peanuts and she started a roganization for families in Minnesota dealing with allergies. I am pretty sure its called Minnesota Allergy Society, go to alamn.org. I am pretty sure they have monthly meetings a nd a lot of reasources fo rfamilies dealing with allergic children.
Good luck
K. h