Is my son destined for food allergies???

[todzwife]

Do food allergies run in families? I have no allergies, but DH is lactose intolerant and I am worried that Dallin will take after his father. Can lactose intolerant babies be nursed or do they need special formula? I plan on nursing unless there is a problem, and I am more than willing to eliminate dairy if we suspect a problem. Oh! And I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, are they ok to eat while nursing? I remember reading somewhere (or maybe I am making this up) that me eating peanuts can contribute to a peanut allergy in my kids. Any ideas? No one in my family has ANY food allergies, mostly I am concerned with the lactose intolerance. Thanks!

[Rachels]

Allergies tend to run in families, but what form they take varies. A food allergy in a parent might get passed down, but it could also be that the baby is just fine and then turns out to be allergic to bees. Or neither. You'll have to wait and see. But YES, allergic babies can and should be nursed. Breastmilk is the easiest possible thing for babies to digest. It's a living substance that's created just for them, and research shows that the longer a baby is nursed, the smaller her risk of allergies down the line. THat said, some babies just don't tolerate milk products in the mother's diet. Mine was one of those for a number of months. I cut out ALL dairy from my diet, and my daughter got a lot happier. I love peanut butter sandwiches, too, but I don't eat them these days. Since she tends toward food sensitivities, I just try to minimize her exposure to allergenic foods. There was about a two-week learning curve for figuring out how to eat with an allergic baby, but now it's really no big deal. The other thing my ped said is that there seems to be some relationship between soy and later development of severe peanut allergies-- life-threatening peanut allergies have risen exactly in proportion to the use of soy formula. So if you have a family history of allergies, it's probably best to wait to introduce soy products until your baby is a little older. But there's no reason at all not to nurse. The benefits you confer to your baby are enormous. HTH!


-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[todzwife]

Thank you Rachel! I was hoping I would get an answer from you since I knew you had a lot of allergy problems with Abby. Thank you thank you! I was going to be heartbroken if I couldn't nurse!

[Rachels]

If you need breastfeeding help or support, email me anytime. It's a great choice to make for a baby. You might like reading this:

http://www.promom.org/101/index.html

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[mom2kandj]

Any type of allergies(food, hay fever, etc), eczema, or asthma can increase your child's potential for allergies. My DD has allergies(dairy, eggs, oranges, cats, dogs, and horses), eczema(severe eczema on her hands and feet, mild over the rest of her body) and is a borderline asthma case. DS is showing a sensitivity to dairy and will be getting tested next month.

As for nursing, it is the best thing that you can do for your baby. The key is to manage your diet in response to your baby. As for lactose intolerance, it is not technically a food allergy. Lactose intolerance is caused by your body not being able to process lactose versus an allergy where your body fights an "intruder" antigen. I hope I stated that correctly or my allergist is going to be mad at me! :)

If your baby does present with allergy symptoms or your family has a history of allergies, eczema, or asthma, I would aske your ped about testing. DD was tested at four months due to her severe eczema and our family history. It was a relief to test before we started solids. Even then, whenever we introduced a new food, we fed that food for SEVEN days before a new introduction.

Nowadays, both kids drink soymilk and eat soy cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Small amounts of dairy can be consumed in baked goods without problem. Dealing with kids and allergies is difficult, but not impossible. Good luck! HTH!

Rose
mom 2 katie (33 months)
& Jack (16 months)