Know anything about sesame allergy? UPDATE POST 10

[Krisrich]

I gave my 15 month old DD hummus for the first time today and she broke out in hives everywhere her skin touched the hummus- fingers, cheeks, chin. She's never had an allergic reaction before but she has had some very mild eczema that never even bothered her. I am in the medical field and I called an allergist I know and he said that she is likely allergic to sesame and this usually goes along with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts as well. We have an appointment on Friday to have her tested. He said that he can't discuss the possiblity of outgrowing the allergies until she is tested.

Anyway... I am really upset about this. I also feel a lot of Mommy guilt. I introduced formula at 6 months because I got pregnant and my milk supply went down. She was weaned fully at 8 months. I now feel like I introduced new foods to early- for example, kiwi at about 9 months and now I've read that kiwi can cross-react with sesame! I also wish that I had taken her eczema more seriously and got her tested sooner so i could have been more careful and hopefully increased her chances of outgrowing the allergies. Finally, i ate hummus ALL THE TIME while pregnant both times! I never thought anything of it because there is no family history of allergies on either side.

I am just so sad and it doesn't help that I have been home alone for 48 hours with a 15 month old and a 6 week old because DH is away at business. I guess maybe I should have posted in the bitching forum... I am just hoping someone can say something to make me feel better!

[KpbS]

Sorry you are going through this--food allergies are no fun! This may be an obvious question but is there sesame in the hummus?

Sesame allergy is an allergy that is on the rise. Don't beat yourself up for eating hummus while pregnant or feeding it to your DC. It is a healthy food and without a family history of food allergy--I can't imagine food allergies would be your first thought w/ eczema. Hopefully your DC won't have any other related allergies, but even if she does you can do it mama! Life is so much more manageable today with improved labeling and food allergy awareness. Big hugs :hug:

[HIU8]

I don't think necessarily that your eating Hummos caused a sesame allergy. I lived on PBJ's with DS (I'm talking liek 2-4 a day). DS is not peanut or treenut allergic.

[sariana]

No, no, no, it is not your fault. You have no reason to feel guilty. No one really knows for sure what causes any allergies, food or otherwise, when there is no family history.

All the foods you mention are healthy foods. People can react to any food at any time, and it is no one's fault.

You are doing exactly the right thing getting your DD tested. Hopefully it will be only one food, but if not, there are lots of people on this board who deal with FA and can offer lots of advice, I'm sure.

[MamaMolly]

Please, please don't blame yourself!! I EBFd DD, weaned at 16 months and she had food allergies show up within the first few months of her life, so I really don't believe that the formula had anything at all to do with it. *AT ALL* And FWIW I don't have any food allergies though we have them on both sides of the family.

We found out about most of DD's food allergies when she reacted. It is just the way it goes when introducing new foods with little kids. The only one we found out about via testing was the peanut.

FWIW I ate PBJ and chocolate milk while pregnant, I scarfed nut filled granola when BF, and never actually quite stopped eating eggs. (Though for a long time I didn't cook with them or have any in the house. I'd just eat them when going out!) The only real restrictions I had while BF were no dairy (once she was diagnosed) and no citrus, tomato or spicy because of her reflux. Again, I don't believe it had anything to do with the formula.

Please update us when you get the testing results. BTW, do you know if it is going to be a blood test (RAST) or a skin prick test (SPT)? If it is the blood test I can offer advice for the blood draw, plus you want to ask for a CAP-RAST because it is more comprehensive.

Other than that I'd strongly suggest heading over to www.kidswithfoodallergies.org for advice, support, and information. One of the BBB mamas (ILoveTivo) told me about it and honestly it was a life saver. There is a STEEP learning curve when it comes to dealing with food allergies, but you learn to manage. It doesn't necessarily get easier (always having to be vigilant) but you get better with dealing with it so it seems second nature.

Bug smoochies and hugs. BTDT and food allergies suck. Scary as he!!. Just remember you are not alone. PM if you want.

[ShanaMama]

Well, my nice long reply is lost somewhere in cyberspace. My main point was the YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME. Please do not blame yourself as you did not cause this. I don't believe that giving her sesame at this age would prevent her from outgrowing it, either. (My DD was given milk @ the hospital for a food challenge when we knew she was allergic. Why would they do that if it decreased the chances she'd outgrow it?)
Luckily the reaction wasn't very severe and now you know. I find sesame one of the easier things to avoid. My house is sesame free. Don't forget to watch for it in restaurants, chinese food & lots of granolas/ cereals.
Welcome to the allergy club- the one no one wants to join. We're here to support & help you.
PS- congrats on the new baby. Please make sure you are taking care of yourself & not only the kids. There is a ton on your plate & it's gotta be stressful. Hugs!

[MommyofAmaya]

Sebastian had a similar reaction to hummus when I first gave it to him (shortly after a year old). I told the ped and he mentioned that it might just be the acid in the hummus and to try again in a few months. We tried a different brand and he did not react the same at all. So its possible your lo might not be allergic at all. Good Luck with the testing!

[mikeys_mom]

he said that she is likely allergic to sesame and this usually goes along with an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts as well.

I am no doctor and do not have any kids with food allergies, but I do have 3 friends with DC who have sesame allergies. Only 1 has a peanut allergy as well. The other 2 have just sesame. In fact one child had sesame, kiwi, poppy, salmon and various other seed allergies. He is now almost 6 and has outgrown all but the sesame allergy.

We have him over for playdates and have never had a problem in my non-sesame-free house. I just read labels and am careful with what I give him.

It is not your fault at all. Sounds like you are dealing with a lot right now.:hug:

[katerinasmom]

My DD is allergic to sesame, peanuts and tree nuts. We found out when she had a spoonful of baba ganoush at 18 months and broke out in hives from head to toe. There was really nothing that we could have done to prevent it. After that reaction we had her tested and through both skin and blood testing confirmed the sesame allergy and have discovered peanut and tree nut allergies as well. I find that the sesame allergy is more difficult to deal with at school and other outside places because people simply don't think about sesame the same way they do nut allergies. Although sesame allergies are on the rise, labels do not highlight sesame as an allergic ingrediant the way they do nuts, milk, soy and wheat and many many prepackaged foods use sesame or sesame oil in their production. People don't realize how many things have sesame in them. For example, if we go out to eat and I ask if the meatballs have sesame the waiter always says no and then when I ask them to check if the meatballs are made with breadcrumbs and whether the breadcrumbs have sesame they come back with yes. Chinese food is out - between the peanut and sesame and cross contamination issues it is simply not safe.
Having said all this, you will learn to adapt. You will learn to read labels for every product every time. You will learn how to educate every adult who is supervising your children about how to handle the allergies. You will make is a part of your child's routine and as your DD gets older she will learn how to protect herself as well. My DD is now 5 1/2 and regularly checks ingredient labels herself and asks every adult who gives her food to confirm that ingredients. It will all become routine. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

[Krisrich]

Thanks everyone for your kind and helpful replies.

Here's the update. The allergist did a scratch test in the office for sesame which came back positive (hives immediately) and for peanut which was negative. Then we went for bloodwork- a RAST with, I think, 31 items. Sesame was positive at 0.26 (class II) and peanut also came back positive at 0.33 (another class II). The peanut was disappointing and surprising after the negative scratch test. But, the good news is that it is only sesame and peanut and the numbers are low. I guess there IS a chance of outgrowing these allergies. In the meantime, we have our epi-pens!

And that brings me to my question. How do you carry your epi-pen if you are doing outdoor activities in the heat or cold? It says "brief" excursions outside room temp are ok, but how long is "brief" and how many times?

Any other advice is also extremely welcome! Thanks!

[MamaMolly]

If you Google EpiPen carriers you will find a bunch of companies. Many companies make special cases for them, some even do neoprene. I've read of other parents who put them in a lunch cooler (at room temp). I just tote ours in my purse or diaper bag, I just have to remember to take the bag out of the car. DH was really bad about leaving the diaper bag in the car so I just put the Epi into a little red canvas travel wallet type thing from LLBean so he could tote it around. I didn't want him putting it in his pocket :).

When DD was in daycare for a few weeks I had one that stayed there, and I also had one at home. Now it is one in my purse and one at home.

You just don't want to stick it in your glove box in the car. That would really mess it up. One thing to look for is a change of color in the liquid. When you fill the Rx take them out and get familiar with what looks 'normal'. Also, when you need to refill the Rx ask for the ones that are not going to expire soon. We've never needed to jab DD (thank God!) but it is a little annoying to fill and Rx in September only to have it expire in the following January.

You can save your old pens to use as real trainers, you jab an orange or grapefruit. It helps you get a feel for it.

[ShanaMama]

And that brings me to my question. How do you carry your epi-pen if you are doing outdoor activities in the heat or cold? It says "brief" excursions outside room temp are ok, but how long is "brief" and how many times?


I keep one in my purse, two in her diaper bag which travels to daycare with her & several others in designated spots around the house. If I'm going on a longer trip I'll usually take a few along in more accessible locations (suitcase, 2 in my purse, etc.) I think the room temp. warning just means not to leave it in the car for months, not that you actually need a climate controlled bag. I've never had to use mine, thank G-d, & I hope you never do.
ETA: my ped actually quoted a suprisingly high percentage of reactions that don't respond to the first ePipen administered, which is why there are two in the pack. I only keep one in my purse because they are quite heavy & I usually have her diaper bag when we are together in case I need more than one. You really shouldn't separate them to different locations. Also a hint someone gave me to get more on hand is to refill the rx for the first couple of months, even if you haven't used the first ones.

FWIW I beg to differ with the PP who doesn't see sesame warnings on product labels. I see more 'may contain traces' or 'made on equipment that processes' frequently for sesame & nut. I never see 'contains sesame' cuz I'm not buying those products, LOL! I avoid giving her all of the above because I don't really know how sensitive she is (shared equipment, manufacturing plant, etc.)

[KpbS]

Our epi pen stays in a little red travel/packing cube. The bag has a tag I ordered with DS1's name, allergy info, and instructions to call 911 and use the epi pen in the event of a possible reaction. (I have the same tag with the same info on his lunch bag--it also states that DS1 shouldn't eat anything I haven't provided). His epi-pen now stays in DS1's backpack and goes with him to school. I am not as diligent about carrying it as I was when he was younger--most of his reactions are delayed reactions now. I try to grab it whenever we venture out in the warmer months b/c I am nervous about bee stings. I try to never ever leave it in the car for any length of time.