Breastfed 5 Month Old - Highly Sensitive To Wheat/oat/dairy/egg

[baileybit]

Hi. I am a new member, and am wondering if anyone has dealt with an infant so young with severe food issues. Morgan is soley breastfed. I started noticing increased duration and intensity of crying at 1 month old along with a change in stool to almost watery honey mustard consistency. I began taking things out of my diet, dairy, nuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, & chocolate. Morgan contiued to be extremely "fussy" and now noticed a redness on his cheeks with nursing as well as a rash on face and arms. The only allergenic food left in my diet - wheat. Took wheat out and rash cleared up, redness went away, poop stayed the same. Added oatmeal, within 3 days, rash back, really fussy....Took all gluten out of my diet, Morgan is a different baby. Finally sleeps 4-5 hour blocks (used to be 1 1/2 - 2), no rash, happy, BM every 2-3 days, thicker. Long story to ask if anyone else has ever heard of this in a child so young, especially since the amount of gluten getting through in the breastmilk can't be that much, we have not started solid foods and plan on contacting a pediatric allergist prior to starting solids. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.

[crunchy-mama]

Hi. I am a new member, and am wondering if anyone has dealt with an infant so young with severe food issues. Morgan is soley breastfed. I started noticing increased duration and intensity of crying at 1 month old along with a change in stool to almost watery honey mustard consistency. I began taking things out of my diet, dairy, nuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, & chocolate. Morgan contiued to be extremely "fussy" and now noticed a redness on his cheeks with nursing as well as a rash on face and arms. The only allergenic food left in my diet - wheat. Took wheat out and rash cleared up, redness went away, poop stayed the same. Added oatmeal, within 3 days, rash back, really fussy....Took all gluten out of my diet, Morgan is a different baby. Finally sleeps 4-5 hour blocks (used to be 1 1/2 - 2), no rash, happy, BM every 2-3 days, thicker. Long story to ask if anyone else has ever heard of this in a child so young, especially since the amount of gluten getting through in the breastmilk can't be that much, we have not started solid foods and plan on contacting a pediatric allergist prior to starting solids. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.

I don't have personal experience w/ little ones reacting to gluten- my little ones did react to milk nearly immediately. However, I know many other moms on other boards reacting to any number of foods- including gluten.

[Mother of Jibril]

I had to take dairy products out of my diet when my son was about six weeks old... he was crying for hours on end (colic), vomiting (sometimes explosively), had green diarrhea in just about every diaper (5-6 times a day) and finally we noticed streaks of blood in his diapers. It took about a week to see signs of progress. Within six weeks he was completely back to normal. We were thrilled when he started having only one BM per day! Now he's almost eight months old and it's down to 3-4 times per week. "Honey mustard" is a normal poo color for breastfed babies... also, breastmilk has a substance that acts as a laxative, so in a young baby true diarrhea is not very common. If that's the only symptom your son currently has I wouldn't worry too much.

We waited until six months to start giving our son solid food. Since then we've been noticing eczema and a rash. I decided to cut back on all solids for him with the exception of rice cereal and eliminate corn from my diet (I started eating quite a bit of it when I stopped eating gluten back in August)... it seems to be helping! I found these recommendations for introducing solid foods to kids with allergies and/or intolerances:

Open Original Shared Link

I'm planning to follow some of this advice as I introduce other foods back into my son's diet. I think in such a young child it's difficult to get information about possible allergies from a skin or blood test... monitoring your child's reactions to new foods is more reliable. If your son is intolerant to gluten (which it sounds like he is judging from the disappearance of his rash), then I would avoid oatmeal. Also, all products made with wheat, rye, or barley (a surprisingly common ingredient in baby food) and their derivatives.

Good luck! My son is the sweetest baby when he's feeling OK I don't know how much help the pediatric allergist will be (if you can find one), but it sounds like you're on the right track.

[April in KC]

Hi - my youngest had bleeding eczema starting at 4 months and really bad diapers while nursing - went through numerous food eliminations and eventually discovered it was gluten (and corn). I have Celiac but did not know it at the time...now I wonder if my antibodies contributed to his quick sensitization. I have no doubt he has Celiac, too - but I just wonder if it was the combination of both of our illnesses...

When he was 6 months, we introduced cereals and he was vomiting oatmeal within a week of introducing. We eventually got it all figured out around 9 months.

Good luck!

April

[Guest Mommy2aiden]

i would speak to your normal doctor about this right away too. also, if he is that allergic,you may also so its important to look into it for yourself too.

[Pattymom]

this is very much like what I went through my my dd, now 4. I started taking dairy out when she was 2 weeks old, then wheat, much better, but not all better,then eventually all gluten,and nuts, corn, and soy. Adn then she did great. her bm's were stinky and mucousy gross, tough still the right color, if a little too yellow. By honey,do you mean the consistency of honey, which would a sign of reaction, ro the color of honey, which might be fine. It's you abbay so I'm sure you know if something'swrong or not. I stayed off all those foods for a few months, and felt great myself (I didn't think I was sick before, but now I had no more bloating or gas, wich I had just accepted as part of life). I tested one day with a bagel sandwich-smoked tureky adn swiss cheese, my last gluten food. I felt awful, she felt awful, she felt awful. We stayed off gluten adn other foods and did well. I saw ped gi when she was 7 months, he thought it sounded lile allergy based on the mucousy Bm, he and my family MD both told me to try when seh got older and have her tested for celiac then. We started solids really slowly, beginning with fruits adn veg, eventually added rice. I kept her off dairy and gluten until she turned 2, thenhad blood tests done, negative, and she showe no obvious reactions. Except slow growth, so now at 4 we are going through lots of testing and diet changes again, but that'a another story.

So they can react to even the littel gluten you eat. It also might be that you aren't digesting it that well so larger particles are coming through your milk than might in someone else. There is some interesting research in using digestive enzymes in Mom's whose babies react to things in breastmilk, but I didn't pursue it since I felt better,and ultimatley tested positive for celiac myself. The reference was in a Lactation Cosultant text.

If I had to do it again, I would document everything, would be great now to have records. I would also have ha my ped or family MD. document everything and keep good growth records. I must admit, i didnt' take her in to the MD a lot but solved her issues on my own, which was great for her health and hassle free at the time, though I wish I had better official records. Overall, I do realize that the changes I made at home and nursing her are responsible for that fact that she has had so few health issues for such an allerigc girl. Your baby is luck you are willing to change yout diet for him. Hang in there, its gets so much easier. what used to be a daily struggle of what to eat, has become normal life. Some of my early baked good were litterly big flops and crumbs, now I can whip up muffins without thinking. Think of all the sufffering you are saving your baby from

Patty

[MarsupialMama]

I screamed for the first few months of my life until my mom stopped eating dairy (she was breastfeeding me). My first daugheter screamed for the first 3 months of her life until we cut out soy (we were already dairy free). She stopped overnight. My second daughter fell off the growth charts in an extreme way (with many other problems) until we cut out gluten at 1 1/2 years old with her. (Took that long to figure out the gluten thing....wouldn't you think I would have caught on before??) Both daughters and me have had chronic constipation since birth, and I think it was allergy related. Now everything is clearing up. Am pregnant with my third baby now........wondering what is next!!!!

So, yes, allergies can start with babies from day one, causing gassiness, constipation/diarrhea, intestinal/stomach upsets, etc. Even a bite of an allergy food (dairy or wheat) can get through to the baby and cause problems because when your food is absorbed by your stomach and intestines, it is on the molecular level. It is on the molecular level that your breastmilk is built up (no big chunks of eggs or soybeans coming out there! lol!).

Another thing my first daughter was sensitive to was when I ate vinegar. Very random food, but very consistent with making her fussy. The thing is to just be observant - you know your child's behavior and patterns more than anybody else. Great job on your diligence and attention to your baby's needs (and sacrifice!). I wish all parents were as diligent as that!!!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

In addition to watching what you are eating, and delaying any solids for Morgan, PLEASE research vaccines. A good place to start is www.nvic.org. Nobody seems to have done a study, but it seems that those with autoimmune disorders (such as celiac) are far more sensitive to the problems associated with vaccines.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW THE "MANDATED" VACCINE SCHEDULE.

You can request that only one vaccine at a time be given, and you have the right to refuse any and all vaccines that you believe might harm your daughter.

Most pediatricians are educated by the vaccine manufacturers, but some are wise enough to see the problems that are caused, and will allow you (or even suggest) to implement a reduced vaccine schedule, especially if you are non-confrontational in your approach (in other words,not like me!!! ) and suggest that you plan on catching your daughter up on vaccines eventually (which you do not have to do).

Be aware that the flu shot DOES contain thimerosal (40.6% mercury--a known toxin that crosses the blood-brain barrier). Also be aware that there are doctors claiming that it causes harm as well as those who claim it helps.

Please don't let anyone talk you into formula over breastfeeding! Kudos to you for breastfeeding!

[swalker]

I think all "colic" is Mom eating something that doesn't agree with baby.

[purple]

As for colic, I never breast fed my 2nd dd and she had colic but it wasn't too bad like some babies. I believe it was caused by her immunizations. If I had to do it over she would never have gotten ANY shots.

I know of a family with 7 kids and none had shots and none ever get sick, not even a cold. They were all delivered at home except a set of twins. They have good immune systems but are not Celiacs.