Food Allergy!! HELP!

Amber - posted on 04/05/2011

I will have to cuz they just blow it off and tell me to just not give her the dressings...and I tell them that I was already planning on not but NEED to know what it is that she is allergic to and they said that there was too many ingredients it could be anything...i was like really that is all you are going to do for me...I am almost positive it isnt nuts eggs or wheat becuase she has the last two daily and nuts fairly often for a 16 mo...but I am really leaning towards soy its the only thing she has had that has soy in it and the other ingredients I find on many of our snacks....however I am calling my pedi to get transfered to a pediatric allergist the only way our insurance will allow us to go to speciallist without paying it out of pocket..which we dont have....but thank you for your advice it was very helpful

Shawnn - posted on 04/05/2011

Your best bet, as leigh said, is to check ingredients. Look for common ingredients between the dressings you've used. And a visit to an allergist is a good idea. With my son, his food allergies were easily spotted, and he grew out of them, but we were always on the look out! I did find out that my son is sensitive to different oils/greases, even now. There are some fast food places he cannot eat at, because of the oil they use in their fryers.

Your pediatrician may have given you the answer that he did because he is not equipped to test for allergies, so I'd recommend the pediatric allergist. Even if it is not a dangerous reaction, it is still a concern that needs to be addressed, and I'm sure your daughter doesn't want to eat dry salad for the rest of her life! :)

Leigh - posted on 04/05/2011

The 5 big allergies are wheat, soy, milk eggs and nuts. If she has eaten all these without problem, then you need to look and compare labels. Look for something similiar in each. Your problem may come in that the same ingredients can be labeled differently if the dressings are made by different companies. All food is now required to list the big 5 allergies in everyday language, but other ingredients do not have to be. As a mom of an allergic 17mo (eggs and nuts) I would advise you to skip the Pediatrician and go to a Pediatric Allergist. They may test her for some common allergies (even things she may have eaten and you do not think she is reacting to). They can also determine if you need to start carrying an EpiPen. Unfortunately, even if she is only breaking out in hives right now, she could have a major reaction at any time. Keep Benedryl in your home, if she starts to have a major reaction, it can slow it down. I like the single, easy-dose packets. They carry nicely in your purse. This is just my personal opinion - but I would think twice about taking my child to a Ped who doesn't take my concerns seriously, especially since she has reacted multiple times. The first time I told my son's Ped that I thought he had hives after eating eggs, he wrote "EGG ALLERGY" across his chart in red letters and gave me an EpiPen script - even before he was actually tested by the Allergist. Like I said, just my opinion. Also, check out FAAN - it's the governments food allergy network. It a good resource.