10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

We just did the skin test on Monday because he has a persistent rash with wheat and gets hives with peaches. It came back positive for tree nuts, peanuts, and eggs. We even have an epi pen now.

Im still reeling from this and have occasional crying jags throughout the day. I made the poor pharmacist uncomfortable by crying all over the place when buying the epi.

Does anyone have any recs for nut free daycare, pediatric nutritionist, education workshops, or support groups? My mom watches DS and 4yo DD (no allergies) and im not sure if she's up to the task of keeping him now that she has to be extra careful. DH and I both work so it has to be daycare unless his health requires one of us to stay home.

Its all very new and were seeing the allergist on Monday. I saw the NP originally and all she said was "He has these allergies, well give you a script for an epi." I have no idea about the severity of his allergies and she kept saying she didnt want to take blood if they didnt have to until he has his regular bloodwork at 2 yo. Well sister, if my babys life is at stake if I give him avacado, hell be okay with a little bloodwork. After leaving, I thought that theu would have at least had an info sheet or SOMETHING for parents of allergic children but no.

10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

Similar situation here. The GI suggested blood work because his awful eczema and my 7 month old tested positive for egg, peanuts and dog. The blood test rated him 2/6 for egg/peanut and 1/6 for dog. Went to an allergist who did a skin test and confirmed the test. The allergist should be able to tell you how severe the allergy is. They should also be able to tell you if your child would be ok when the label says "processed at a plant that handles peanuts," etc. Our allergist said to come back at 12 months because he could have outgrown allergy.
I don't have any daycare recommendations for you, but I wanted to offer what little advice I have since it is new to me also.

10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

If you are unhappy with the level of care provided by the NP call and leave a message to speak to your pediatrician. You should not have to feel uneasy about the best way to manage your child's allergies.

10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

The blood tests are not always as accurate as the skin tests. My DD's blood work came back positive for a whole bunch of different things, when she is really only allergic to dairy. Her ped recommended the blood testing, but the allergist did the skin test afterwards and that was more accurate.

From our experience, our ped doesn't have a lot of information on allergies, which is why they immediately sent us to an allergist when her blood work came back positive. Hopefully the allergist you meet with next week will be able to give you much more information.

Re: 10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

I was the same way when my son (2 at the time) was diagnosed with his peanut allergy. But, honestly, I haven't found it too hard to keep life the same. Not having a blood test if not uncommon. We did strictly skin tests for 3 summers in a row. We finally did the blood test last summer because his skin test reaction had gone down so much, so his allergist wanted to know how level to see if he could try a peanut challenge (no-go).

My parents and in laws still babysit. I've just drilled into their heads that they have to read every label of everything he eats and also give them a periodical epi-pen tutorial, just in case. We've never had to use one or give benedryl for an allergic reaction (thank goodness).

There are a bunch of FB groups for peanut/tree nut and all sorts of food allergies. They are very informative. Hope this info helps!

10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

We saw the NP at the allergist and are following up with the head doc at the practice. Our ped is not involved yet. Ive read that the skin test can have false positives so Id like to get blood to get a full picture. Hes still only on baby food because he has only one tooth and were being cautious with what we eat around him for now.

I did speak with my mom this morning and she already started prepping so we're good there I think.

10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

No experience.
But I do know at DS's school many classrooms are labeled No Nuts, No Eggs, etc for the children that have allergies.

Re: 10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

I would suggest going to an allergist. Also join the No Nuts Mom group on FB-very helpful. My son has a nut allergy and also had egg and dairy as a baby. He grew out of dairy and egg has been greatly reduced(now can eat baked egg, etc.) Good thing is allergies are so prevalent now, so he is a lot safer than he would have been a few year sago. Try not to worry. work out an allergy plan, get on the same page with your husband and caregivers and be diligent. He will be FINE! Epi can never hurt a child like anaphylaxis, so when in doubt epi and have the child lay down for 5-10 minutes. call 911. Also check out FARE online. They have awesome resources.

Our rule is-known ingestion...epi. Unknown but involving 2 body systems or more(like swollen lips and vomiting would be an example) Epi

Re: 10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

My son is 3 and was dx with an egg allergy at 12 mos (suspected at 9 mos) and then peanut and tree nut at 24 mos. Most recently cat at 3.5.

First of all, it's really not as scary as it seems. I was in total shock when my pediatrician called up after his bloodwork results came in (had him tested due to peanut reaction) and the peanut allergy came in at "off the charts" and he called in the prescription for the Epi and told me to YouTube how it works

Anyway, he is under the care of an allergist who guided us in how to deal, what to avoid, etc. It has been easy for us and we go out to eat frequently, he has babysitters, does not attend nut-free school, etc.

Also, the bloodwork isn't going to be super-helpful in that my son tests at level VI for peanuts and even though theoretically that's the max, it does not predict what kind of a reaction he will have the next time, just that he WILL react--even a level I could have a serious episode.

Lastly, I would consider not joining any FB groups until you speak with your allergist...I find a lot of the moms on them handle the allergies in an extreme way (and you won't necessarily know their back story) and it may scare the daylights out of you at this point.

Hang in there...he is and you are going to be fine!


ETA: Egg allergies are usually outgrown by age 5...

Message edited 6/11/2014 1:37:17 PM.

Re: 10 month old with nut/egg/wheat allergy

In my experience, it isn't as scary or hard as it seems at first. It's a huge adjustment and yes, you always have to be prepared and cautious. My DS has peanut and tree nut allergies. He does not go to a nut free school and it's been fine. He has an epi pen but we've never had to use it thankfully. We have had to give him Benadryl after he accidentally ate something "made in the facility with nuts."

It's tough, but it'll be ok!