NMA: Newsletter 5 Article 4

I thought I was doing everything I was supposed to. I had a personal history of asthma and a strong family history of allergies to pollen and dust. I knew breastfeeding offered protection against these. So I breastfed and I enjoyed it immensely. What could be more satisfying than watching my child grow and know that I was making it happen with the milk my body made? Around two months of age my son began to develop eczema and cradle cap, pretty typical problems. They kept getting worse though, and eventually my pediatrician sent us to a dermatologist who suggested some creams. I asked if he thought it would help for me to try some exclusion diets. He said, "There's no proof that those help, just keep doing what you're doing." We didn't know it for several months, but in my son's case, he was wrong. Around seven months we gave my son a teething biscuit for the first time as he sat in his high chair while we had dinner. After a few minutes we noticed the baby's bottom lip was starting to swell. We wound up spending the rest of the evening in the emergency room, as they treated his allergic reaction. Soon after, in the allergist's office, we learned that he was allergic to milk, eggs, soy, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, beef, and pork. It the milk in the biscuit that set off the reaction that prompted his diagnosis. I immediately began eliminating all of those foods from his diet, most of which he had never had anyway. I also had to strictly eliminate them from my diet since I was still nursing. At the time, this was a daunting task - endless label reading, coming up with all new meals to cook and eat, fear that I'd given him or myself something bad, and craving ice cream in the heat of summer.

His skin rashes started to improve, but I still felt so sad, like I should have known earlier and been avoiding those foods all along. I felt so inadequate as a pediatrician and a mother, that I couldn't protect my baby from this suffering. I was able to keep up with all the exclusions for a couple of months before I weaned my son.

Now he is two and when we avoid all of the things he is allergic to he doesn't have a speck of eczema on him. He's even starting to outgrow some of his allergies, which is what generally happens. We keep epi-pens, injectable medication for allergic reactions, around the house and with us all the time. We're still endlessly reading labels and doing creative cooking exercises. I'm pregnant again, and this time I'm doing things a little differently. I'm avoiding all nuts while I'm pregnant and when I start nursing I'll go on a strict exclusion diet, eliminating the major allergens. It won't be fun and I'm sure I'll still miss the ice cream. This time it won't be so intimidating since we already have a repertoire of recipes that are "allergen-free" and we won't be in shock and full of sadness.

This approach isn't for everyone, but if you have a family history of allergies, even if they aren't food allergies, or if your child is showing signs of allergy like eczema, wheezing or gastrointestinal problems, talk to your doctor or consult an allergist about eliminating certain foods while pregnant or nursing. Don't do these exclusions without the guidance of a nutritionist.