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Children who have family members with allergy problems like asthma, eczema, hayfever or food allergy are at increased risk of also developing allergy problems. If your child is having a mild or moderate allergic reaction, her symptoms might include one or more of the following:.
A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis. Symptoms might include one or more of the following:. Some antihistamines can make your child sleepy, which can look like anaphylaxis and make it hard to know what reaction your child is having. The action plan usually includes important information on how to manage allergic reactions and which medications your child should use. You can also teach others — family, friends, teachers and carers — how to use it. World allergy organization guidelines for the assessment and management of anaphylaxis.
World Allergy Organization Journal, 4 2 , 1. Suitable for Years. By Raising Children Network.
She had dropped from around the 25th to the 3rd percentile within 6 weeks and was deemed Failure to Thrive. The general view was now one of panic.
The RAST results that came through a few days later showed that she was severely allergic to dairy, eggs and peanuts — as well as cats and dogs. A food allergy is basically when the immune system overreacts to the protein in that food. Reactions can range from skin hives, eczema to digestive or behavioural and for some, anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal systemic shutdown of the body i f not treated immediately with adrenaline.
We paid to consult with a private allergy specialist, one of the best in Auckland we were told and very expensive. He wanted me to stop breastfeeding, to just accept the best thing was to put her on an hypoallergenic formula called Neocate so we could bring her weight up quickly. He also asked if my daughter was exclusively breastfed. At first I said yes, then I remembered about her formula in hospital. This was when he told me he had seen a pattern with his young patients — many had received formula early.
I think then I felt the responsibility to do what I could to help my daughter. This was my first defining moment in our gut healing journey. He strongly suggested we see the allergy dietitian connected with his office. And so we did. So I left their offices that day with some type of agreement. Immediately I cut out those allergens from my diet and spent hours on the internet when my baby slept, reading and asking questions of others in similar situations. Emails were sent to grandparents highlighting the situation and I did what many do - I became preoccupied by the fear food would harm my precious baby.
I started to read about gut healing and it sounded great, like the perfect thing to do, but it also sounded overwhelming and the idea of eating fermented cabbage did not greatly appeal so I put it to the side as I got my head around the whole "living with allergies" thing. Improvement from this elimination protocol was not instant. Everyone seemed relieved at my decision to mix-feed and she hungrily drank the bottles. My husband supported me no matter what I decided, but was also enjoying having the chance to sometimes feed her as well.
I began to relax a little Over the next six weeks I started giving her more and more formula until she was up to three bottles a day, they went down easily and our breastfeeds became quicker and shorter and I was at a crossroads - what happened next would change everything.
My own allergy story: how healing my diet healed my seasonal allergies I also have a son with sensory issues and will only eat very few. Your spring allergies might be caused by poor gut health. While working out might not be high on your list when you're stuffy and congested.
She got her first hive to a her last bottle of Neocate. On her forehead, immediately after the bottle and not having started solids yet or had any other changes externally, it was obvious what triggered it. And that triggered what I really had been looking for - a valid reason to cease the Neocate and embark on a journey to try to heal her body from the inside out. My breastmilk supply had been decreased somewhat so I replaced the Neocate bottles with mineral-rich organic free range chicken bone broth for her to sip on while also nursing as much as possible to try and increase my supply which never really happened - back then it must have looked pretty interesting when I gave her a bottle out with friends!
Our whole lifestyle has changed considerably. We became advocates of natural immunity, using whole foods to heal and natural health in general. I ditched the dietitian after two sessions because I didn't see the value in arguing it with someone who was unsupportive and whose advice contained foods I was not going to feed my girl, and instead decided to work with a traditional foods nutritionist who educated me on the power of real food and who helped me stay motivated when it all just felt like too much work.
Instead of my old life of eating out often, I spent all my spare time researching, shopping and preparing food. It was a big thing. There was no just one wee bite of chocolate or one little peanut. My cravings came secondary to her needs.
I had designed our own gut healing protocol - it was based on GAPS but modified to include white rice cooked in broths or the occasional hummus etc. Even now I don't suggest as GAPS as the first stop when it comes to gut healing protocols but I recognise it has a place for some. The journey has continued from there, as I have followed my curiosity in wellness and discovering what that means in today's world and how I could apply that to our household. A big part of me was angry that I received little support from the mainstream medical system to keep breastfeeding… and yet another part is grateful for everything I learned about nutrition and health since because I had to fight for it.
Before long, my daughter was no longer underweight or Failure to Thrive. Her specialist knew we stopped using Neocate and he reserved his opinion other than to remind us there was no scientific research to show diet had any impact on allergy scores, but did the changes our very quick progress in reducing her RAST antibodies was almost unheard so, so that I should just keep doing what we were doing - so I did. We stopped seeing him, moved into the hospital outpatient system for annual testing but otherwise totally managing the resolution of her eczema and allergies on our own.
My girl weaned at 2. She started eating organic NZ butter daily after passing a baked milk challenge - we refused the later push to challenge straight milk as we had zero interest in introducing any other dairy products for as long as possible - this is an informed choice regarding the inflammatory nature of pasteurised milk products.
Interestingly, she tested positive via Skin Prick Testing to both salmon and cashews around this time - we knew that salmon sometimes caused her issues with minor hives around her mouth sometimes after eating. She is eating butter, cashews, salmon and peanuts and eggs, so eating out is easier especially as the types of wholefood places we like to eat often use cashews so we didn't have to avoid.
Her favourite foods include sauerkraut, kombucha, organic chicken, avocado, and fruit. She loves her treats, enjoying pretty much anything chocolate and things like Proper Crisps. Deprived she is not.
She knows she eats differently but doesn't seem to mind, as long as when the other children are having something special, she gets an alternative. Our friends are amazing and are inclusive as much as possible. She is well able to articulate thoughts on food and health and takes on concepts with ease. She still eats the same way but definitely has a big sweet tooth we often have to talk about!
Starting school was interesting, she has started to notice she eats differently and prefers not to eat much other than fruit in school hours but eats a decent breakfast, after school snack and dinner. She has started to express an interest in eating cheese, so she's tried a small sample of buffalo feta and goats cheese and she was unimpressed!
I realised that the only way to counter fear and helplessness was to become empowered and educated, and I wanted to share it with others so that they could form their own path towards healing. My experience inspired the creation of two amazing Facebook communities that I admin and interact with members.
At the time of writing, each group has over 8, members EACH! If you're interested in working with me, please know I really want to help. I've been where you are.