Is it possible for a baby to get a rash from bananas?

[lynn]

My ds called and asked me. I really never heard of allergies from bananas but she said her granddaughter(hehehe yes my ds is a granny) broke out with a raw rash on her diaper area and the only difference for her was bananas.

[HollyDay]

Yes. And many folks who are allergic to bananas are also allergic to latex

[lynn]

Yes. And many folks who are allergic to bananas are also allergic to latex

 

That's interesting. I'll have to let ds know about this. Bananas seem so harmless....

[Whisperlily]

I'm allergic to bananas, but I don't get a rash... within several hours of eating one I start vomiting and have diarrhea which lasts about 12 hours. No fun! An allergy to bananas is definitely possible.

 

Another question, my kids couldn't handle wheat or oatmeal until they were at least 3ish... Before then, they'd have horrible diaper rash/burns from the acidic diarrhea it caused. Cheerios, oatmeal, don't even think of shredded wheat! Bread was always fine, however. Could it be a new kind of cereal she had eaten?

[lynn]

I'm allergic to bananas, but I don't get a rash... within several hours of eating one I start vomiting and have diarrhea which lasts about 12 hours. No fun! An allergy to bananas is definitely possible.

 

 

Another question, my kids couldn't handle wheat or oatmeal until they were at least 3ish... Before then, they'd have horrible diaper rash/burns from the acidic diarrhea it caused. Cheerios, oatmeal, don't even think of shredded wheat! Bread was always fine, however. Could it be a new kind of cereal she had eaten?

 

I'll ask. Thank you for the info.

[Mom to Aly]

Yes, it is an allergy you can have, and allergies often manifest in rashes.

[hillfarm]

A long while ago I did an article about latex allergies and as I recall, there was a common cross-reactivity between bananas, latex, avocados, and (?)chestnuts, I think. You should tell the parents to talk to their dr. about that because allergies often get worse with continuing exposure.

[abbeyej]

Not necessarily an "allergy" (in the medical, immune-system response definition), but certainly a reaction like that wouldn't be terribly unusual. (Banana allergies aren't unheard of either though.) If it were my child, I would avoid bananas completely for a minimum of three months before letting her have some again. (And I would probably wait longer, honestly, but that's a minimum).

 

It could well be an intolerance that she will outgrow with time.

 

There are certainly some foods that people are much more commonly allergic to than others -- but a body *can* be allergic to almost any substance on earth. Bananas are neither a terribly common allergen, nor a terribly unusual one.

[OnTheBrink]

My dd can't even touch a banana without getting very itchy. If she eats anything with raw banana, her throat, mouth and tongue itch horribly. She can, however, have banana bread, or anything with cooked bananas. I can't figure out why, though.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My dh and dd are both allergic to bananas. I researched it (google "banana allergy") and found that there is a kind of banana allergy that is linked to latex and a kind that isn't (my family's isn't). I think if the respiratory system is involved it is more likely to include latex (but research this please and don't take my word for it!) Oh- and in my dd her allergy is manifested as a rash. Dh gets sinus problems.

[Mrs. H.]

My whole mouth itches when I eat bananas that aren't fully ripe. If they are even a little "green", my mouth and throat will itch all day! If they are starting to take on brown spots, they don't bother me...but I like the texture better when they are firm and just turning yellow all over.

[girligirlmom]

Is it possible for a baby to get a rash from bananas?

Absolutely. My ds4.75 had a rash from a raw banana just touching his belly (skin)! Same thing happened with raw mango. But he is not allergic to either so his pediatric allergist requested he wear Onesies even when it's hot while he was eating.

 

He does have a few unusual allergies including sweet potato. At one point he had about 22 food allergies including groups like all tree nuts, all shellfish, all dairy, plus 19 more. We did have him blood tested and skin tested and repeat it annually.

 

He now has 16 food allergies.

 

Does anyone else in the family have food sensitivities or allergies? I did not find out until after trying to figure out what was wrong for 6 months, that my dh had food allergies and my dh's father had food allergies.

 

My ds spit up excessively, then started diarrhea, then he had serious deep red rashes on his face and this was all while exclusively breastfeeding!

 

Some children cannot tolerate the grains so if the baby has had cereal for a while and then banana, certainly back off on the banana and see if it clears up. If not, then pursue medical help.

 

I might check with a doctor or allergist and maybe have the baby tested for the top allergens if after trying banana again after about 3 weeks without it, the diarrhea recurs, but not usually after just one bout of diarrhea.

 

It could be a virus. Any other symptoms? Clear runny nose, excessive crying, temperature? General malaise?

[Mrs. H.]

Your comment about food touching the baby's skin made me think of my middle ds. He breaks out all over his mouth if cinnamon gets on it, like from a cinnamon roll, or putting cinnamon on his oatmeal. He breaks out like this from strawberries on his skin, too. It's weird, because the reaction seems to end there, he has no problems eating the stuff. :confused: