For those with kids with Food Allergies

[lincap]

Long story short: DS1 is allergic to dairy, egg and peanut. He is 4 yrs old and has a history of contact hives and anaphylaxis from spit of a child who ate dairy. DS2 is 2 yrs old and just had his allergy testing, negative for everything and did an in office food challenge for eggs since he did get hives the first time he was exposed to them.

 

We do not keep DS1 allergens in our house at all.

 

So since DS2 passed his food challenge, the allergist then casually says "ok, now DS2 needs to eat 1 muffin a day (we were given a specific recipe) for one month. Then for 3-4 months have a daily item with baked egg in it." Also in May we have to start DS2 eating dairy.. basically same protocol of one dairy item a day for months..

 

I almost fainted.

 

We do no keep DS1 allergens in our house and now I have muffins with egg in them AND DS2 eats one a day. I am having MAJOR anxiety. I am so upset that our hosue is no longer the safest place for DS1 to be. Plus the crumbs... oh the crumbs...

 

In addition to having to have his allergens in our house, DH does not want ANY friends/family to know about this (real life ones ).. Because we ask people who see DS1 to not eat dairy, eggs or peanuts before seeing him becuase he is so sensitive.

 

So I need help dealing with a few things:

 

1) Lying to my friends/family about what DS2 is eating

 

2) Anxiety of having DS1 allergens in my house

 

3) Any suggestions from people who do keep their child's allergens in the house to prevent cross contamination and reactions?

 

I cannot express the stress that I feel now.

[abbeyej]

Wow, did you talk to your allergist about this? Do the children have the same allergist?

 

Are you dealing with a pediatric allergist? (If not, I would look for a second opinion with someone who's entire practice is pediatric patients.)

 

I just find the whole thing strange and curious...

 

But I would definitely call the allergist back and insist on another appointment to discuss your questions and the "big picture" of life in your family.

 

I don't think your fears and concerns are unreasonable *at* *all*.

[athena1277]

I don't know that I can help with all your questions, but I will share what I know from my dd being gluten-free in a house where everyone else eats gluten. You need to find one area of your kitchen to prepare (and probably consume) the muffins, etc that your ds can't have. Clean that area after it is used each time, with a special rag/sponge or disposable wipes. Also contain the food in a special place, preferably near where it is prepared/eaten. If something must go in the fridge, designate a special drawer or even a sealed container for the food.

 

I hope you can figure out how to feed both your children what they need safely.

[joannqn]

Personally, if I had a child with allergies that severe, the entire family would follow that child's allergen free diet.

 

As it is, my infant is allergic to dairy and we are all dairy free in the house. Because her reaction isn't that severe, I allow the kids to eat what they want at restaurants. But at home, until she outgrows her allergy, if she outgrows her allergy, there's no dairy products.

Edited April 5, 2010 by joannqn

[abbeyej]

Personally, if I had a child with allergies that severe, the entire family would follow that child's allergen free diet.

 

Yes, we kept an entirely nut-free household for years for ds. Now that he's older and has survived a couple of more recent, inadvertent exposures, I'm not as worried about it. But when he was young and had had a recent anaphylactic reaction? No way would I have brought those same foods into the house for other family members.

[hsbaby]

I wouldn't be comfortable at all. DD has nut allergies and no one in the house gets anything that might cause a reaction! It's bad enough worrying when you are out....home should be where anxiety is relieved!!! I'd call the allergist and discuss your concerns.

[lincap]

The boys do have the same allergist. We live in Maine and went to a local allergist that was so mis-informed about food allergies I hated taking them there. So their pedi suggested someone at Children's Hospial in Boston. Since we have family in Boston we decided that the 3 hour drive is worth it.

 

They know about DS1 allergies, they know that we got rid of all dairy, egg and peanut products when he was 11 months old to keep him safe. But said that recent studies show that for a sibling or child that has close relatives with food allergies, once they are exposed to a food (top 8) they need to have it daily for about 4-5 months then as often as they want, to avoid that child developing the allergy. They explained the on/off can cause a child to develop an allergy. So since DS2 has had egg 3 times, it is important to keep it up to avoid him potentially growing sensitive to egg and becoming allergic.

 

They did not see it as a big deal, just get through a few months then once in a while while DS2 is at someone's house give him something with egg... same for dairy. So for the next 5 months will be hard on us having his allergens in the house. Then after our plan is to have DS2 eat out with DH once a week to get egg and dairy at a restaurant or friends house.

 

Baby cries... more later.

[Lolly]

As much as possible, I would have the sibling eat the food outside of the house. Once you get past the specific recipe phase, I would even purchase the foods outside the home. I would simply not mention to family that said child was eating the foods. If I did, I would make it in the form of a complaint and how hard it is to make sure that all evidence of said food was removed from his person before he was exposed to his brother. Make sure to tell them all precautions that you have to take. (Possibly teeth brushing, clothes changes, washing up to elbows,.....)

[delaney]

I think that if food trials can clear them of the allergy I would carry on. As for the crumbs, this may sound nuts but either have him eat outside on the nicer days or try the bathtub? At least there the crumbs can be totally contained, right?

I know how hard it is b/c we have all sorts of food allergies in the house. Add to that the ones that can eat nut LOVE them!

[abbeyej]

Okay, Linda, I feel better about this now, with more information...

 

I certainly understand your concern. Do you have a friend or relative nearby who would be willing to help you with this? Someone who could do a few batches of baking for you (and then you could keep the muffins in the freezer or some such)? I might then try to set it up so that the 2yo has his daily snack outside (whenever possible) or in a specific, very contained area, while the 4yo is in another room. (One of those times when I might turn to an electronic babysitter, like the tv or an audiobook for the older one.) Just set it up as a daily thing with a set routine, so you *and* the children have an easier time keeping things separate. And then, of course, you wash the 2yos hands and face, brush his teeth, and wipe down anywhere that could have gotten crumbs or where he might have touched.

 

I think I'd agree with your dh generally. There's no reason you need to bring this up with family and friends who know to keep these ingredients away from your older child. Now *some* people will understand, and I do think having someone who would be willing to bake the muffins in her kitchen (so there's less contamination in yours) might be helpful. So if there's someone helpful and understanding who could be taken into your confidence, I might do that. ... Other people might take it as license to be careless though, and that's not something you want to encourage.

 

I'm glad you've got a good team behind you. We too had a *horrible* experience with an adult allergist when my oldest was 4 (and had recently had a severe anaphylactic reaction), followed by a *much* better experience with a pediatric allergist associated with a children's hospital.

[rafiki]

.

[mirth]

Does the doctor also have you keeping a daily record with this immunotherapy he's prescribing? It is trying to build up tolerance, and it would be nice to know what others' reactions have been like.

 

As far as the recipe goes, they must have one for a liquid tolerance builder (egg nog perhaps) or a less crumby one like custard or creme brulee.

[Colleen in NS]

He is 4 yrs old and has a history of contact hives and anaphylaxis from spit of a child who ate dairy.

 

DH does not want ANY friends/family to know about this (real life ones ).. Because we ask people who see DS1 to not eat dairy, eggs or peanuts before seeing him becuase he is so sensitive.

 

They did not see it as a big deal, just get through a few months then once in a while while DS2 is at someone's house give him something with egg... same for dairy.

 

:grouphug: Another mother of two anaphylactic food-allergic children here. I remember when you posted about this before. I'll say this again to hopefully lessen your anxiety - it DOES get easier, the older the children get. It's the baby/toddler/preschooler/youngschooler years that are hardest, because YOU have to be so careful, and you have to teach your kids over and over again how to be careful. I have found that as my kids get older, the cautions are more ingrained in them and they say NO to any food offered to them now, unless either we check it or we have given our kids permission to check ingredients themselves (NOT commonly practiced in our family yet - not comfortable with giving that over to them completely yet - not for long time). But my kids now remember to say no to people.

 

As for the how to cope with the next few months - you've gotten some great ideas here. Try to take them one day at a time (I notice you have a new baby, too!) and live hour by hour for now. It's almost like you are in survival mode, yes? But you can do it. It sounds like a good plan for your 2 yo, and for good reasons.

 

My ds was just diagnosed as NOT allergic to four kinds of tree nuts, and probably not allergic to three more, so he will be food-challenged for those three in a few months. Let me tell you - it will be really weird to feed him nuts after all these years of avoiding them like poison!!! He outgrew his severe egg allergy, too, a few years ago, AND his peanut allergy is lessening - it's down to 50% chance of reacting, from a previous severe status all these years. BUT there is no way I am going to reveal all of this to certain people in our lives - I TOTALLY get what you mean about that!!!!!!!!!!!:D It will be hard enough for US to remember which nuts he is not allergic to, nevermind trying to explain that to others who aren't as cautious as we are. And the peanut thing? No way will I reveal the 50% figure. We've had bad experiences in the past with people undermining our authority over our kids in the realm of their allergies.

 

Hugs to you as you cope for the next few months.

[wapiti]

Do you have a friend or relative nearby who would be willing to help you with this? Someone who could do a few batches of baking for you (and then you could keep the muffins in the freezer or some such)? I might then try to set it up so that the 2yo has his daily snack outside (whenever possible) or in a specific, very contained area, while the 4yo is in another room. (One of those times when I might turn to an electronic babysitter, like the tv or an audiobook for the older one.) Just set it up as a daily thing with a set routine, so you *and* the children have an easier time keeping things separate. And then, of course, you wash the 2yos hands and face, brush his teeth, and wipe down anywhere that could have gotten crumbs or where he might have touched.

 

I think I'd agree with your dh generally. There's no reason you need to bring this up with family and friends who know to keep these ingredients away from your older child. Now *some* people will understand, and I do think having someone who would be willing to bake the muffins in her kitchen (so there's less contamination in yours) might be helpful. So if there's someone helpful and understanding who could be taken into your confidence, I might do that. ... Other people might take it as license to be careless though, and that's not something you want to encourage.

:iagree: I think these are great ideas, (1) seeing if someone else would bake for you (or let you use their kitchen), (2) freeze the muffins (something I'd do regardless, just out of convenience; I'd feel relatively safe with them in your freezer if the 4 y.o. understands not to touch them), and (3) try to eat the muffin outside of the house if possible (we live in the land of crumbs over here).

 

And no, I wouldn't tell anyone about this who didn't need to know.

[lincap]

Yes, this is stressful as I do have a 1 month old too! Things are hectic here.

 

It isn't considered immunotherapy since DS2 was never diagnosed as egg allergic. He had been given egg at 16 months old and 3 days after 2 different times he was given egg he was covered in blotchy hives for 4-5 days. His allergist at the time (maine one) just said over the phone when I called "oh weird have his pedi prescribe an EpiPen, you know the drill, no need to test him. So have him tested in a year or so."

 

So when we switched the older DS to the new allergist in Boston, I decided that DS2 should get tested. They said that hive reaction may have been something else (virus etc) OR it is possible he outgrew any allergy. The Boston (current) allergist said it is just much better to give him the baked egg daily for 4-5 months to avoid the chance that a little egg here then 6 months later more egg, then try again.. could lead to him becoming allergic. I think the Boston doc was trying to help my anxiety by offering an in office food challenge for a child who tested negative.

 

I bought new mixing bowl, spoons, measuring cups etc.. and made a batch of 18 muffins and froze most of them. DH took the 3 boys for a walk so I could concentrate on minimizing cross contamination. I think I did good making them carefully and did a MAJOR clean with new rags, sponges, small dustpan and broom and paper towels that will be designated my egg cleaners. I put all the stuff that I used for the muffins in a red storage bin.

 

Now I need to work on crumbs while he eats it. Lots of great ideas and support here!

[Colleen in NS]

I bought new mixing bowl, spoons, measuring cups etc.. and made a batch of 18 muffins and froze most of them. DH took the 3 boys for a walk so I could concentrate on minimizing cross contamination. I think I did good making them carefully and did a MAJOR clean with new rags, sponges, small dustpan and broom and paper towels that will be designated my egg cleaners. I put all the stuff that I used for the muffins in a red storage bin.

 

WOW! Sounds like you have a plan and will manage just fine. Hang on! This food allergy business is so weird and so scary at times.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Personally, if I had a child with allergies that severe, the entire family would follow that child's allergen free diet.

 

 

that is how it is here. We all avoid the allergens. My son had dairy and egg as a youngster and we had a break of 2 years before the new nut and random allergies were discovered. I was also going gluten free at the same time. For my son's sake we don't have his allergens in the house. I can deal with gluten in the house...not worth it to eat it ;-)

 

but no, I think your Dr is crazy to ask you to bring allergens into the home. Just say no!

[lincap]

that is how it is here. We all avoid the allergens. My son had dairy and egg as a youngster and we had a break of 2 years before the new nut and random allergies were discovered. I was also going gluten free at the same time. For my son's sake we don't have his allergens in the house. I can deal with gluten in the house...not worth it to eat it ;-)

 

but no, I think your Dr is crazy to ask you to bring allergens into the home. Just say no!

 

I agree.. that is what we have been doing for the past 3 years. NOTHING in our house. BUT now with DS2's situation and really not wanting him to become allergic, we have this 4-5 month span when the allergens need to be in the house. I feel like if I say no, like before, then I am setting DS2 up for becoming allergic especially since he did show allergic tendencies. I hate this, hence all my anxiety.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

There's a lady from my town who sends out an allergy newsletter. Her first son is allergic to lots of things, easily 10, and severely so. Last year, the son passed a peanut challenge (kept other allergies but not peanuts!) The allergist told them to feed him peanut-stuff on a regular basis. Well, lo and behold, the second son got hives from the peanut butter, so the family kicked all peanuts out of the house again. A couple of months later they had the allergist appointement. Second son was not allergic to peanuts after all, *but* first son had re-developped his, and it's *worse* than it was before!

 

Usually, if you outgrow an allergy and get it back, you will not outgrow it again, and it will just keep on getting worse. It's quite important NOT to get it back!

 

That lady is definitely not the only one who lived through this. Do expose your non-allergic child to the allergen, even if it means bringing them in the house. Dedicate a corner of the kitchen to that specific food preparation *and* eating. Dedicate a special plate, and special cutlery, and even a special glass to be used when eating that food, and only when eating that food. Give the allergenic food just before bath time too. Thoroughly wash child after eating ;-)

 

It is *feasible*. I've known many families who kept peanut butter in the house with a peanut-allergic child. It's just a lot of work.

[lincap]

There's a lady from my town who sends out an allergy newsletter. Her first son is allergic to lots of things, easily 10, and severely so. Last year, the son passed a peanut challenge (kept other allergies but not peanuts!) The allergist told them to feed him peanut-stuff on a regular basis. Well, lo and behold, the second son got hives from the peanut butter, so the family kicked all peanuts out of the house again. A couple of months later they had the allergist appointement. Second son was not allergic to peanuts after all, *but* first son had re-developped his, and it's *worse* than it was before!

 

Usually, if you outgrow an allergy and get it back, you will not outgrow it again, and it will just keep on getting worse. It's quite important NOT to get it back!

 

That lady is definitely not the only one who lived through this. Do expose your non-allergic child to the allergen, even if it means bringing them in the house. Dedicate a corner of the kitchen to that specific food preparation *and* eating. Dedicate a special plate, and special cutlery, and even a special glass to be used when eating that food, and only when eating that food. Give the allergenic food just before bath time too. Thoroughly wash child after eating ;-)

 

It is *feasible*. I've known many families who kept peanut butter in the house with a peanut-allergic child. It's just a lot of work.

 

YES that is exactly why we feel that we need to be fair to DS2's health to give it to him.. I really like the idea of giving the allergic food to DS2 right before bath.. that would really help a lot! GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!

[Guest Tamara01]

Sadly, most of the time, parents have no way to identify if their child has anaphylaxis, unless of course the symptoms show.

 

It would be great to inform the children about this too, like why they should avoid certain food and what will happen if they eat it.

[Guest Tamara01]

It is important too to inform your child about anaphylaxis. It must be clear to him/her what food to avoid and why should it be avoided.

[Sandra in FL]

beginning I also tried to keep the house clean of eggs, dairy, gluten, nuts, soy, etc. It was not feasible. My allergic child is the youngest and the older kids were already used to pizza, cakes, cookies, etc. It also affected the health of the rest of the family to go without so many nutrients.

 

So, we have a rule in the house that no one eats anything except at the dining room table. Allergic ds is seated at the head of the table - away from everyone else. I keep the table and surrounding area clean. I wash my hands every time I touch an allergen and before I touch allergic ds' food. I'm so used to it now. Everything is washed in the dishwasher with very hot water. Even when I go grocery shopping, I pick up the carton of eggs with a plastic bag and put it in another so that it never comes in contact with ds' fruits, etc.

 

You are fortunate that you have discovered the allergens at a young age. You can train a 2 and 4 year old to wash hands and eat certain foods. If the allergist wants ds to eat a certain food, surely there's a less messy and safer (single item testing) way than a muffin.

 

It's funny - in my household the kids are trained to wash their hands after they eat :-) When we go to a restaurant to eat, I have ds sit on a huge towel. I wipe down the table area in front of him with baby wipes, and usually he plays with his DS Lite while we eat.

 

I am so happy that we live in the USA where everything is available. In other countries, we would not have access to things like buckwheat and millet.

 

Blessings,

Sandra

[Sandra in FL]

as the ds gets older. He will not eat food from anyone except me or his grandmother. I did keep him at home until he was 4 years old and could understand not to eat from anyone else. I also watched him carefully, and if I had to leave him with people at church (but still in the building), I made sure to let them know that he couldn't have anything.

 

It's only now that he's 8 that I drive away and leave him at church with his medic alert bracelet, a cell phone and a bag containing his Epipen, Benadryl, Prednisolone and nebulizer. His older brother and sister know how to use the Epipen.

[mom4him]

I wouldn't do it. I don't do everything our Dr wants me to. period. end. of. subject!!!

[muffinmom]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: to all of you who cope with food allergies in your household. Must be very stressful at times.

[Mommyof4ks]

We were told the same thing, and it really makes sense. Allergy shots are basically exposing people to small amounts of allergens to help the body to stop reacting so strongly to it, so it does make sense that taking in small amounts of a food could keep one from becoming allergic to it. So far so good here too.

 

Glad to hear that you have found a way to make this work to protect your allergic son and to keep your younger son from developing an allergy so he can enjoy all of the things that contain them.