Multiple food allergies in children pose a unique challenge to parents, caregivers, daycare centers and schools. Parents of children with life-threatening food allergies are often looked at as neurotic or some how unglued, and may view such a parent as being too “over protective.” I fall into that category with my grand baby Simone (Simmi). Simmi is highly allergic to peanuts, milk, soy, wheat and eggs. We need to get her tested for other foods as well. My hope is that she will outgrow these allergies, but if she doesn’t where does that leave her in her young life? She is at the point where she is curious about other children and she has actually made progress in approaching little ones while we were shopping last week. Simmi is starting to seek other children out and is now making eye contact and smiling at them if we see them while we are out and about. My heart breaks just a little right now because she needs to have that social interaction with other children her age and yet I can’t bring myself to set up a play date for her. Why? Well, I would turn into some sort of neurotic freak and that isn’t the way to build good relationships with other mothers. No matter where we go, we are always bombarded with food. I couldn’t take her to Chucky Cheese or Peter Piper Pizza because she can’t eat a single thing there, and god forbid I did take her there just to play and she picked up a piece of bread or pizza and decided to eat it…disastrous! Then there are those fun play groups where moms get together and have their kids play. They bring all their children’s nutritious snacks of Cheerios, Kix, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, nutter butters, cookies, Gold Fish, crackers, cheese bites, nuts and fruit, yogurt, macaroni and cheese…Simmi can’t eat any of these things. You would think that wouldn’t be a problem, but what if I turn around and some cute little kid decides to offer such things to Simmi and she gladly accepts it and eats it? And we know that little ones aren’t the most careful when it comes to eating, meaning that a lot of food ends up on the ground. Can you see me walking around like some sort of food police and janitor making sure that the perimeter is safe for my little girl? It isn’t other peoples responsibility to keep my girl safe and to put such unrealistic expectations on them would be wrong.
Simmi has never tasted a cookie, pasta, regular bread (she has tried rice bread), cake, candy, kids cereals other than Rice Chex, milk or cheese. There are lots of books on gluten free cooking but they end up containing eggs or milk in the ingredients. It is a daunting task at best.
So what should I do about this road block in our lives? We don’t ever bring peanuts or eggs into the house, and if we do eat something that she is allergic to, we do so when she is napping or in another room, making sure that afterwards we clean up our area well so that not even a crumb can be found that could cause a reaction in her. Is that too extreme of us? Not if you consider that if we are not careful we could cause her extreme pain or even death. So I ask the question again…is that too extreme? For the first time in Simmi’s young life she has been eczema free for two weeks. Ripping out the carpets to cut down on her allergy to dust mites has helped her to be more comfortable. Over the last three or four days she has also started to eat regularly for the first time in her life. To see her sitting at the table in her little booster chair eating blueberries, pears and Rice Chex in the morning brings tears to my eyes. Watching her eat carrots and asparagus and potatoes in the afternoon is a major accomplishment and witnessing her eat broccoli, cauliflower and sweet potatoes at dinner fills my heart with pride. Every few days we are adding new foods to her diet and she is finally interested in eating again. For the first time on Saturday she drank grape juice from a sippy cup. After 13 months of struggling to get her to eat anything at all, and with the trouble she had swallowing and even forgetting how to chew, it is a celebration every time she takes a bite to eat.
Where do I go from here? I have been considering taking on the task of being a specialized child care provider. I know there are other parents out there that need to work and have similar problems with their little ones. I want Simmi to have some playmates and build good social interaction skills and I think this could be the solution to our dilemma. I know that she would enjoy having children in our home everyday to play with and it would make me feel good knowing that I am providing an environment that is safe for other children like her to grow and flourish.
My husband and I are seriously considering this option and as we look at how to structure our home to make it suitable for more little children to be here during the day, we are finding ourselves getting more and more excited about all the possibilities.
Tags: child care provider, eggs, milk, multiple food allergies, peanuts, soy, specialized daycare, toddler food allergies, wheat
March 12th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
i am into tears after reading this article…i totally understand your pain..my younger son who is 14 mths old is going through this..he is itchy whole day due to eczema and has multiple food allergies
Did u do anything specific to help her with eczema?
March 12th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Hi Anjana,
We use Triamcinalone ointment for her breakouts. It works but we try not use it if we don’t need to. In the beginning we were prescribed hydrocortisone but it was ineffective to help her breakouts.
She is also allergic to dust mites and has a sensitivity to latex products. Removing all carpet from the house and staying vigilant to keep her bedding clean has helped tremendously with her eczema.
We also keep her covered most of the day with pajamas because if she has access to her skin she will scratch it up whether she is rashy or not. I’ll need to get a more light weight pajama for her as the weather warms up.
We also do not use any cleaning products other than peroxide, baking soda and borax. We found out the hard way after washing the tub out with Pine Sol and then filling the tub up for her. She broke out with horrible welts all over her body.
Because of her multiple food allergies, we are limited in what she can eat. If a product says that it was made on equipment that is shared or processed with nuts, wheat, eggs, milk or soy, we do not buy those products. It is one more way for us to ensure that she doesn’t have a reaction or get another flare up of eczema.
What type of food allergies does your son have? Has he also been tested for dust mite allergy?
March 12th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Thanx a lot Angela for the advice!!!!!
My son has wheat,egg,milk,sesame,peanut,corn,soy allergy,molds (i think i should just say everything)..we don’t know about dust mites..we found out when he was 5 months old..since i was breastfeeding(following exclusion diet myself) him it wasn’t not a problem intially,no need to look for any special formula..i weaned him last month only and now he is on Neocate junior as he has not gained enough height and weight so some extra Calories might help…he has whole body eczema so he is itchy whole day..we have stopped using steriod creams for last 4-5mnths because of side effects (i noticed thinning of skin on his face within one month of usage, although the dermatologist didn’t agree to that..currently we r trying homeopathy on him..it has definately helped him as within first week of starting Homeo he started to walk, such a change in mood, started to babble a lot, no meaningful word as such…his skin looked healthier (legs and one arm were still bad though)…we saw him playing in the evenings for the first time…
but things changed for us last week, he got Flu (not vaccinated becoz of egg allergy)..his fever was high so that we needed to give him Tylenol and motrin, since these medications r very strong spoiled all good what homeopathy did…as homeopathy is v gentle and fails in front of strong allopathic medications..he is so bad for last one week, i am almost dead lifting him whole day..
anyways i have a friend, her daughter has a similar case, they have treated their daughter’s eczema with homeopathy and some herbal supplements..that girl is 3 years old now…talks very well…she was saying all her motor skills picked up right after her eczema was gone..if u need more info, i can give more info on this
one more thing, how do you emotionally handle this ?
March 12th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Hi Anjana,
Neocate Infant, Neocate Junior and Neocate One Plus all contain corn syrup solids and Neocate Infant actually contains soy. Simmi isn’t allergic to corn, but she is allergic to soy so Neocate Junior was good for us. I would talk with your doctor about a different type of formula especially if he is allergic to corn. That could be the problem with all his flare ups of eczema.
Lately it’s been really difficult with my husband being so far away. I guess I just take it one day at a time and do all that I can to make Simmi’s life more comfortable. That’s the best that I can do if I am going to survive emotionally. If she is happy, the whole family reaps the benefits, but if she is miserable…look out! We all suffer.
Here is a link to an abstract from a scientific journal talking about dust mites and eczema:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.....8;SRETRY=0
Even if you haven’t had him tested for dust mite allergies, you can still take some of the precautions and see if it helps to improve his situation. Here is a link:
http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/dustmites.php
Which molds is he allergic to? Another way to help control mold and dust mites is to purchase a dehumidifier (unless you live in a very dry climate). Lowering the humidity to 40% or less can help to control mold and dust mites.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Hi Angela,
I know Neocate junior has corn syrup solids…i had a discussion about this with my dietcian and also Digestive health doctor….both of them were saying the same thing that corn syrup solids for these special formulas are prepared by filtering the allergic ingredient out of corn..and moreover i really had no choice other than to believe these people as my son my wasn’t gaining weight on breastfeeding after i started exclusion diet
with lots of efforts we have got him hooked on to Neocate…and he started to gain after he started having Neocate and he looked better than what he was with breastfeeding…
Actually before we started him on Neocate i tried looking for corn free formulas and there is none…only Alimentum ready to use is corn free but my son is allergic to everything else in Alimentum
anyways its been awful week here with Flu and still it hasn’t improved so God knows how long its gonna continue…my older son has also got Flu
I am forgetting to comment every time i reply…Simone is really v cute, by looking at her innocent face can’t even say she has so many problems….sometimes i feel God has been little unfair with these little bundles of joy
oh yeah one more thing, for constipation one natural product works magically…Aloe Vera juice, you can buy cran apple flavored as the original one kids won’t drink because of peculiar taste..you can give Simmi 1-2 ounces daily..its a natural laxative and helps with the immune system too
March 13th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Hi Anjana,
The doctors gave me the same crap about Simmi staying on Nutramigen and lactulose. I wouldn’t even use Neocate Infant because it contained soy. If he is still breaking out, I would get a second opinion from another allergist if you can concerning the corn syrup solids. Yeah, “it’s supposed to be safe” but to me that would be like the doctors saying “well, it does contain peanut protein, but they have extracted it all out so that it is safe even for children with life threatening peanut allergies.” LOL
We have all been warned about what happens when a food is introduced producing an allergic reaction that may be mild…the next time around it could be much worse. If he is allergic to corn, and regardless whether they “think” they have broken it down, in the end he is still breaking out. You may not know if that is the offender, but what if in the process of continuing to give it, he has a much worse reaction? I guess I’m really hard lined about it and to me it is very black and white. I know how hard this must be for you, and it is so frustrating finding the right balance of nutrients for our little ones. Neocate One Plus has been a life saver for us, but I guess I would be online pulling my hair out for a better option if there was still something in the formula that she was allergic to or became allergic to. None of my children were on the bottle past the age of 12-14 months old. Simmi is still getting the majority of her nutrition from the bottle.
I can be a smart ass sometimes when it comes to the doctors, and if they would continue to tell me Neocate was enough and it wouldn’t be a problem at all, then I would ask them to sign a legal document stating that they are completely responsible for any damage to his gastrointestinal tract, damage to the skin, anaphylaxis and/or death (god forbid). That’s just me though. LOL I had to do that with one of her old doctors because he refused to send her to the E.R. after she was only taking in about 8 oz. of formula a day for over a week, had only one wet diaper (barely wet)per day and she was lethargic. I ask him if he wouldn’t mind signing a paper stating that he stands by this decision not to treat her for dehydration…he called the hospital immediately and we were off to the E.R.
If you have a good relationship with your pediatrician, hopefully you can talk with him about your concerns without the threats. I just know that I have had my share of idiot doctors, and unfortunately they just don’t care about our kids as much as we do. We need to be our child’s advocate and mouth piece…especially if they can’t communicate yet.
I haven’t tried Aloe Vera juice. I’d have to ask the allergist about that first. Apples make her break out. I don’t know if she is allergic to them although I suspect that she is, because she breaks out almost immediately after eating them, and then suffers for the next two days as it comes out the other end…so I have kept apples off the menu for now.
March 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I am a food allergy sufferer since childhood. I did not outgrow it. I am assuming that you, yourself don’t suffer food allergies because of the worry that you have for your grandbaby. She will be fine she will learn to cope with the limitations on food she has and she will go on. Here is the thing, when she has babies of her own is the real challenge. I can’t cook my own children fish in my home. This can send me to the hospital or worse. My kids are allowed to eat fish at my mom’s house but not my own. The limitations on myself aren’t so bad. The limitations my children have because of me tears me apart.
The fact that she has never tasted a cookie is a good thing. She won’t crave it. When we discovered I have allergies to food I had eaten fish, beef, egg whites, and corn so I have cravings especially when I see a Long John Silver’s.
shirley’s last blog post..My Habitat Home: Inspirational Video
March 19th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Hi Shirley,
It is good that she has never tasted a cookie, but as she gets older, its training her to understand those particular challenges and embrace the life she must live, instead of maybe asking “why me?”
I don’t have any food allergies, but I do have allergies to a lot of environmental things.
A question that I do have is, if she is allergic to peanuts, and if she tests positive to other legumes, will I even be able to cook those things in the house? We can not cook eggs in the house and I can’t bring her to a place where eggs are being cooked because just the smell makes her break out in hives. We do cook pasta and that doesn’t seem to be an issue, but sometimes I feel I don’t pay attention as closely as I could when it comes to things I cook and how it may affect her by just smelling them. If I’m cooking something like pasta, she gets irritable…but is that just because she is trying to get my attention, or is it affecting her nose and throat as it cooks? She can’t tell me these things.
May 31st, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Hi my daughter is 4 and is allergic to eggs,dairy,wheat,beef,lamb,peanuts,tree nuts, fish (including tuna), soya,pumpkin,corn,peas,tomatos, . she was late being diagnosed (2years old) so she spent the first 2 years of her life in pain and covered in eczema. she has severe food aversion and just won’t eat lives on rice milk and rice products. along with the food she has drug and environmental allergies (dust mites,grass etc) she understands she can’t have what others have (i eat what she does so home is a safe place ) but we are having trouble finding a school which will take her private or public they say the risk is too high. best of luck .
June 1st, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Hi Leanne,
That’s what I’m afraid of with Simmi if she doesn’t out grow her allergies. Her therapists talk about getting her ready for school next year, yet I have to remind them about her food allergies.
I hope you find a school that will work with you.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
My daughter started school covered in excema and food allergies severely to eff, milk, peanuts and shrimp along with grass, trees, etc. I soaked her in the bath 3 times a day for 20 min then covered her in Auquaphor cream, then left it at school to apply as needed. The sun irritated it so the teacher had alternative recess for her. The schools are much more educated on food allergies now and they are reqauired to be epipen trained if they have a child in their class with a food allergy. I am so glad I sent her to school! She was happy and not as focused on her skin. We kept her in long sleeves so students would not stare, that worked! She developed social skills and learned with her peers. Public schools are requred to “accept” your child, work with the nurse to make it work, you won’t be sorry! My child outgrew the wheat and soy allery and now she mostly only eats rice and potatoes because she is tired of chicken. French fries-homemade may be a good place to start. My daughter is now 8…we have come a long way but still struggle with finding foods that she is not tired of. Hope this helps!
Nancy’s last blog post..Simmi’s Evaluation Report
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Hi Nancy,
Its good to hear that your daughter grew out of some of her allergies. Since she grew out of her soy allergy, maybe she’ll grow out of her peanut allergy too.
I’m hoping that as Simmi gets older that she will be able to understand what she can eat and what she can’t. Its difficult when her allergies contain the basic elements to all conventional food.
We had one of the therapists here last week and she took out playdough. Playdough contains wheat, and again I had to remind her that the things that we think are safe for children and fun to play with can actually cause harm to Simmi. The poor woman came this week and asked if we wanted to just do things with things we have in the house. I felt bad because I think I made her a little paranoid.
Simmi is still mouthing things as well (its a sensory issue) and I can’t take her to play groups because of the stuff she will put in her mouth. Why should we remove everything that would be harmful to her if it would take away from another child’s learning. So, we are constructing our own sensory equipment and we will be inviting other children like Simmi to come to our home. I need to get creative and at the same time feel that it is a safe environment where she can be included in everything. Last thing I want is for her to singled out and kept in another room during meal times or during play because there is something in the room that could cause her harm.
January 14th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Hi all, I am a Registered Dietitian who works with children with multiple food allergies. I was reading this one day while doing some research and just want to say how dedicated yall are. It is so wonderful to hear that. I am currently working with a 9 year old boy who has soy, milk, wheat, corn, tomato, egg and peanut allergies. I would like to add that Neocate makes another product called Splash E028. THe Splash is safe for all of the allergies including corn even though it has maltodextrin. Neocate uses special treatment and extract the allergen out of their corn syrup solids and maltodextrin. THe Splash is the only product out that will be safe for this boy. Hopefully this information will help other caregivers and mothers out there.