test baby for allergies?

3litttlebirds

I am confused. When I have posted that I wish my EBF baby could be tested so I know what foods to avoid that are giving him bloody/mucus filled poops, I have been told there is no such thing other than by process of eliminating foods in my diet. Yet, I read posts that talk about LOs being tested by an allergist....does this mean older kids on solids or something? 

3litttlebirds

Crash Into Me:

It usually does mean older kids.  As far as I know, you are best off eliminating foods from your own diet right now, considering that you are the sole source of food for LO. 

DD was tested days before her first birthday and has had one other allergy pop up since then.

Were you told to eliminate dairy and/or soy?

Yes. I have been dairy free for 6 weeks and soy free for 2 weeks. At 1 week post soy-free, DS had an appointment with a ped GI. His poop tested negative for blood, so we thought eliminating soy did the trick. Fast forward to a week later (today) and he was very fussy and had visible blood in his poop. I haven't eaten anything different that I know of. I have double checked what I've eaten recently to ensure there is no soy protein. I even called the manufacturer of vitamins I take to make sure there is no soy. So I'm thinking about doing the total elimination diet because it is heartbreaking to see DS in such pain (and generally uncomfortable most days).

tnd81

Ya I've heard that they should be a certain age because the results could come back inaccurate with a blood test. I believe my DD was first blood tested about 8 or 9 months and did the skin prick test not long after that. The skin prick is said to be more accurate and it confirmed the blood test results for us. It wouldn't hurt to see a pediatric allergist, they may be able to advise you where to start with figuring out the problem and let you know the soonest you can test. GL!

LSU628

I think it depends on the situation. My DD was tested at around 8 or 9 months. Given my DD's history and DS starting to show some of the same symptoms, the allergist tested him last week, so at 8 weeks. She did the patch test on his back. I've read there is a higher probability of getting a false positive at such a young age, but the only thing that popped up for DS was also the milk protein.

buttaflai

My DS was just tested for food allergens at 4.5 months and tested positive for milk. I was just planning on guess-and-check removing the milk, but never would have learned about the typical soy intolerance that might occur if I went all soy. Knowing right away and exactly what to cut out was the best decision I ever made. 

rubber_chicken

There's a difference between an intolerance and an allergy. 

My daughter is allergic to milk and soy. She doesn't have stomach problems but breaks out in hives, like a peanut allergy.  Her allergy was confirmed with a skin prick test at the allergist's office, and we treat her eczema and hives with benadryl and prescription cortizone (and avoiding dairy and soy).

If your baby is having stomach/digestion problems, then it's an intolerance, not a true allergy.  This won't always show in tests, and you wouldn't necessarily want to see an allergist, but a pediatric GI specialist. 

lrn327

tnd81:

Ya I've heard that they should be a certain age because the results could come back inaccurate with a blood test. I believe my DD was first blood tested about 8 or 9 months and did the skin prick test not long after that. The skin prick is said to be more accurate and it confirmed the blood test results for us. It wouldn't hurt to see a pediatric allergist, they may be able to advise you where to start with figuring out the problem and let you know the soonest you can test. GL!

This was exactly our situation too.  Unfortunately I think that a 4-month-old results might not be that reliable yet.  All the best to you though.

buttaflai

tnd81:

Ya I've heard that they should be a certain age because the results could come back inaccurate with a blood test. I believe my DD was first blood tested about 8 or 9 months and did the skin prick test not long after that. The skin prick is said to be more accurate and it confirmed the blood test results for us. It wouldn't hurt to see a pediatric allergist, they may be able to advise you where to start with figuring out the problem and let you know the soonest you can test. GL!

Because of the inaccuracy of the blood test, our ped allergist went straight to the pricks for the main allergens and anything else that was typical in my diet.