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Food Allergy
JennJenn613
member
Shocked by scratch test results...
JennJenn613
member
in Food Allergy
To make a long story short, I was 95% convinced DS2 was allergic to milk and soy, but according to the scratch test results he has a strong allergy to egg and egg yolk and nothing else.
Here's my question: is there any possible way the test could have been read upside down or something? Does this ever happen?
I mean, the kid eats fried eggs with no reaction as far as I can tell, but then he gets a piece of cheese and it's eczema city. And egg yolk allergies aren't even that common... wth?
We love our little guys!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Shocked by scratch test results...
The younger the child, the less accurate allergy tests tend to be. But given the results, I'd avoid eggs and have him re-tested in 6 months or a year.
DD2 is milk and soy protein intolerant. I had to eliminate dairy and soy from my diet because she had green, mucousy, bloody poop starting at 2 weeks of age. We had her tested for allergies at 5 months, due to a family history of allergies (DD1 is allergic to dairy, soy, eggs). DD2's allergy testing was negative for dairy and soy, but positive for cashews, of all things. As I stated above, since she was so young at the time of testing, the results could have been inaccurate, but her symptoms went along with the results. Food intolerances are not the same as food allergies.
DD1 has true allergies to dairy, soy, and eggs (she gets hives if they touch her skin). But DD2 is *intolerant* to dairy and soy, her body does not have an immune response to those foods.
DD2 developed eczema after I was already dairy and free, so I cut nuts out of my diet as well, and her eczema cleared up a week later. There is often a connection between a food intolerance or a food allergy and eczema. So while your LO tested negative to a true allergy for those foods, his body clearly does not tolerate it well, so I would avoid them, as you probably do.
DD1: allergic to eggs & dairy
c/p 4/1/11
DD2: milk and soy protein intolerant, allergic to eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, bananas
MSPI Moms Check-In Blog
Thank you for the explanations, especially shotzie, that makes perfect sense re: allergy vs. intolerance. The Dr. already had us schedule a follow-up in six weeks and said he'd do a blood test if I was still seeing reactions from milk/soy. So, (I am clueless) why would a blood test show an intolerance that a scratch test wouldn't? What do they look for in the blood?
I'm super bummed that I now have to cut out THREE major allergens and wondering how I'm going to figure out what to feed this poor kid. He's almost a year old, has like half a tooth (so he can't chew much), and all these allergies/intolerances. Cue panic.
I can't just keep doing purees... can I?
Well, his rash has ALMOST disappeared but never QUITE completely. So I always had it in the back of my mind that there might be something else that was bugging him. However, I was also still BF and I'm sure I was probably still getting exposed to small amounts of milk/soy, so there just wasn't enough control. I've weaned now (
), and I'm going to cut out eggs from his diet for a week or two and see if the rash finally 100% disappears. Then I might try reintroducing a bit of egg just to see.
What I read about egg allergy also seems to line up with our experience... he never got a rash until around 7-8 months, whereas dairy/soy allergy seems to start much earlier. I may be totally wrong about that, feel free to correct me... there is so much contradictory info I am going crazy.
It's a good idea to do a scratch test and a blood test, just to confirm the results. A blood test will show if they have an IgE mediated response (an immune response) to the suspected allergen. And it gives a number value to the allergy.
I'm not sure if one test is more accurate than the other. But if they have an IgE response, then they have a true allergy. Like with my kiddos, DD1 has IgE responses to eggs, dairy, and soy. (They have come way down over the past two years, so she's on her way to outgrowing them, thankfully). DD2's blood test did not show IgE responses to dairy or soy, because she has an intolerance as opposed to an allergy.
As far as what to feed your LO...I felt the same way when DD1 was diagnosed with her allergies. Speaking with a dietitian was really helpful. I highly recommend doing that. Focus on fresh, whole foods. Meats, beans, fruits, veggies, rice, oatmeal, quinoa, whole wheat pasta. Cooking with olive oil is a good way to add healthy fat to LO's food. Avocado is another great source of healthy fat. Don't shy away from table foods due to a lack of teeth. We chew with our molars mostly, so LO will just mash his food with his gums back there. Just give small pieces of soft foods.
DD1: allergic to eggs & dairy
c/p 4/1/11
DD2: milk and soy protein intolerant, allergic to eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, bananas
MSPI Moms Check-In Blog
OK, so I shouldn't expect the blood test to show anything either really? It's just up to me to figure out what causes the rashes? Sigh. OK. I'm going to start logging everything carefully.
One question: Do you avoid stuff that says it was "processed in a factory that uses eggs" or "processed on equipment that uses eggs"? Because all the pastas I looked at today said that and it made me a little nervous. Some of them will say something like "good practices are used to prevent cross-contamination" and I feel better about those, but I don't know where to draw the line...