Allergy or Intolerance?

Technically speaking the difference between the two is the speed of the reaction. Typically an allergy will cause a reaction within minutes (or at the most and hour) and intolerance can take up to 48 hours.

Scientifically speaking they are produce quite different reactions allergies being IgE reaction and intollerances being IgG or IgA. And allergies are generally to proteins and intolerances are more commonly to sugars (with some to proteins).

That probably doesn't help you a lot though as reactions through BM can take longer than if Mac were to drink milk himself - has he ever had formula?

Test wise for allergies there are Skin Prick tests (which despite the name are actually quite painless) and RAST tests (a blood test) neither are particularly accurate at this age. There are not many (medical) tests out there for intolerances - a stool test for lactose intolerance, not sure what else.

In terms of assistance with WINZ they have made it quite tough now to get the Child disability allowance - you are unlikely to get it now for a single food allergy and you can't get it for intolerances on their own. There maybe some other form of assistance out there though - we are over WINZ income levels so only get the CDA.

A very disjointed reply - trying to get as much done as possible before DD wakes!

ETA - don't forget that BM naturally contains lactose. So regardless of whether you eat dairy Mac will get some lactose.



Edited by Mum_me

This is a good thread and fantastic answers ladies.

I have now been dairy free for almost a month after being recommended it to help with DS reflux. MIL made dinner for us one night which had packet gravy on it and 48 hours later DS had an awful rash on his bottom (blistery) and red raised marks on the back of his head, turned out that the gravy had milk in it.

I am now too scared to re-introduce dairy at all JIC, but will be seeing the paed in a couple of weeks time so will discuss it with them. Will let you know what they say too M2M if you like

 

ETA - after 5 days of being dairy free DS reflux was showing huge improvements. Now, though he is like a different baby. Even family and friends can't get over the change in him and we have been able to get rid of the losec

Edited by MamaT

We have two food allergic kids and have found that most paeds are not very knowledgable in this area - which I think is a bit of a worry considering how common they now are.

I was even told by one that my exclusively BFd DD could not have allergies as allergyns do not go through BM

If you can afford it and are happy to make the trip to Auckland then I would recommend going to see an allergy specialist there. The one we see does ph consults after the first appointment.

Ok, so if I eat dairy myself, within a few hours usually, Mac is refluxing. (I'm still REALLY bad at remembering NOT to eat dairy)
On the few occassions where he has eaten the Baby Muesli which I discovered too late has Skim Milk Powder in it, the reaction was immediate. And then appears to be ongoing for a few days (we stopped feeding the meusli a few days ago after I clicked but we are still getting horrible explosive poos which I can only put down to the meusli (Not a tummy bug cause he's happy all day))

Also if I eat dairy his eczema and nappy rash flare up hideously.

Will this allergy more than likely go away or is this something he'll have all of his life?

If it's a dairy allergy (which from your answers is an allergy to the PROTEIN in dairy) when does that mean he's allergic to ALL protein or just dairy protein?

Thank you so much ladies. Your answers have shed a lot of light on the situation and I will be more scrupulous (sp?) in my investigations into foods Mac and I are eating.

Mum_me I've never given Mac formula and am hoping to never have to. Personal goal type thing

ETA: For anyone on here who has an older child with a dairy allergy, how do they react?

Edited by Mum2Mac

Most do out grow it and some unfortunately have it for life. Those that do have it for life the severity of the reaction normally reduces. My boy is 3 and can now eat cheese, yoghurt etc and is perfectly fine and he was on neocate until he was just over 2.

No it's not all protein it's just the protein in cows milk, but what you do need to be aware of is that goats milk protein, sheeps milk protein and soy protein are all similar in their make up so people who are allergic to one if exposed to the others can end up reacting to those to, so they recommened avoiding all until 12 months. The other thing for you to watch will be eggs as their is a strong link between egg allergy and milk allergy so best not to introduce egg till after 12 months and then just do a tiny bit in baking to test first and slowly build up from there. Be cautious of nuts too. My boy was allergic to dairy, eggs and peanuts and peanuts is the one he has not out grown.

Ok so whats the 4 day rule?

I'm such a dunce! I feel so stupid on this topic which is really unlike me but I'm really struggling to grasp it.

Ask me about BFing or Vaccinating or child rearing and I got a million and one answers. But this, this I'm having trouble with.
Has anyone got some recommended reading for me?
 
two_boys - now that you mention parsnip, thats a new food we had introduced when he started going a bit "pear shaped"

And I drink soy milk instead of cows milk but now that you guys mention it, sounds like he could also be having an issue with the soy protein.
Feel like I'm going to have to starve myself to figure this out.

Try rice milk - it's nicer than soy anyway

4 day rule is to wait 4 days between new foods so if you get a reaction there is one obvious candidate. It's a bit tricky with BF cos what I eat can complicate things, so I haven't followed it. Instead I make sure everything she gets I try a few days in advance so she gets the chane to react to a dilute version first.

I now read labels on everything. Makes for a slow supermarket trip, but its worth it. If I don't have any dairy in the house, I can't eat it.

I bought parsnips yesterday... now I'm nervous

Hehe, M2M best reading is the ingredients list on whatever you are buying

but also try cryingoverspiltmilk.co.nz and have a browse on the nappy network. I'll have a think about what else I've got. Are you into reading scientific papers, or would you prefer something a little more user friendly?

T_Rex, I'll read anything. I can research anything in a research paper that I'm not 100% on. I've never done anything "highly intellectual" in regards to Uni or research but I think I'm pretty good and figuring them out.

I tried Rice Milk  Not my thing. I found it really watery. Kind of reminded me of the Green Top (Two Stroke) cows milk.

Ok, so I'll go back to square one with his food and introduce everything again from scratch. I was going 3 days in between new foods but to be honest, I probably didn't take as much notice as I should have in regards to any reactions.

Will have to take my glasses shopping with me now, which incase anyone is unaware, it's really hard to wear glasses when you got a baby strapped to your front in a Moby wrap...he keeps trying to steal my glasses!

Doesn't help that family and friends are always asking when he's going to go onto new foods and two meals a day, etc. GRRRR at people who forget about what baby can do and just want them to be at the next stage...even if they're not ready.

Mum2Mac wrote: I tried Rice Milk  Not my thing. I found it really watery. Kind of reminded me of the Green Top (Two Stroke) cows milk. Doesn't help that family and friends are always asking when he's going to go onto new foods and two meals a day, etc. GRRRR at people who forget about what baby can do and just want them to be at the next stage...even if they're not ready.

 

I didn't like Rice milk either   so am now just using soy milk for cooking really, have got on to having black tea or herbal teas and don't have milk in anything else.

I totally get your pain on the pressure from other people. We haven't introduced solids yet and everyone is on at me to do it, IL's, Plunket, strangers even. Its ridiculous really.

I haven't found eliminating all dairy too bad actually. Most things have in bold if they contain Dairy (or soy, or gluten or nuts) which makes it much easier when reading packets and a lot of it is just common sense

AandCsmum wrote: T-rex, my local GP referred me to the hospital Paeds....in my experience if you have your childs issues under control you get a little fobbed off.

Yeah, thats pretty much what my doc said. She'll refer me if I want, but doubts they will do much. She has had a couple of phone consults with them though.