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Allergy Relief / Food Allergy / Fighting food allergies
Fighting food allergies
Amy Bertrand
When her daughter's face suddenly started to swell and turn red after eating two bites of kiwi, Carla Trampe knew she had a food allergy on her hands.
"I guess it was just mother's instinct," she says. "I immediately started thinking, 'What did she eat that she had never eaten before?' "
Within minutes, Rececca, then 2, started getting a swollen, red eye and lip. Carla gave her a dose of benadryl and headed for a nearby urgent care center.
When her son started suffering from eczema about a year ago, Carla immediately suspected a food allergy. She took him to an allergist's office where he tested positive for an allergy to egg whites and peanuts. Carla also suspects an allergy to dairy, and her doctor has said it's possible that it wouldn't show up on a test. Keeping Rebecca from kiwi was a lot easier than keeping Ryan from foods made with dairy, eggs or nuts.
The solution
The first step for Carla was to make sure Ryan could get the nutrition he needed, especially without cow's milk. She gives him two cups of high-priced goat's milk a day. It's easier to digest and has the fat needed for brain development in kids under 2. She also gives him two glasses of rice milk a day.
Carla says she often has to make adjustments for Ryan's meals. "Sometimes I make one thing for Rebecca and one for Ryan," she says. "Just the other day Rebecca had a peanut butter and honey sandwich, and I fixed Ryan a chicken tortilla." She says the key is to make sure she's serving Ryan food he really likes, so he won't want what others are eating.
When they dine out, the same rules apply. "If we go to Pizza Street, I get him a big plate of spaghetti, which he loves. He's usually pretty easygoing about food."
On the times that he's not so easygoing, Carla says she'll give in and give him a bite of cheese or something he's not severly allergic to in a very small dose.
Though Carla stays home with the kids, she sometimes enlists baby sitters to help. When she does, she gives them a detailed list of the foods he can have and can't have.
The result
As soon as Carla started eliminating the problem foods, Ryan's eczema cleared up. Occasionally she'll see him itching, and backtrack to find out what he might have had. "One time, it was mashed potatoes at a big family meal. I just didn't think about it being made with milk."
From http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories
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