I would caution that food *sensitivity* and food *allergy* are two 
different things, though they have some similar symptoms.

Many times, babies/children are *sensitive* to foods as shown by 
fussiness or other behavioral changes, GI distress, poor sleep, etc. 
Removing the offending foods from the mother's diet during 
breastfeeding usually is helpful at giving the child (not to mention 
parents) some relief.

Many times, when there is a sensitivity and not allergy, the child 
outgrows it and is later able to tolerate the previously-offending 
foods.  Continued breastfeeding with a maternal elimination diet 
seems to be very helpful in attaining this outcome.

My personal experience is that breastfeeding with a maternal 
elimination diet helped my child outgrow a true, potentially serious 
allergy.  He had a full-blown anaphylactic reaction to pecans via my 
milk at 9 months of age (still almost exclusively breastfed; did not 
eat any pecans directly).  We spent several agonizing hours in the 
hospital emergency room getting him to pull out of it.  I avoided all 
tree nuts from then on, and at 3 years (still nursing) he passed a 
food challenge test at the allergist's office with flying colors: no 
reaction at all to pecans.

The allergist confirmed my belief that continued breastfeeding had 
helped my son's gut develop normally such that he actually outgrew 
his allergy.

I don't agree with the approach recommended by some to force children 
to consume foods that they are clearly sensitive to, in order to 
develop tolerance.  To me, the symptoms of food sensitivity are a 
crystal-clear signal to not eat that!  If the child wants to or is 
more able to eat the offending foods later on, fine.

An elimination diet seems to me to uphold the ethic of "First, do no 
harm."  It doesn't hurt anyone to simply leave the offending foods 
out of the diet, and it can help a great deal.

Margaret
Longmont, CO



>I have been going through the archives and would like some suggestions. I
>have a mom of a two week baby. Baby was diagnosed with milk allergy from
>the pediatrician. Blood in stools and colic symptoms. Mom has been avoiding
>all dairy and baby is getting better. I did a search through up to date and
>according the the studies, avoidance diets in mothers are not effective in
>preventing development of allergy.  Any suggestions out there. My main
>concerns are that this mom not feel deprived and discouraged. She wants to
>continue to breastfeed but it has been difficult for her to feel she is eating
>well. We live in Michigan and fresh fruit and vegetables are readily 
>available at
>this time and I have suggested that she enjoy these and just lean away from
>cow's milk and soy at this time until the baby is doing better. I know that
>some babies that are sensitive to CM proteins are also sensitive to soy.
>Terri RN CLE CLC

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