I am dismayed at any thought of reintrodung the allergens this baby is
intolerant of. This baby is FTT!! He needs less stress on his system,
not more. Some responses have referred to an allergist, but the
original post does not mention an allergist involved, so I am wondering
how these particular allergens were assessed. I actually find it is
much easier to work wirh moms who are not seeing an allergist as the
allopathic tools used in assessment are often unreliable and the
treatment is more damaging than healing. It is also difficult to get
accuarate asessement of allergens in infants anyway. Observation,
elimination, kinesiology and some tests commonly used by naturopaths
can be very helpful.
In either case, it is better to be more aggressive in elimination when
the baby is FTT, so I would eliminate chicken if the baby is allergic
to eggs, cow meat if the baby is allergic to cow milk, and all gluten
foods. Also, I would be very curious as to whether there might be
additonal allergens.
I also agree with Katherine--I do not find that there are many RDs
whose knowledge extends beyond variations of the Standard American Diet
(yes, I know there are exceptions, especially on this list), so I refer
moms either to a nutritionist or a naturopath. Usually when a baby has
these kinds of allergens, the mom's gut needs to be healed as well as
the baby's. Removing foods can lessen the stress on the system, but it
does not constitute healing. Homeopathy can work fabuloulsy for these
babies.
I also agree with Rebecca about the poor quality of jarred baby foods.
This baby needs foods that are nutrient-dense, not nutrient-poor. I
would also like to see mom and baby taking appropriate supplements and
many find that a good bet is cod liver oil for the EFAs, A and D. I
also think probiotics are important and that enzymes might be helpful.
I think Katherine and Rebecca made quite a good list of foods--although
I would eliminate any gluten completey. Foods like coconut, avocado and
olive are essential. I have also seen babies completely resolve when
zinc was supplemented in the diet. Babies who are zinc deficient have
no interest in food, but have an interest in nursing for the
relationship and comfort.
Green smoothies would also be a great way to get nutrients into this
babe. Just a little fruit, some raw spinich, coconut milk, a little
coconut oil and you could even use some hemp protein powder if the baby
does okay with it. I would also refer this baby for CST as many babies
exhibiting FTT have underlying structural or trauma factors. Again,
IMO, treating mom and baby both is essential.
I also wanted to mention, in response to the post below from Diana
Cassar-Uhl:
"I did find that I could slowly introduce small amounts (like 2 oz.)
of hard
cheeses or cultured dairy products first, after baby's first year.
More
than that caused a rash on my babies' faces and bottoms. I avoided
eggs
completely (even in baked goods) until the 2nd birthday (found a great
vegan
chocolate cake recipe!). We had no trouble with soy but I only ate it
in
moderation."
I know that moms are often very anxious to reintroduce foods they like
and are familiar with. I try to discourage any rapid reitroduction and
even encourage moms to consider a permanent change in their habits if
their babies have had serious allergic reactions. I think that our
ability to accurately assess tolerance is often deeply skewed by the
deisre to have these foods. As I see it, when a child is exhibiting
skin eruptions, the system has already been under stress, perhaps even
for some time. In taking a history, I often discover very obvious
symptoms of food allergy in people who tell me they have none. Many
people who treat all of their allergy symptoms as if they are
environmental in nature later discover that there are foods underlying
symptoms. I do not think it is a healthy choice to expose the system to
a substance just to the point of skin rashes--there is most certainly
damage being done before that point. I think if there have ever been
significant allergic responses, years, not months are important before
any exposure occurs.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
Intuitive Parenting Network LLC
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