Hi everyone, Last week I received a call from the mom of an exclusively
breastfed, nearly 6-mo old, 8 kg, beautiful baby boy who had suddenly
developed eczema.  I had seen the baby two weeks previously and had remarked
on his smooth, glowing, healthy-breastfed-baby skin.  Mom brought him in to
show me today and sure enough, he has eczema on the backs of his legs and
arms, back of neck, and cheeks.  Last week I had suggested a total
elimination of dairy products and mother is sure that the eczema is less
angry now than it was a week ago, but it is still plainly visible.  Up until
last week she had been taking approx 1 glass of milk, and a little cheese
each day (i e not great amounts) but has been taking this quantity since the
baby's birth and could not identify any recent changes in her diet that
could have precipitated the baby's eczema.  She herself was only breastfed
for about 10 days.

The baby had received his second "3-in-1" (DPT, Diphtheria, Pertussis,
Tetanus) and polio drops three weeks before the eczema first appeared and
mom has received the information, via an internet contact, that these
vaccines may be cultured on egg and milk.  She has been advised by a Dr Vera
Schreiber (who has apparently published a book on the subject) that many
babies become sensitive to either/both of these foods as a result of having
been immunized.  Mom has also been cautioned that if she goes ahead with the
third immunization (due now) the baby may become asthmatic.

I don't want to get into a discussion of whether to immunize or not, just
the implications for the nursing mother. Has anyone heard of this
association?  Is it possible that an exclusively breastfed baby could become
sensitized to eggs and dairy via any/all of these immunizations?  And, if
so, would the mother need to eliminate one or both of these foods from her
diet in order to avoid asthma/eczema in her breastfed baby? Many thanks if
anyone can help.

Pamela Morrison IBCLC, Zimbabwe