My son had blood in his stools sporadically from 2-4 months and then developed eczema at around 4 months.  We have a family history of allergies on both sides, so I was not surprised that he was atopic.  I went on a strict elimination diet to identify the cause (I decided both blood in stools and eczema were related to my diet - he received no formula or meds).  I found it too difficult to stick to, and ended the diet before I determined the culprit, although it was enough to clear the eczema.  A few months later I finally figured out that it was fish, and likely salmon specifically.  Shellfish is a common allergen, but salmon is not usually identified as allergenic.  The only thing I can think of is that I ate quite a bit of salmon while pregnant, and perhaps my son was sensitized to it before birth.  According to our pediatric allergist, there isn't sufficient evidence yet to support advising all mothers to avoid specific foods while pregnant or breastfeeding. Nevertheless it might be helpful to question mother about her diet during pregnancy to see if it raises any flags.

Also of interest is that when tested for allergy to fish with a traditional scratch test, my son was negative.  So this is considered a food intolerance or sensitivity rather than a "true" allergy, which thankfully he has now grown out of, at least as far as my diet is concerned :-)

Darcie Light, LLLL
Richmond, BC, Canada

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