>A 7 month old, breastfed baby now taking solids seems to be allergic to all
>foods manifested by tiny pimples that erupt on his forehead and hive-like
>eruptions that appear over his temples. This occurs as he is eating. The
>mother has taken him to a pediatric allergist who wants her to take him off
>everything but hypo-allergenic ABM and rice cereal for the next 2 months
>because "everything the mother eats would be in the milk and therefore
>would be a problem to the baby". The mother wants to continue BF.

And well she should continue breastfeeding!! This baby has serious
allergies if the reaction happens while he is eating.

She may need to do a elimination diet herself- and "lose" the rice cereal.
There is little benefit from rice cereal and it, too, can cause reactions
in a sensitive baby. This baby was probably not showing these allergic
reactions when mom was exclusively breastfeeding and she should return to
that feeding state. If baby has no reactions when solely breastfeeding,
then mom's diet can be let alone, but if there are some allergic
symptoms--congestion, ear infections, colic, etc--then she would want to
begin with dairy elimination and go from there with other common allergens.

I have had several clients whose babies could tolerate nothing but
breastmilk for quite a while past their first birthdays, and even then they
were given high quality foods sparingly.  Most 7 month olds do very well
with breastmilk.  Solids, when introduced again, should be iron-rich, as
that is all additionally he would need.

The clients I worked with gave their babies spinach--home cooked, not that
stuff in the jars--, sweet potatoes, and carrots.  All of these are good
sources of iron, and rather low-allergenic. Also suggest that she let him
feed himself when she offers him food later.  A baby will most likely not
choose foods that will cause him distress. She just puts the food on the
high chair tray *at the table with everyone else* and he eats what he
needs, along with some fingerpainting and hair decorating.

Assure her that many of our babies have thrived on breastmilk, even though
our culture (including the peds) are in a great hurry to give some "real"
food. One baby whom I had worked with got seriously constipated every time
any solid foods were given to him. He was only 7 months old and was very
healthy without the solids.  I suggested that mom return to exclusive
breastfeeding.  Ped wanted her to "keep trying the solids because he will
get used to it in time."  She "chose" to wait on solids.

Remind mom that feeding her healthy baby is in her hands, and that she does
have choices and should exercise them.  Eating is not a medical
problem--usually.

Isn't it funny that parents come back from a visit from their baby's doctor
and say, " We can begin rice cereal this month."  Think about it!

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee

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