Not much time for Lactnet these days, but wanted to throw in a quick word on allergies. My husband had problems as a baby and has now developed severe allergies to foods and chemicals.  He is also very sensitive to weather changes.  His main symptom is difficulty breathing.  We have been through several kinds of allergy testing, both through a mainline allergist and a naturopath, and I have to say that I have become quite sceptical of the results (others I know in the same situation concur). Some of the things he is supposed to be most sensitive to cause him no problems whatsoever.  And none of the tests pinpointed dairy which is the absolute worst for him (as it was for my son as well).  My observation has been that elimination trials actually work the best, although it can take time to really do it well.  Also, as someone else remarked as well, exposure to a single allergen may not cause much of a problems, but if several come together at the same time, look out.  Also, sometimes my husband can eat something "bad" at one meal and it is OK, but if he then eats it again the next day, he will have a terrible reaction - the immune system gets primed and then really gets you the next time around.  That is why rotation diets can be very valuable for those with multiple allergies - you can eat a lot of different foods, just not all at the same time or whenever you want to.  Also, if you can eliminate some of the environmental stressors, then sometimes the food thing does not seem as important - again, total allergic load is often the issue.

I think that in some cases it can become unrealistic to expect to eliminate all symptoms all the time - it does happen, but you can also go crazy chasing after every little green stool or tiny rash or whatever.  Moms should do their best, but not beat themselves up if the child has some problems now and then, as long as overall physical and mental health seems fine.   As the child gets older, he will also begin to make his own choices about diet and lifestyle, regardless of allergic reactions.  For example, my son moved into an apartment with cats, to which he is allergic.  However, he loves animals and liked the apartment, so decided to live with the allergy - which actually calmed down after he was exposed continuous to the cats, sort of a self-imposed desensitization program.

Anyways, just my quick two cents worth on this very complicated topic.  Good luck to all of you dealing with this situation.
Warmly,
Sharon Knorr, BSMT, ASCP, IBCLC
Newark, NY (near Rochester on Lake Ontario)
mailto:[log in to unmask]

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