Food Allergy Living is a resource for parents of children with food allergies, brought to you by Nutricia, the makers of Neocate. For more in-depth information about our purpose & authors, see our About Food Allergy Living page.
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Hi everyone!
Please watch our special holiday video we’ve prepared for all of you! You can find our video as well as all of our other videos on our NeocateUS YouTube channel.
On behalf of all of us here at Nutricia North America, the makers of Neocate, we want to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season and happy new year!
- Sarah
Sometimes we get questions about our return policy for Neocate. We understand that sometimes your little one’s formula is changed (hopefully because they have outgrown their food allergies!) so we thought it might be helpful to outline our return policies in today’s post.
To return product, you’ll need to call Customer Services at 1-800-365-7354 and obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization number, better known as an “RMA” number. You’ll want to write the RMA number on the box prior to shipping it back to us so that we can process the return upon receiving it. Please note that you are responsible for shipping and there is a 20% restocking fee for returns. So, for example, if your original order was for $139, you would get reimbursed $111.20 for the return. If you were sent the wrong product or sent product by error, you, of course, are not responsible for shipping and processing costs.
As a safety precaution, we only sell Neocate in factory-sealed cases and therefore do not accept returns for product that has been removed from the case. Once it is removed from the case, we no longer sell it to other customers. We recognize that our return policies are stringent in comparison to other companies but because Neocate is often used for delicate babies with medical conditions of varying severity, we feel this conservative approach is appropriate.
If you are hesitant to purchase a case before you know if Neocate will work for your little one, we recommend that you try a sample first. Samples are typically obtained through your child’s healthcare provider. If the provider does not have any samples to offer, we are more than happy to send one.
To request a sample or arrange a return, please call Customer Services at 1-800-365-7354.
We hope this helps you to understand our return policies. For more information, please visit our website.
As we’ve mentioned before, here at Nutricia North America, we strive to take measures to reduce our impact on the Earth. In our last blog we wrote on how Neocate cans are recyclable. We highly encourage all Neocate (and Duocal) users to recycle those empty cans!
Also, as you may have heard, one rule of thumb when striving to be environmentally responsible is to reduce, reuse, recycle – in that order. So, we wanted to share some ideas on ways to reuse your Neocate cans.
Art class*
Have your child and their friends create their own piece of work to hang in their room. Gather a bunch of art supplies and let them go at it, while being safe of course.
Musical Instruments – Drums or Maracas*
Save the plastic lid and grab a pair of sturdy sticks and start drumming away. You can also make a maraca out of the Neocate cans by adding beans or pebbles for another sound effect.
Pot for plants/flowers*.jpeg)
Decorate the outside of the can and safely poke a hole at the bottom of the can to allow for drainage. Fill with potting soil and plant the seeds or repot another plant.
Storage*
Re-purpose them to store toys such as building blocks, marbles, or toy cars. You can also reuse formula cans to keep your scrapbooking or craft items in place. They make great storage containers for buttons, ribbons, safety pins, beads and/or other small items you have lying around. You can even print out pictures of these items from the internet, and then use them to decorate. It’s an easy way to decorate and label what is inside of the can.
Holiday Gift basket* 
Paint the outside of the can for the holiday season and fill with treats, holiday goodies or a personal gift for the receiver. You can even attach a handle for easy carrying.
Piggy Banks*
Turn an empty Neocate formula can into a cute piggy bank for your child or even for yourself! Paste pictures of your kids onto the outside, and then use a box cutter to create a rectangular shape size cutout in the plastic lid.
Collect old cooking oil or store dry foods*
You can reuse empty formula can for collecting unwanted oils from fry baskets. Pour leftover oil into the can, and then freeze it to avoid spill or smells. Toss when the can is full.
For a more Eco-friendly approach, place a sheet of wax paper in the empty can before you pour in the oil. Simply pull and throw out the frozen stuff, and you can reuse the formula can again.
Another nifty idea to repurpose infant formula tins is to use them as storage containers to keep crackers, dried beans, pasta, rice, and other dry allergen friendly goods. Decorate the outside label and label it with the new contents.
Do you have other ideas on ways to creatively reuse empty Neocate cans? We would love to hear!
- Christine
*Be sure to clean the cans out thoroughly before reusing them. We recommend doing this by leaving the can in soapy water for a few minutes. Then, scrub the interior of the can being careful with any sharp edges and let it sit till 100% dry. Also, being the interior liner of all Nutricia’s products are BPA free, you don’t have to worry about storing items in there for long periods.
Hi everyone!
We get lots of questions from Moms (and Dads) about elimination diets. This is why, in addition to the information we have here on our blog and website, our nutrition specialists and bloggers decided to address that very topic on our NeocateUS YouTube channel. So if elimination diets seem a little confusing to you, check out our video for more answers!
Also, for more elimination diet information and resources check out some of our previous blog entries:
Furthermore, if you enjoy receiving information from Neocate via video please let us know by posting a comment on our YouTube channel and liking our videos. As we continue to work on more informative videos we would love to hear from you!
So, what kind of other videos would you like to see our Nutrition specialists create?
-Sarah
We have gotten a number of questions from families on whether empty Neocate cans are recyclable. We are happy to say the answer is ‘Yes!’
At Nutricia North America, we are mindful of the impact we have on the earth and society as a whole so Nutricia has started a project to enhance our ‘green’ actions within the business.
We wanted to take this opportunity to inform you that all empty Neocate product cans and Duocal cans are recyclable, as well as the E028 Splash Tetra packs. Even the plastic lid on top of the can is recyclable!
We highly encourage you to Recycle your Neocate cans instead of putting them in the trash to be thrown in a landfill.
We know neighborhoods around the United States have different recycling policies, so check with your local recycling center if you have any questions.
Stay tuned for our blog next week on fun and artistic ways to Reuse Neocate cans!
- Christine
Our post today is a guestblogentry from Kyle Dine, a Canadian songwriter who creates children's music that educates and entertains about food allergies. We’d like to thank Kyle for guest blogging for us today!
“Food Allergies Rock!” — Three words that sum up all of my feelings about the condition I have lived with since I was a toddler. I do realize that this phrase may be a tad optimistic, especially if you have ever experienced an anaphylactic reaction, or ever witnessed your child experience these terrible symptoms. After experiencing several severe allergic reactions in my life, I will be the first to admit that food allergies don’t always rock. But, I’ll explain why it’s so important that you and your kids should adopt this motto too.
“Food Allergies Rock!” is the name of my most recent children’s music CD dedicated to kids with allergies. Every song on this CD is an offshoot of this empowering phrase with its own unique message on staying safe and staying positive.
Songs such as My Epineph-Friend, One of the Gang, and Able to Read a Label promote thinking about allergies in a fun and positive way while illustrating that food allergies don’t have to define you nor limit you in life.
It’s so easy to focus on the negatives — the doom and gloom. But that is no way to live and no way to have a healthy attitude in life. There is a lot of encouraging research these days with respect to someday having a treatment for allergies. However I am personally more drawn to quality of life studies because they uncover novel strategies on how to manage allergies while living normally.
One study in particular fromThe Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, discusses how important it is for children to focus on the positives in order to become empowered over their allergies.
“clinical experience suggests that children who adopt a negative attitude toward theirallergies (eg, focus on limitations and differences from peers) may be more likely to experience distress than children who adopt a more positive perspective (eg, emphasize strengths and coping strategies).”
What are the exact reasons why food allergies rock? I’ll let the lyrics of the song do the talking.
“Food Allergies Rock”
Food Allergies Rock
To tell you the truth I would rather have them than not
Food Allergies Rock!
I wouldn’t trade them I’m happy with what I got
Just a few foods that I can’t eat
But none of them are in my favorite treat
I can stay safe and I can stay well
Because I stay alert after the dinner bell
I could be a doctor or an astronaut
Whatever I choose I can reach the top
So I have food allergies
But I won’t let them define me
I can read labels like I read a book
And I’m so creative when I try to cook
I can eat healthy things like fruit
For every thing I can’t, there’s a substitute
I can be brave and speak up for myself
I can find safe foods on a cupboard shelf
I can teach my friends what they’re all about
And I’ll be just fine living without.
- Kyle Dine
Kyle Dine’s music can be downloaded off of iTunes or bought from the product catalogs of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network and Anaphylaxis Canada. For more information about Kyle Dine and his school wide allergy awareness assemblies, please visit his website at www.kyledine.com or connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.
Over the past few years, a lot of attention has been paid to bisphenol A, or BPA – which was commonly used in food packaging. As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, BPA is still out there due to a lack of suitable replacements, though is a lot less common as a result of public concern. Many manufacturers have been able to remove BPA from their food packaging materials as well as from plastic dishes and containers. You may have recently seen items like baby bottles and water bottles labeled as being BPA-free.
Even though some of the chatter on this topic has died down, we here at Nutricia still often get questions about whether Neocate packaging contains BPA. It’s normal for parents of children who use Neocate products to be more aware of things that other parents might not think to look for. So, we wanted to briefly remind you and any new Neocate parents that the package linings for Neocate products do not contain BPA.
Our first blog on BPA in 2009 discussed the fact that all of the powdered Neocate products are packaged in cans that have a BPA-free lining. But we still got questions from parents about E028 Splash, the ready-to-feed liquid elemental formula in the Neocate family. In early 2010 we confirmed in a second blog that Splash is packaged in cartons that have a BPA-free liner. More great news!
If your little one uses any of the Neocate products, you can rest assured that there is no BPA in the package linings.
- Rob
On behalf of all of us here at Nutricia North America, the makers of Neocate, we want to wish you and yours a happy, healthy and allergy-friendly Thanksgiving!
We are very thankful that we have a great community of readers. We love hearing and learning from you!
What are you thankful for this year?
-The Food Allergy Team
Also, check out some of our past blog posts for tips to help you prepare:
Do you have any allergy-friendly recipes or holiday tips to share? Let us know in the comment section!
-The Food Allergy Team
Our post today is a guest blog entry from Lynda Mitchell. We’d like to thank her for guest blogging for us.
When the Kids With Food Allergies Foundation opened its doors in 2005, Tracy, one of our members, told me her son had food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), a rare allergy condition affecting the GI tract that was sometimes mistaken for an eosinophilic gastrointestinal condition.
When Tracy shared her story, I came to better understand FPIES and the unique challenges it presents both for the families dealing with it and for the physicians diagnosing it. I’ve written the following to help you better understand FPIES using personal stories moms have shared with us along the way.
Debbie’s story:
When [my baby] was 6 months old, my milk supply started to drop so I was told to give him some milk formula. … Almost immediately, … he started to projectile vomit. We took him to the ER of our children's hospital. By the time they got to us, he had stopped vomiting and was just a happy baby. They patted us on our heads and told us it was just a milk allergy and sent us on our way. …A few weeks later, Ben started vomiting 1 1/2 hours after [feeding], and I was told (by the pediatrician's nurse) he just had the flu. But I could tell it was more than that.
A child with FPIES may experience what appears to be a severe stomach bug, but the "bug" only starts a couple hours after the offending food is given. Many FPIES parents have rushed their children to the ER, limp from extreme, repeated projectile vomiting, only to be told, "It's the stomach flu." However, the next time they feed their children the same solids, the dramatic symptoms return, often more rapidly after ingestion.
Maria’s story:
Mason was "big and healthy" but nearly died (vomited until he became dehydrated, went into shock and stopped breathing) after starting rice cereal at 4 months of age.
FPIES reactions often show up in the first weeks or months of life, or at an older age for the exclusively-breastfed child. Reactions usually occur upon introducing first solid foods, which are typically made with dairy or soy, such as infant cereals or formulas. (Infant formulas are considered solids for FPIES purposes.) Although the most common FPIES triggers are cow's milk (dairy) and soy, other solid foods can cause an FPIES reaction, even uncommon food allergens, such as rice, oat and barley.
Reactions are frequently characterized by profuse vomiting and diarrhea. Upon removing the problem food(s), all FPIES symptoms subside.
Tracy’s story:
A typical reaction takes Evan about four days to recover from. His most recent exposure was a single bite of a bagel with cream cheese on it. Within two hours he had vomited three times, and began diarrhea that put him through 32 diapers in as many hours. ... Evan's reactions occur approximately two hours after he ingests food, with dairy in any form or strength causing his most severe reactions.
FPIES reactions almost always begin with delayed onset vomiting (usually two hours after ingestion, sometimes as late as eight hours after). Symptoms can range from mild (an increase in reflux and several days of runny stools) to life threatening (shock). In severe cases, after repeatedly vomiting, children often begin vomiting bile. Commonly, diarrhea follows and can last up to several days. In the worst reactions (about 20% of the time), the child has such severe vomiting and diarrhea that he rapidly becomes seriously dehydrated and may go into shock. One characteristic is that these children do not have other typical symptoms of allergy develop as part of these reactions (e.g., hives, wheezing, atopic dermatitis, swelling, etc.).
Debbie’s story:
… At 7 months, I weaned him. … So, we gave him a bottle of soy formula (assuming it would all be fine because he was JUST allergic to milk according to all the docs. One and a half hours after Ben had eaten, he started projectile vomiting again and passed out. We took him to the ER and they decided to admit us. The allergists still didn't think it was an allergy—they thought these were all flukes—and I believed them. … They decided to do a soy oral challenge (because nothing was showing up on the RAST [blood allergy test] for soy). He failed it miserably!! They had to call a code blue and then admit us from the allergy clinic. It scared the allergists (and me for that matter) half to death. So, because they had called a code blue, they had to write an incident report. Because of that report, someone else looked at Ben's case and figured out that he has FPIES.
Debbie’s son went into shock, which is a severe reaction due to FPIES. As with all things, each child is different, and the range, severity and duration of symptoms may vary from reaction to reaction.
Brooke’s story:
One night in my frustration, I thought that she did well with the soy formula, so I would try a bottle of that again and see if she would eat. She ate about half of that bottle and then refused it. My husband took her and she started profuse vomiting again. I gave her a quick bath because she was soaked to the bone. She vomited the whole time; I was only able to put a diaper on her before she went white as a ghost and totally limp and unresponsive. She was like a rag doll and wouldn't move. We rushed to the local children's hospital branch close to our house. They immediately took her into trauma and started to work on her. She wouldn't respond to anything, not even needle pricks. They gave her oxygen, and IV, thermal blankets, etc. They finally got her stabilized and sent her to the main children's hospital downtown by ambulance. At the hospital, after a dozen different kinds of tests, she was started on Neocate® formula.
Since rapid dehydration and shock are medical emergencies, your local emergency service (9-1-1) needs to be contacted when a reaction like this occurs.
The most critical treatment during an FPIES reaction is intravenous (IV) fluids because of the risk and prevalence of dehydration. Children experiencing more severe symptoms may also need steroids and in-hospital monitoring. However, use of antihistamines and epinephrine are not helpful because FPIES works through a different mechanism than a “regular” IgE mediated allergy. Mild reactions may be able to be treated at home with oral electrolyte re-hydration (e.g., Pedialyte®). Because it's a rare, but serious condition, in the event of an emergency, it is vital to get the correct treatment. Some doctors provide their patients with a letter containing a brief description of FPIES and its proper treatment. In the event of a reaction, this letter can be taken to the ER with the child.
Dietary modifications vary, depending on the patient’s specific reactions. Often, infants who have reacted to both dairy and soy formulas will be placed on hypoallergenic or amino acid-based formula. Some children do well breastfeeding. Other children who have fewer triggers may just strictly avoid the offending food(s).
New foods are usually introduced very slowly, one food at a time, for an extended period of time per food. Some doctors recommend trialing a single food for up to three weeks before introducing another.
Jen’s story:
Ian did well until we tried to reintroduce milk at our GI doctor's suggestion. Ian vomited once with a small quantity of milk. A [blood] RAST test then came back negative and I was told to try the milk again. This is when the "textbook" FPIES reaction occurred. One and a half hours after ingesting a tablespoon of milk, my son experienced severe vomiting (at least 30 times) and pretty much passed out in my arms immediately. We had to be rushed via ambulance to the hospital where IV fluids were given. He recovered after a few hours.
FPIES is hard to diagnose because it is a non-IgE mediated immune reaction in the gastrointestinal system. This means that traditional blood or skin testing will be negative for the foods that cause FPIES reactions. Unlike traditional IgE-mediated allergies, FPIES reactions do not manifest with itching, hives, swelling, coughing or wheezing. Symptoms typically only involve the gastrointestinal system; other body organs are not involved.
Final Thoughts
FPIES is a rare condition that often goes undiagnosed, or can take a while to diagnose because traditional allergy tests are negative and the diagnosis is typically made based on symptom presentation. FPIES can be a very frightening condition to deal with, especially before it’s diagnosed when the child is experiencing severe and unexplained reactions to first foods or formulas with dramatic symptoms of lethargy or shock. A correct diagnosis and dietary avoidance of the offending foods is essential to manage and avoid further FPIES reactions.
I hope this information is helpful to you. If these stories sound familiar regarding your own child, print out the patient education resource below and speak with your child’s physician.
For more information, please visit:
Patient Education Resource: What is Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome?
Online Support: Kids With Food Allergies Foundation Online Community(includes a dedicated forum just for FPIES parents)
New FPIES Nonprofit Organization Forming: International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis
Lynda Mitchell is the founder and president of the Kids With Food Allergies Foundation(KFA). Lynda knows from personal experience that parents raising children with food allergies struggle to keep their children healthy and safe. And, like her, many become empowered by telling their stories and connecting with each other for emotional support and information-sharing. To meet these needs, she first organized the online group POFAK (Parents of Food Allergic Kids) in 1998, to connect parents. Then in 2005, to help more families, she organized KFA as a national charity focused on day-to-day food allergy education and support for families. She has a master’s degree in health information management and informatics and lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with her husband, a retired naval officer, her son, and her two Labrador Retrievers.
Names of moms and/or children in this blog post have been changed out of respect to the members of our community.
