Food Allergy Living Blog

Yesterday, I came across an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on the increasing number of babies being diagnosed and treated for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). According to the article, a few years ago, most of the symptoms were put off as colic. To read the whole article, click here.

As a nutrition specialist, I often hear from parents with these questions: Is it colic? GERD? A milk protein allergy? Sometimes, it can even be all three with 42% of infants with GERD also having a milk allergy! The article mentioned a few treatments, including Pepcid and the use of a proton-pump inhibitor, but it did not include changing the baby’s diet. Often, an allergy to milk/soy is the cause of GERD, in these cases nutritional management can help.

If this is the case, nursing moms need to remove all milk and dairy proteins from their diet if they are using nutritional management as treatment. If the baby is formula-fed, parents should switch to a milk- and soy-free elemental formula, such as Neocate. With the protein broken down to its simplest form (amino acids), babies with a milk allergy and/or GERD can easily digest the formula while getting the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.

Check out the article. It has some interesting diagnosis stories that might help your little one get better!

And for more information on this topic, click here.

As always, send any questions my way!

-Sarah

As an allergy parent, it’s hard not to be concerned about how that allergy is limiting your child. I recently came across an article about a study that was presented at this year’s American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting.

According to the study, 40% of allergy parents said their child’s allergies interfere a lot or somewhat with his/her sleep and 21% of allergy parents indicated that allergies interfere with their child’s activities. For the entire article, click here.

If your child has food allergies, you definitely do need to be vigilant about avoiding certain foods. But, as long as you are careful, your child should be able to participate in many of the same activities as other kids her age. She may not be able to eat ice cream and corn dogs at the beach, but it doesn’t mean she can’t make a sand castle.

Of course, like we always say, go into every situation prepared. Bring safe snacks for your child and make sure her epinephrine is always on hand in case of an emergency.

- Sarah

Wonderful news for allergy parents in the state of Maine. I just found out that, according to a bill signed by Governor Baldacci on April 11, 2008, insurance coverage is now required for amino acid-based formula like Neocate in Maine!

“An Act To Protect the Health of Infants” requires health insurance carriers doing business in the state of Maine to provide coverage for all medically necessary infant formula in both individual and group policies, contracts and certificates.

The bill applies to all health insurance policies, contracts and certificates enacted on or after January 1, 2008 in Maine.

Under the bill, insurance coverage for amino-acid based elemental infant formula is required for children 2 years of age and under. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but of course we would like all children who need an AAB formula to be covered.

For more information on legislation, click here.

And for ways to get involved with your states legislation, click here.

Currently, there are 9 other states with similar legislation, including Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York. As I’ve said before, hopefully many other states will follow with similar legislation.

- Sarah

About a year ago here at Nutricia we introduced DHA and ARA to our Neocate Infant product. Since a lot of parents often ask us questions about DHA and ARA, I wanted to share some basic information with you.

OK, here’s the DHA/ARA rundown:

DHA and ARA are two important nutrients naturally found in breast milk. They are important for healthy infant growth and development. Studies have shown that a direct consumption of these key ingredients will promote both your baby’s visual and brain development.

Just like its predecessor, Neocate Infant with DHA & ARA is:

• Hypoallergenic;
• Comprised of 100% non-allergenic free amino acids;
• Nutritionally complete; and Manufactured in a 100% milk-free environment.

Overall, the addition of DHA and ARA doesn’t change much about the other properties of the formula (i.e. taste, texture, if it’s hypoallergenic) but it does provide an extra boost to benefit your little one.

Feel free to send any questions my way.

- Sarah

For infants and children with food allergies, transitioning to solid foods can be tricky. I recently helped write a transition guide to help parents through this sometimes-difficult task. Even though this transition might cause anxiety, it is an exciting and very important time in a child’s life.

The guide, called Feeding Tips for a Successful Transitionis a great quick reference for parents when they are at this step in their little ones lives.

To allow the immune system to mature infants with food allergies should wait six months before having any solid food introduced to their diet.

The early stages of the transition should allow your baby to get used to the taste and texture of foods, as well as feeding from a spoon. In the later stages, the solid foods should provide most of your child’s nutritional needs.

The various sections of the Guide detail the different phases of food introduction as well as what foods your child should be given. Here is a list of the provided sections:

The Challenge Phase – Consists of introducing a few core foods to the diet to see what your baby can tolerate;

Which Foods Should I Give My Child? – You should introduce the foods least likely to cause allergic symptoms first;

The Importance of Texture – The food introduction process should be gradual and split into three different texture stages: thin and smooth, lumps and chunks, and finger foods; and

Recipes – A list of recipes are provided to make the management of your child’s new diet easier.

To download the entire transition guide, click here. Of course, you should always discuss any changes in your child’s diet with your doctor or dietitian first.

- Sarah

When my wife and I got engaged, we were both thrilled, knowing we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. Then we realized that promising “I Do” also meant we would each also have (ominous drum roll please) … In-Laws (personally, I like to call mine “Outlaws”!).

Okay, I’m really just kidding. Although in-laws are the butt of too many jokes, my wife and I are lucky to be raised by some pretty awesome people. And when we had kids, they became great, supportive grandparents.

Of course, not everyone is that lucky. And, unfortunately, I know some of you food allergy parents out there struggle to get in-laws (and other family members) to understand your child’s health condition. Usually it’s because Grandma and Grandpa love the kids so much they just can’t imagine not giving them Easter eggs or birthday cake. Or they’re sure that just a little something special won’t hurt, even if your son can’t have anything but Neocate and carrots.

I think, in most cases, the best way to deal with this is to make your parents and in-laws a partner in your child’s health. Explain to them exactly what your kid can and cannot have, what a reaction looks like and what to do if your child has a reaction. Sometimes showing them how to use the EpiPen really brings it home. I think it is also important to reinforce to your family that the time your kids spend with their grandparents is what is really valuable – whether or not a milk shake is involved. (This is easy for too many families to forget since, unfortunately, so many American activities revolve around food.)

Of course, you do have to protect your child at all costs. You can’t let anyone -- family members or otherwise – babysit if they don’t understand your child’s food allergies.

But, hopefully, with some time and communication, your parents and in-laws can not only “get it” but also be some pretty valuable extra pairs of hands for you and your family.

And, if you’re one of the lucky ones with the parents/in-laws who already “get it,” don’t forget to give ‘em a hug and a smooch once in a while to tell them how awesome they are.

Be well,
Dr. Y

The other nutrition specialists and I often hear stories from parents about the (often too long) process of getting their child diagnosed and treated for a milk protein allergy. Some families even write up their experiences for us and allow us to share them with other parents. I just re-read one recently about a little boy named RJ (for the full testimonial, click here). By the time R.J. was four months old, he had a painful, itchy, red rash all over his body. He was miserable and in pain.

R.J.’s parents took him to several doctors who tried all these different treatments, but none of them worked.

After months of misery for RJ (and the rest of the family), they finally found a pediatrician who identified the problem as a food allergy and recommended Neocate, an amino acid based formula for the little guy. Within a week, the rash was cleared up and R.J. was a happy, healthy baby again.

This story is a reminder that eczema can be tough to figure out. Many doctors, like R.J.’s, think that eczema is always caused by a topical allergen. However, what many people don’t realize is that sometimes the cause of eczema is from the inside.

R.J. suffered from a severe case of eczema resulting from a milk protein allergy that caused not only him, but his whole family, to suffer. Something to consider if you notice a rash on your little one.

- Sarah

These words are music to allergy parent’s ears…

However, did you know that some formulas made for babies with milk allergies are NOT produced in an entirely milk-free environment? Many allergy moms and dads don’t realize this.

We surveyed parents of kids with food allergies recently and were surprised at the results:

57% of parents thought their child’s formula was manufactured in a 100% milk-free environment, but when we asked about the specific products, only 38% of them were actually manufactured 100% dairy-free.

At the same time, 99% of the parents surveyed said they were concerned about the risk of their children consuming a food allergen. No surprised there!

Vigilant allergy parents have a lot to look out for – from the fine print on food labels to how/where everything you put into your child’s mouth is manufactured. It is definitely tiresome, but definitely worth it.

Since food allergies cause roughly 30,000 emergency room visits a year, this is something to take note of! As an allergy parent, remember that advertising can be tricky. As of right now, Neocate Infant, Necoate Jr. and EO28 Splash are the only amino-acid based products that are manufactured in a 100% milk-free environment.

Overall, make sure you double check your choice of formula for your child with your pediatrician. You can never be too careful with food allergies!

- Sarah

I know many of you allergy parents out there have had issues with the insurance coverage for your child's specialized formula.

Good Morning America would like to hear your story. The show is currently asking parents to submit stories about the struggles they have faced when dealing with insurance companies. If you are interested in sharing your personal story, click here for more information.

For those of you who have been following the legislation in Maryland, click on the links below to see two great news pieces on this topic:

Gazette.net

http://www.gazette.net/stories/062608/mounnew144809_32358.shtml

WBAL

http://www.wbaltv.com/health/16719296/detail.html

Also, here is an interesting article about a little boy with EE in Chicago – the great news is that there is now insurance coverage in Illinois for children with this disease!