Food Challenges

[cindye]

9.5 month old DD is CMPSI and is still breastfed. I've been off all dairy since she was 3 months old and soy since she was 4 months old.

In the last week I have done a soy challenge - have eaten regular bread, Thai takeaway, sushi, made a stirfry the other night. We've had no symptoms - no reflux or cramps and absolutely no sign of mucus in her stools.

Is that enough of a challenge? I don't usually eat soy products like tofu or drink soy milk and don't want to start now - I don't need to consume larger portions of soy to confirm that she's passed the challenge? Or do I?

I'm feeling very encouraged - dairy challenge will be in a couple of weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

[missie_mack]

I've not heard of doing a challenge in this manner. Any challenges I have heard of are done in a hospital setting where a very small amount is digested and slowly increased over a period of time.

[cindye]

That's interesting - it is for food intolerance, not food allergy.

Her paed GI told me that to test whether she has outgrown the dairy intolerance that either her or myself (since the proteins are coming through my breastmilk) are to consume a "reasonable" amount of dairy on a daily basis until she experienced 3 symptoms - reflux returning, abdominal cramps, and mucus in her stools. I was told that if she experienced all 3 of these symptoms, then she has the intolerance still and we could try again in 3 months.

Just not sure if the amount of soy I've consumed would have tested sufficiently.

[Areca]

I have done what you have in re to challenging through breastmilk. I did it with my DS a few months back when trying to figure out what it was he was allergic/intolerant to.

I did each food group for two weeks and overloaded on each food group BIG time. I wanted to be sure that he wasn't allergic. I didn't see a doctor though...just did it at home. But I wanted to be really sure and so overloading was the only way to really know. I needed his symptoms to be very apparent for my own piece of mind. I'm still careful when giving him a new food though. I have two other children who have anaphylaxis allergies...they get their food challenges in a hospital setting :)

[cindye]

Areca -thanks for that! My other DD has food allergies which were diagnosed with SPT (we're back to the hospital in a couple of weeks to see if she's outgrown any more), whereas DD2 has intolerances so we go the food challenge path instead.

I'm definitely planning on going overboard when I do the dairy challenge in a couple of weeks! Need to load up on Brie before we start TTC#3!

[DairyfreeDiva]

I have a 15 month old with cmpi and soy and have been too scared to challenge it as of yet so I will keep an eye on this post. My ds poos blood as well as reflux, mucus explosive poos. It was so hard to get it under control I'm just too scared to try now....

[cindye]

I have a 15 month old with cmpi and soy and have been too scared to challenge it as of yet so I will keep an eye on this post. My ds poos blood as well as reflux, mucus explosive poos. It was so hard to get it under control I'm just too scared to try now....

kobismum, is your DS's reflux and colitis under control with the meds and your diet, or does he continue to have mucus and blood in his poo?

Sounds just like my DD - we only got her reflux and the blood and mucus in the poo under control once she was on decent dosages of meds and I cut ALL dairy and soy out of my diet. Although we have had occasional mucousy poo and reflux flare ups when she's been sick, it's been pretty good now for a couple of months, and we're actually starting to wean her off the meds.

I guess all I've done is reintroduced soy back into my diet in the regular quantities I used to consume it in. I KNOW that soy was an issue for her as I was off all dairy for a month and it wasn't until I eliminated soy as well that her reflux settled. But all those food items that you would never guess would have soy in them like ham and other deli meats, and regular bread, as well as Asian foods, are the things that I've reintroduced without any issues.

My DD's paed GI referred me to a dietition when I was placed on the diet (I actually had to go off wheat and eggs for the first month too) so I guess I could email her and check that what I'm doing for the challenges is correct. I'd rather not have to drink Soy milk or eat soy yoghurt to tick the boxes unless it was absolutely necessary!:barf:

[DairyfreeDiva]

Hi cindye,
My ds is now 15 months and he's not done a bloody poo in close to 6 months... He was weaned at around that time to pepti junior formula but before that I was bfing and on a dairy, soy free diet as well. Originally he also reacted to wheat, eggs, gluten and preservatives so I was off those too which didn't leave me much to eat.. But he outgrew those once his stomach started to heal. I remember the paed telling me to challenge his diet but it was so horrible and distressing for me when he was pooing blood that I haven't been able to bring myself to try him on anything... I guess I have to bite the bullet one of these days.... Thanks for reply... Hope your little one is doing well now..

[cindye]

Well, we did have a pooey nappy with a tiny bit of mucus in it after my last post, so I emailed the dietition and she said that it sounded like an accumulative response - that the soy protein builds up and then you get a little mucus. She said that as long as the reflux didn't flare up and the mucus didn't persist or get worse, to keep consuming the (small
) quantities I have been consuming. However, if the reflux returned or the mucus got worse, to go off the soy again for 5 days and then try again with even smaller quantities.

I've kept the soy consumption at a minimum over the last week and we haven't had any more mucus, so it looks like what I'm eating isn't enough to cause an issue.

So, I started a dairy challenge a few days ago. I've been having small amounts of cheese, had a small scoop of icecream with desert the other night and have had some regular chocolate (mmmm.... drool :cloud9:) and so far, so good. DD had a little cry last night, but I fed her and she went back to sleep so I don't think it was tummy cramps. And no mucus so far...

But I'll update again soon.

[DairyfreeDiva]

Awesome! I remember when I first had a milkshake after 6 months of being dairy/soy free.. It was heaven!
I had a new baby 2 weeks ago and two days ago I found a tiny bit of blood in her poo although it is the right colour yellow not green and mucous y :( looks like the dairy/soy allergy runs in the family... So back on the diet for me

[cindye]

Still no mucus, but we were up the other night with her crying so am going to give dairy a miss for a few days and then try small amounts again.

kobismum - sorry to hear about your new baby. Next time around, I'm going to go dairy / soy free before I have the baby and then reintroduce once he / she is born, since both my girls have had issues with dairy and soy.

[chicken and eggs mum]

cindye
I did this with DD as I could not tolerate dairy myself, and she is now LI (although are are challening atm and all is going ok!!) and they said that me being dairy free during pregnancy could have made it worse when I reontroduced in when she was born...

I would discuss with a pead/ob/dietician before hand.... I have stayed on dairy this pregnany so will see the outcome!!!

Good luck,these sort of challenges are hard!!!

[cindye]

That's interesting. We have a follow up appt with DD's paed GI early next year, and hopefully I'll be UTD then, so will talk to him about it. We have a huge family history of issues with dairy, so I'm willing to do whatever it takes to not have to deal with all this again!!!

[wild at heart]

wow Cindy that's very exciting!

I can't even imagine having a baby that is happier and is weaning off medication!! DD was up every single night last night and the two previous nights before that!

Her poos are unlike anything i have ever seen!

I am going to a dietitian this afternoon. I have been dairy and soy free but it isn't helping and I am thinking that there may be other issues or that I am not eliminating enough!

[cindye]

Well, I had a break from the dairy after our previous challenge and then started trying small amounts again last Saturday. I've been eating dairy ALL week now, with no issues whatsoever. Last night I had tacos with sour cream AND cheese for dinner and chocolate mousse and icecream for dessert!!!

And DD has been totally weaned from her reflux medication for 10 days now, so I think we're all sorted.

Being dairy and soy free for 7+ months has been incredible hard, but I'm so glad that I did it so I could continue breastfeeding. But I'm really glad I can tuck into some Brie before we start TTC#3 since I'm pretty sure I'll have to eliminate dairy and soy if breastfeeding again.

To all those dairy / soy free mamas out there - just remember you are doing such a good job. And if you ever need some links to websites / blogs or recipes on dairy free eating, feel free to PM me!