Elimination diet for possible food intolerance

[42Tracy]

Hi

Wondering if anyone can help. My DS who is just 12mnths has a rash on his face, small red spots, some larger than others, it started around his nose, then moved upwards towards his cheeks, it is now all over his face. The spots move around a lot. This has been going on for around 3.5wks.

I took him to the GP and he confirmed it was an allergy or food intolerance and has given me a referral to a skin specialist if it doesn't go away in ten days' time.

This morning he woke up and had his bottle of formula and again, it flared up.

At this point, I have no idea what is causing this rash, I don't use soap or anything on his face and am assuming it is food related.

I need to know how to start an elimination diet and what foods are the best to feed him. Also, should I be stopping his formula and trying one for allergies.

Any feedback or help would be a greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[beebs]

Did they not give you a referral to the allergy clinic at your local hospital? They deal with both allergy and intolerance and they will test for allergies and help you with elimination diets....

[sheep]

I suggest seeing a dietician, Elimination Diets are quite strict and you really need to do it properly.

Hope you can work out what it is easily.

[OurLittleBlessing]

Hi Tracy!

Obviously you've already thought if it's anything you've introduced recently?

Has he recently just changed milk? ie BF to FF or different formula?

We went through this with DD1, and it's a pain in the neck to find the cause. I would agree that an allergy clinic or a dietician might be a good port of call as they will hopefully be able to give you somewhere to start.

Having said that, there really isn't a test as such for intolerance, it's really just a matter of trial and error. If it were me, I would probably take out the usual suspects (dairy, wheat & soy) first, and see what happens from there....

Good luck!

[42Tracy]

Thanks ladies

I have a referral to a skin specialist but was told only to go if the rash hadn't cleared up in about 10 days.

He eats a lot of blueberries at the moment and yoghurt and was having scrambled eggs each morning, he's been eating these foods for months now without a problem. The GP said that intolerances can appear randomly regardless if the food is new to their system or not.

I haven't introduced any new foods in the last few weeks and that's why I'm at a loss to what it is

I've stopped with the berries, dairy, eggs and fish. He's still eating toast because I'm running out of ideas of things to feed him for breakfast, he won't eat puried foods (other than yoghurt).

The spots are all around his nose, they have moved upwards and are around his eyes and yesterday moved to his chin.

I'm wondering if it's the formula or not, the formula isn't new to his system either.

[beebs]

The thing is, allergies can develop any time as well. One day you are fine with something the next you're not.

It *could* be formula - but which part - there are so many things in formula iykwim. It could be anything he is eating.

I really think you should get a referral to an allergy clinic, have the skin patch tests done to rule out or rule in any allergies and if they show nothing there is a dietician connected with the clinic that will help you with intolerances.

We have been going through this food = bad stuff for the past 18 months in this house. Its a nightmare!

Good luck with it!

[42Tracy]

Beebs, thanks for your advice.

I think I'll go to the skin specialist now rather than wait until 10 days is up. He's had this rash now for a while and it's not getting better.

xx

[beebs]

Sounds like a good idea - good luck with it!