Food allergies/intolerances and feeding your toddler!
So my son cannot have dairy, soy, gluten, egg … what on earth do I feed him!? This is a question faced by many parents who have infant and toddler ‘refluxers’, as food can often be the culprit for a reflux flare and cutting out gluten, dairy, soy, and/or egg from their diet can sometimes help (AND there may be other foods that need to be avoided too!). Food allergies show on allergy tests but there are no skin or blood tests for food intolerance and both can cause symptoms of reflux in susceptible children
Food Intolerance & Reflux
What is food intolerance, and what does it have to do with reflux?
Book review – What’s Eating Your Child? by Kelly Dorfman, MS, LND
This book is simply awesome. Get it and read it. Its available from the RISA library but I thoroughly recommend buying it.
In fact, if you’re a reflux parent, I’d be keeping a copy of this, Reflux Reality and Colic Solved on the shelf. And use the regular baby books to prop up the cot!
Read on for information about alternative treatments to reflux medications, appetite stimulation and long term use of laxatives.
Chrissy and Evie’s Story
My daughter, Evie is 3 and a half years old. This is her (medical) story. Evie was born in June 2009. Right from the beginning it was a rocky start. My milk failed to come in adequately and she failed to gain weight. We had to give her formula or we would be staying in hospital. I battled on trying everything to increase supply and meanwhile, supplementing so that she gained weight. At about 5 weeks, she became VERY unhappy. She cried for almost every waking moment for 3 days. The only thing that stopped her crying that weekend was me breastfeeding her (although I think she was using me more as a dummy) and walking her around outside, talking to her and holding her very upright.
Lauren and Alexander’s story
I wanted to be a mum more than anything else in the world. So that was the plan… meet a boy, get married and have a baby (or two!). I actually thought I’d be really good at it, but over the last 21 months I have considered myself wrong countless times.
Cows Milk Protein Vs Lactose Intolerance
There is often a lot of confusion between Lactose Intolerance and Cow’s Milk Protein Intolerance (CMPI); many people often think they are the same thing. To confuse things even more an allergy or intolerance to a food protein can cause a secondary lactose intolerance and they may be present together!
Neocate, Elecare and the PBS
As of 1 July 2012, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (who administer the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme or PBS), have made changes to the way amino acid-based forumlae like Neocate or Elecare can be prescribed for children under 24 months. Theoretically, now only paediatric gastroenterologists, a specialist allergist or clinical immunologist can now write these prescriptions.
HOWEVER, paediatricians and General Practitioners can still prescribe these formulae “in consultation with” any of the specialists above.
Kids reflux – the facts and the stats
Did you know:
1. Reflux affects up to 8% of children and a higher % of infants
2. Some estimates put it as high as 1 in 5 babies
3. It is estimated that 65‐85% of premmie babies suffer with GORD
4. In 2005 there were 259,800 births in Australia
5. Over 34,000 babies are likely to suffer with reflux in Australia
each year