With the exception of a few days this month, we have been dairy free since March 28th. During those couple of days, we consumed a very small amount of dairy, and the baby’s eczema flared back up. I immediately assumed that I knew why.
I made a quick call to the pediatrician and explained how the eczema seemed to flare up when we started eating some dairy again, and the doctor said that, sight unseen, it sounded like it could be a dairy allergy, and that we should eliminate dairy again until our appointment in May. Since that time, we have had absolutely no dairy.
Friday night, guess what decided to show up? A nice, red patch of eczema on the little guy’s arm. So clearly, I chose the wrong bad guy. It looks like dairy is not the culprit, after all. And the more research I do, the more that it seems like the addition of dairy at the time of the flare up was simply a coincidence.
Each account of a true dairy allergy that I have read about includes pleasantries such as diarrhea, projectile vomiting, extreme gas/fussiness, hives, rash where the food comes into contact with the skin, and so on. These are not problems that we have ever dealt with, and it seems that if we were looking at a true allergy, we would have had at least one of those problems.
Here is the list of food allergy symptoms from Web MD:
Food Allergy Symptoms to Watch for in Your Baby
Food allergy symptoms usually appear very soon after the food is eaten — within a few minutes to a couple of hours. If you’re introducing a new food to your baby, keep an eye out for these symptoms:
- Hives
- Flushed skin or rash
- Face, tongue, or lip swelling
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Coughing or wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of consciousness
So here we are, back at square one! My husband seems to think that maybe he just has a little eczema – not necessarily because of anything. I am starting to wonder if he is correct. I am going to wait a few more dairy-less days before I make a call as to whether or not we are avoiding all dairy for no reason.
It looks like those first few months of sleepless nights may have been due to simply having a bad sleeper – not a dairy allergic one!
