Does Your Child Have a Food Allergy or Sensitivity?

Our pediatrician once compared the experience of birth to being removed from your warm house and thrown out into the world, cold, naked and hungry. If accurate, it was a pretty horrific analogy that gave me a compassion for my new babies that I would not have had otherwise.

Babies are extremely fussy when they are first born, mainly crying to show their displeasure with anything from a wet diaper to hunger to gas. The same wise pediatrician pointed out that they also scream just to get exercise, as their bodies are incapable of expending energy any other way. (This came up at an appointment where we mentioned that we gave our newborn a bottle every time she cried, assuming she was hungry. Our pediatrician called this the “garden hose effect” where you keep feeding your baby until she starts spewing out gas and spit up due to the overflow. Lovely.)

My point is, children come out of the womb hard to read, and that continues until they can articulate how they feel. And actually sometimes after that. Add the inexperience and anxiety of new parents to the equation, and you can see how some major things can be overlooked or misdiagnosed.

Take my son for example. He had very dry skin and cradle cap. He also had extreme constipation as a child, to the point that his bowel movements became an all-consuming event in our lives. After several visits to the doctor, it was a nurse who suggested a possible food allergy. Sure enough, he tested allergic to casein and whey. Removal was hard…at only two years old, he was still savvy enough to detect that almond and soy milks weren’t “real” milk. And he really didn’t buy into the “not having dairy will make you feel better” bit. But once we eliminated dairy, his health improved immensely.

Several years later, a coworker was having a much more dire issue with her daughter, who was vomiting and having bloody diarrhea frequently. The doctor assured my coworker that her child was fine, which obviously she wasn’t. (A lack of health insurance probably did not help the situation.) Her daughter was later found to have a food allergy, and began gaining weight and thriving as a child should once the offending food was eliminated.

Most traditionally-trained doctors are slow to recognize food allergies and intolerances in children. Allergies are diagnosed more often, as testing is widely available. Allergies occur immediately after eating, while “intolerances” or “delayed reactions” happen up to three days after eating a particular food. Intolerances to dairy and gluten are extremely common but can be hard to identify. Genetic testing can reveal genes for celiac disease or lactose intolerance, which can be a good place to start. (A simple 23 and Me test is all that is required.) Alletess Delayed Sensitivity Food Testing, offered at functional medicine practices, is another method to measure sensitivities. The best option is the good old-fashioned elimination diet, which removes all possible offenders and slowly re-introduces them to measure symptoms.

What are some signs that your child may have a food allergy or intolerance?

• Digestive problems. Lack of appetite, reflux, diarrhea, constipation are all signs of food issues for children and adults, especially if they are chronic.

• Skin problems. Eczema, itchy patches, rashes and dry skin indicate that systemic inflammation is happening.

• Nasal congestion. Food allergies, particularly dairy, can stimulate mucus production. This also may present as coughs or asthma.

• Anxiety, insomnia and ADHD. Food reactions stimulate inflammation, which can affect the brain.

• Frequent illness. Again, inflammation is the culprit. It weakens the immune system, which then has trouble fending off viruses.

The task of changing a child’s diet varies with the child’s age, maturity and symptoms. Obviously, a very young child will not understand why he can’t have certain foods, and will not be able to police himself when a parent is not around. Older children have a better grasp of the situation, and can hopefully correlate food changes to better health. (Peer pressure becomes an issue as they get older. My daughter was quite ostracized when she gave up gluten in middle school due to stomach issues..”friends” thought she was being difficult and seeking attention.This is another whole set of issues.)

My role as a health coach is to help you figure out how to keep your child healthy and ideally happy with their food. There are MANY options that did not exist even a few years ago. One of the reasons I became a health coach is because I was so overwhelmed trying to help my own children with their dietary restrictions…I thought, “I really need an advisor on this.” So I became one.

If you suspect your child has a food allergy or intolerance, it is a good idea to mention it to a doctor. I can also help with identification of issues, gene testing, gut rebuilding, elimination diets and helping to create a healthy, safe way of eating for your child.

Changing your child’s diet may seem overwhelming, but seeing symptoms resolve makes it well worth it.