When I was pregnant with my first son I didn’t even think about food allergies.  I worried about just about everything else - spinobifida, downs, and a hundred other things I read about--but not food allergies.  I tried to drink milk because I “heard” it was good (no doubt from dairy industry advertising) and I ate peanut butter and jelly crackers as I did throughout my life for an evening snack or occasional lunch.  Oddly I craved eggs, especially during the first trimester for each of my sons.  Both of my sons remain allergic to eggs now at ages 5 and 7.  Only one remains allergic to dairy--the oldest.  We are okay with peanuts and tree nuts (almonds, beechnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, gingko, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts) because we’ve carefully avoided them.

In retrospect, had I known that my own family history showed a strong tendency towards dairy and egg allergies, and had I been more informed about food allergies in general, I would have avoided eating these foods while I was pregnant.  My cousin and his father, my uncle, both had egg and dairy allergies when they were infants.  My cousin even had to be hospitalized during his third month of life for lack of weight gain.  My aunt told me that she had to feed him soy formula after that occasion.  Now my cousin is in his late thirties and I am told by his sister that he still avoids milk but that it is not life threatening to him--only sickening.

If I were pregnant again, I’d eat what I eat now--a dairy and egg free diet.  Nor do I eat peanuts or tree nuts--after seven years of not eating them, I noticed how sick they make me feel.  I was shopping one day and bought a small container of mixed nuts for lunch--perhaps one half cup of peanuts, cashews, almonds mixed with cranberries and raisins.  They laid in my stomach for several hours (certainly no allergic response, but a testament to how difficult they are to digest).  I do eat potatoes, rice, meat, fish and lots of vegetables and fruit.  I think that is a good diet for pregnancy, unless there is a history of a fish or shellfish allergy, at which point I’d avoid that as well.  Normally food allergies develop for high protein foods because the body can have trouble properly digesting those foods.  The big eight are: soy, wheat, egg, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanut and tree nuts. 

Another thing that I would do would be to supplement myself with probiotics.  Probiotics are good bacteria that can rebalance a person’s intestinal tract so that it can properly digest foods.  If a person’s intestinal tract is damaged by overuse of antibiotics, then the food can go into the blood stream through little holes in the intestinal wall--a disorder known as ‘leaky gut syndrome.’  There have been some studies that show that pregnant women who supplement with probiotics have a lower incidence of having babies with food allergies, as detailed in my probiotics chapter.  Even supplementing after the child is born, if the mother is breastfeeding, can help the baby avoid food allergies.

Recently, I read a book called “Hidden Food Allergies” by James Braley and Patrick Holford.  It is the first time that I have seen a recommendation by a doctor along this line.  The book states, “Pregnant women who suffer from allergies have been found to be more likely to have babies who develop allergies and asthma, according to a five-year study funded by the British Lung Foundation and Asthma U.K.  The researchers, however, found that it is possible to minimize that risk by reducing a woman’s exposure to allergens while she is pregnant. Dr. Jill Warner…said…”Our research shows that mothers can influence whether their baby develops sensitization to allergies. Controlling the mothers’ reactions to allergens, especially during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, may well be the treatment of the future…’”[1]

In summary, avoiding known family allergens and common allergens (like peanuts or the other big eight listed above) while supplementing with probiotics during pregnancy and breastfeeding months can help a mother ward off allergies in her baby, some think, such as myself.  It is too early to have proof from studies and there are currently many conflicting viewpoints.  Personally, we were told to wait to introduce peanuts to our boys until they outgrew their allergies.  Once our younger son outgrew his dairy allergy, we tried one half of a raw, organic peanut several times over a few weeks (dry roasted peanuts can cause more allergies than boiled or raw peanuts).  He had no reaction.  But we still have not introduced peanuts to our older son who remains allergic to dairy and is now seven.  Why would we do this?  Why not give his digestive system a chance to fully heal itself before introducing this potentially dangerous food.  The same goes for all tree nuts in our household.  Better safe than sorry.  I was pleased to see Dr. Braly make this recommendation as well, "We therefore generally recommend that parents refrain from giving their children peanut butter or other peanut or nut products until after they're two years old.  If there is a family history of food allergies, parents should wait until the child is three. And many doctors recommend that their pregnant patients--especially those with food allergies--keep the lid on the peanut butter jar until after the baby is born and they've finished breast-feeding...at least until six months..."[2]

--End notes--

[1] Braley, M.D., James, Holford, Patrick, "Hidden Food Allergies," Basic Health Publications, Inc., Laguna Beach, CA, originally published by Piatkus Books, Ltd, Great Britain, London, England 2005, page 89.

[1] Braley, M.D., James, Holford, Patrick, "Hidden Food Allergies," Basic Health Publications, Inc., Laguna Beach, CA, originally published by Piatkus Books, Ltd, Great Britain, London, England 2005, page 69.

Just last weekend we went to an end-of-season celebration for our sons’ baseball teams. It was held at a small amusement park and there was a short awards ceremony before the BBQ where the kids got medals and small trophies.  The boys were thrilled and had a great time.  But when the line started for the BBQ, so did my worries. 

Our older son remains allergic to dairy and egg now at age seven.  I could see the line cooks slapping cheese on every hamburger in site.  Who knew what was in the hot dogs?  So I ventured up to the front of the line to see what I could do.  I asked if I might be able to see the package for the hot dogs as we’ve found that milk is in many brands of hot dogs.  The young girl said she didn’t know where the package was, then she turned to ask the “guy in charge” who shouted back to me, “Hey lady, they’re just regular hot dogs!”  Ugh. I gave up and went back to stand with my family in line. 

Earlier, at home, I had tried to think this whole thing through and packed a few dairy-free organic hot dogs.  They’d been on ice in my backpack for about five hours now--not something I felt good about. So now, I ventured up to the front of the line and asked a kind, older gentlemen if he could warm these up on the grill for me and keep them in the tin foil.  He obliged me and about ten minutes later I picked up the hot dogs.  But they were not even cooked.  They were just the other side of cold, kind of almost warm.  My son took a bite or two, but we decided to just make him a hamburger when we would be home.  So for now, we gave him a pile of pickles which contented him for the moment.

This was probably one of the more difficult situations that I’ve encountered with the dairy allergy--one where everyone is eating the same thing and my son cannot participate. At smaller, family BBQs, it is easier to check a label or ask for special consideration.  Even storing a hot dog or hamburger from home in a refrigerator is a convenience that can make all the difference--then popping it in a microwave for one minute or so.  But these options weren’t available to us at this amusement park BBQ.

At times I like these I realize that people just have no idea.  It is weird-- I too have trouble believing that a common food can be so harmful to some people, like my beautiful son.  I know many people, especially those who don’t have children with food allergies, have strong feelings of disbelief about others’ food allergies.  I’ve even seen stories on TV and on the Internet saying that many, if not most, food allergy tests produce false positives.  While there is clearly a lot of doubt, ignorance and skepticism about food allergies, I must admit that I still, at times, struggle with the “disbelief” grief stage that my husband discusses in his chapter in my book. 

My own disbelief got the better of me this past spring.  After my sons had eaten egg baked in bread a few times over the years, I convinced myself they were outgrowing their egg allergy.  So I let them try a small bit of hard boiled egg white not long after Easter. My younger son spit it out saying it was disgusting. My older son said he liked it. Within ten minutes he wanted to vomit and started sneezing uncontrollably. Then within twenty minutes his eyes got itchy, he developed a lot of mucus, became extremely tired and then said his chest hurt. After giving him two doses of antihistamine and talking with our allergist over the phone, I was instructed to give him the Epi-Pen and go to the ER.  I am somewhere between ashamed of my actions and dumbfounded by my own disbelief.  But the lesson taught us that disbelief is real and dangerous. It also helps me to understand why others feel this way.

Over the next ten, twenty or more years, more and more people will probably develop food allergies.  That cook who shouted at me, “Hey lady, they’re just regular hot dogs!” may one day have a child with a food allergy and then maybe he’ll think back to all the times he brushed off questions about food that to him may have seemed silly or bizarre. Or news reporters, anchors, talk show hosts who report on food allergy disbelief stories with an air of superiority and insinuation that those who think they have allergies are just a little crazy, may one day understand, when their own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even themselves develop a serious allergy.  Maybe when more scientists or government officials’ family members develop food allergies then more funding, research and answers will be created. Until then, our virtual food allergy community around the world needs to continue to support one another.

Aaron Dwyer is the founder of AllergySmart, an Australian based allergy support web site with a goal to produce information and support for anaphylactic sufferers through the production of online TV shows and books about food allergies.

Mr. Dwyer interviewed Ms. Anderson on the topic of food allergies on June 2, 2010.  This 40 minute interview can be listened to on the Internet at:  Episode #26.  The interview covers topics such as: toxic load theory, antibiotics, probiotics, herbal remedies, camels' milk, husbands' perpsectives and the grief cycle.

Recently a friend of mine and I were helping as PTO members with photograph day at our local school.  Our responsibilities were to get the kids lined up, organized for their pose and comb their hair--if they wanted us to. I noticed one cute boy whose hair needed to be combed. I asked his teacher if I should comb it and she gave me a quick smile and a resounding, “No.” Then once on the photographer’s chair, the photographer went to comb it and the teacher said, “You can’t comb his hair--just take the photo--with a certainness that was not to be disputed.” The photographer backed off and started to take the photo, but the boy began to shake his head back and forth and wouldn’t sit for even one second. I’m guessing he is autistic. 

During our session, my friend walked over to me from her line of kids and she commented, “I can’t believe the number of kids who are dealing with issues!  What is going on?”  She was referring to the kids that probably have ADHD, ADD or autism and who didn’t want to be touched, didn’t want to smile or needed one-on-one care by a teacher.  I agreed with her but I had done this before so wasn’t quite as surprised as she was this photograph day.

Why is it, then, that there appear to be so many more kids with issues requiring special care and/or medication than there were twenty or more years ago, when we parents were kids? What has changed? Based upon my researching and reading as a parent and writer, I can list the following things that have changed significantly over the past twenty or so years that can all contribute and impact a child’s body and immune system:

• The number of vaccinations has grown a lot: 

         - 100 years ago, children received 1 vaccine;
         - 40 years ago, children received 5 to 8 vaccines by age two; and
         - Today children receive 52 vaccines, in the form of 15 shots, by age six months.[1]

• Livestock are given hormones to grow more. Livestock are given antibiotics to treat infections caused by overgrowth.
• Antibiotics were invented 60 years ago.  In the last 30 years the use of penicillin-type drugs in farm animals has increased by 600%, and of tetracyclines by 1,500%. The main use of antibiotics in farming is in pigs and chickens.[2]
• Pesticides are sprayed in great quantities on livestock’s food and our foods.
• New proteins/DNA structures have been created called genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
• Heavy metals (antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc) exist in our air, water, foods and mass produced toys.

I believe that the net effect of all of these relatively new issues can impact a child’s small body in different ways.  Each child has a different body--with a different genetic make up.  So each child’s body probably handles the onslaught of these impacts differently. Specifically, while one child may develop autism from their body creating a chemical that affects their brain, another child may create IgE antibodies that cause anaphylactic food allergies or a delayed (less obvious but equally devastating) IgG antibody that can cause internal organs to swell like the lungs causing asthma. 

It’s too early for scientists to prove these ideas.  We are in the stage where the reaction has been made, but the cause is not yet discovered. Further, with different bodies and different external factors (the bulleted list above) it is extremely complex to prove: One child can react, but so much differently from the next child.

What is a parent left to do?  Not give vaccinations? Not give antibiotics? Not breathe the air or eat our foods? Consider these every day solutions:

1. Buy organic, non-GMO meats and foods not treated with pesticides or given hormones and antibiotics;
2. Only agree to antibiotics if your child is really sick--look for a doctor that agrees and will not just hand them over when your child has a stuffy nose or a virus. Then supplement with probiotics after the run of antibiotics to avoid creating leaky gut syndrome which can lead to food allergies and related disorders of autism and ADHD. Consider separating and spacing out vaccinations by a week so that the child’s body can deal with each one individually.
3. Consider detoxifying your child’s body from heavy metals. The medical process for doing this is called Chelation therapy defined as the, “administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body."[1]  While this therapy uses drugs, we can try eating cilantro (an herb that looks like parsley) to remove mercury, lead and aluminum. "Chelation therapy using chemicals like EDTA has long been used to help remove these heavy metals, but cilantro is the only natural substance...that has demonstrated this ability...All it takes is adding fresh cilantro to your everyday foods or eating a couple teaspoons of cilantro pesto (1 clove of garlic, 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves chopped or blended, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 6 tablespoons olive oil) a day for two or three weeks;”[2]

Be sure to discuss the antibiotic, vaccination and heavy metal treatments with your doctors.  If you find your doctor is not receptive to a discussion, seek out a second opinion.  It is important that a parent feel he or she is listened to and has a similar strategy or goal for treating one's child.  It may seem like a big step to find a new or different doctor, but it can make a big difference in your child's health and your peace of mind. 

[1] Personal Stories of Vaccine Damage and Death , http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/vaccines.htm, 2010

[2] Emed Expert, 16 Interesting Facts About Antibiotics, http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/antibiotics-facts.shtml#ref3, 2010

[3] Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelation_therapy

[4] The Poor Man's Chelation Therapy, http://home.earthlink.net/~jedcline/cilantro.html

It has been my experience that food allergy tests can be a bit unreliable. It is best to use combinations of allergy tests to get the most accurate readings and results. Normally you will have to ask your child’s allergist to do more than one type of test. You can even request that your doctor order the results to be sent to more than one lab for more accurate readings. Further, consider getting a second opinion from a different allergist. 

Sounds like a lot of work? Perhaps. But consider the impact of food allergies on your life and your child’s life. Eliminating a single food from your child’s or family’s diet can be a lot more work and for a much longer time. It can also contribute to stress in your life and in your child’s life because it affects both social life and school life. When food allergy testing normally comes around every year or two, it isn’t unreasonable to make sure the results are really accurate since you'll have to live with them for a long time. 

The following is a summary of food allergy tests that you can seek out for your child.  Due to the inaccuaracy rates of single tests, combining results can give you a clearer picture of your child’s situation. Further because different labs and doctors can produce different results from the same tests, don’t be shy about getting a second opinion. Call your insurance company about coverage for additional tests. Share the test results with all the doctors involved to they can learn as well. Any doctor who gets annoyed that you have asked for a second opinion does not have your child's health concerns first.

• Skin prick tests: This involves pricking the skin with various allergens. The benefit of this type of test is that it will probably not give a false negative meaning if the child has an allergy--it will appear. But the con is that it can give a false positive meaning that it may show an allergy when in fact the child can tolerate the food. 
• Blood tests: Several types exist such as the RAST (Radioallergosorbent Test) and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).  The results can be misleading in that sometimes the child will be allergic to the food but the test will result in a negative result.  The blood taken from the child’s arm can be split and sent to two different labs for more accurate results.  You will need to request that this be done. 
• Kinesiology tests:  This is done by homeopathic physicians using a small vile of the allergen which is held in the hand of a patient while muscle strength is tested. It is a non-invasive non-painful test and easy to do--but the interpretive nature of the results may put some people off as to its validity. 
• Challenge tests: This test involves eating the offending allergy-food in the doctors’ office.  It is normally recommended when BOTH blood and skin prick tests are negative.  It is a lengthy test (3-4 hours most of which is waiting) and is normally done when there is a very good chance the child has outgrown the food allergy. 
• New tests in the future:  “A new kind of blood test could someday help doctors zero in more definitively on who is most likely to have allergic reaction to foods. Phadia AB, a maker of allergy tests, has developed a test, called Component-Resolved Diagnostis (CRD) that can determine which molecule within a food is sparking the antibody reaction. In the peanut, for example, only three of 14 different molecules are associated with anaphylaxis-causing reaction, according to the company. CRD has not yet been submitted for approval by the Food and Drug Administration, but it is in use in Europe…In the Manchester study, for example, the researchers found that almost all of the children who were highly allergic to peanuts reacted to a specific protein call Ara h 2…Knowing more about what specific molecules cause allergic reactions could help scientists understand more about the severity of allergic reactions, and someday help efforts to develop treatments to trick the immune system into behaving differently.”[1]
• Delayed allergy tests: Most allergy testing is for immediate allergies (with symptoms of hives, anaphylaxis, vomiting, breathing, swelling, rashes, eczema). But for many the symptoms are not so obvious--making the connection between cause and symptom downright difficult.  Delayed food allergies can be tested for through blood testing (only) as described above. But instead of searching for IgE antibodies, the lab must look for IgG or IgA antibodies. You will need to find an allergist who is knowledgeable in this area.  Parents and children dealing with asthma, autism and ADHD often have delayed food allergy antibodies. 

In summary, take your child to an allergist for allergy testing. Ask for more than one kind of test and consider getting a second opinion. Share results among the doctors and labs.  Understand that immediate allergies are different from delayed allergies, but both can affect a child's life drastically.

[1] Beck, Melinda, The Wall Street Journal, 1/26/2010, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703808904575025013194645130.html