Has anyone's infant been allergy tested? DS is starting on fruits and veggies and having a really rough time. I found a scale of food based on likelihood of an allergy to it. Well, carrots are second from the bottom, so highly unlikely, but DS got a horrible rash on his face from them, and he screamed in pain from reflux. It was weird. This happened every time he ate them, for 2 days. Well, then we moved to squash, the rash is better, but still there and he's still having worsened reflux symptoms.
Well, his dr said to call her if he reacts to everything and she'll run tests on him and get him in with allergy if need be. Well, my question is, what all is entailed w/ allergy testing? I've heard it's painful. Is that true? Is it a blood test or what? And, how accurate is it?
It looks like we'll be having to go that route, so I just want to be prepared. Thanks.

If you take your baby to an allergy specialist, I believe they can do a simple skin test to determine if there is a food allergy. My daughter was tested for allergies and they pricked the surface of her skin and waited about twenty minutes to see if there was a reaction. She cried for a second when her skin was pricked, but it was obviously not very painful for her. It could save you a lot of grief trying to figure out the food allergies on your own!

I don't know about in children but with adults, blood tests are better for food allergies and the scratch one is better for environmental. Seems to me you could do an elimination diet and get the same results. I would see a pediatric allergist.

My daughter was allergy tested at 6 months old - it is a simple blood test. Sometimes it's tough for them to find the vein in a baby, but once they do it's as easy was when they get a shot. My pediatrician's office didn't feel comfortable because they couldn't find the vein, so they sent us downstairs to the lab and they had no problem at all. The blood test is the most accurate way to test while they are this young, and also at a young age the scratch test is more difficult to do because they really can't sit still long enough for it.

Doctors hesitate to allergy test this early because the results can change over time. A "not positive" for something now can change in a year or two, but sounds like you are in the same position I was - I needed to know any allergies she had because she had food issues early on. I requested the test from my pediatrician because she was having issues and I wanted to know what to feed her especially prior to introducing solids.

Good luck - the blood test will honestly be worse for you than for your little one and is worth the peace of mind when you're feeding them. :)

Hi there,

My son (8mo) just saw a pediatric allergist this morning actually, and here's what happened: We thought he had a milk allergy, so that's what he was tested for--he pricked his skin 3 times (it was like a toothpick poke), with different levels of the milk protein, and we waited 20 minutes. When he came back, he took note of the hives that formed, and did one more poke with cream (like what you use for your coffee--I guess he just wanted a different level of milk), and ds got quite a serious hive from that one (as well as for the others). He explained that we should do a blood test to determine exactly the level that his allergy is at, so that when he's tested again in a year we will be able to see if the level is going up or down (or if the allergy is getting better, or worse--if it's not gone by then). We didn't get the blood test today (he was too cranky and tired), but we're going to go and do it, so we'll have a more acurate idea next year of what he can tolerate. So that's how our dr. did things--he prescribed an epi-pen as well because the allergy is quite serious in this case, and told us not to give him any dairy for a year--UNLESS it's in a controlled environment, and only once in awhile, with a very small amount (so we can see if he can handle anything more than he can now).
I think it depends on the doctor you see though, whether he will do simply a blood test, or a skin test (or both). Good luck with finding out what you need to know! I think these allergies are much more tough on the parents than they are on the kids--I now have to get used to reading every single lable, and memorizing what proteins, and dairy products he can and can't have, etc.. I'm sure you'll both be fine though!

Whiskers :angel:

I don't know exactly what is entailed in testing for allergies, I just wanted to let you know what my sister-in-law found out when her son was an infant and had bad allergies to baby food. She actually called Gerber and they told her that all of their baby foods are processed on the same equipment, so even if the jar doesn't state that it contains an allergen, it could still have been exposed. She was also told their their soy formula was processed on the same equipment as their milk-based formula (her son has a casein allergy, which is milk protein). She ended up having to cut out all of the solids until he was over a year old and his body was more able to tolerate being exposed to allergens. I just wanted to throw that in there that it may or may not actually be the specific jar foods they're eating that they're reacting to. My sister-in-law was told he was too young to test for allergies and that they'd test him when he's over 2, but after one she could start to reintroduce solids slowly and try to determine what he's allergic to.

The soy based formula is processed in the same machine as the milk based?? This doesn't seem very safe... It really makes me worry too, because I'm going to have to put my ds on soy formula due to a milk allergy soon!

Whiskers :confused: