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Just recently I had to deal with a food allergy in my 4-year-old daughter. At first, I wasn’t sure if it really was a food allergy. Food Allergies can be really tricky…
After a few days and more exposure to the suspected allergen, it became apparent that she definitely has at least the beginning of a food allergy. I would call it a severe “sensitivity,” at this point.
I’m Not An Expert
Now, I am not an expert in this field, I only have my own personal experience. (I am a mom, not a medical professional, take my experience for what it’s worth.) However, when kids get a weird rash for no apparent reason, there’s got to be something going on!
For some kids, it’s behavior problems after eating certain foods. Food dyes are common culprits of bad behavior in kids. This can start as food sensitivity and perhaps develop more into an allergy.
This is a great article on food allergies. Here is another good article on food allergies. Both of these articles list common reactions in kids for food allergies.
The best place to get advice is your own pediatrician that knows your family history. The doctor can give you advice concerning allergies, and what to look for. They can also help you know how to treat them, and where else to go for help.
Watch for Family History of Food Allergies
The reason I am fairly certain with my 4-year-old developing this food allergy is a family history of it. One of my older daughters also has this strange allergy.
The way my younger daughter’s sensitivity manifested itself at first was “flushing” in her cheeks. I knew I had seen this before, in my older daughter. After that, it moved to a pock-like rash on her bottom that was super itchy and hurt.
In the Beginning
When my older daughter was about 7 or 8-years-old, she had a weird reaction after eating cheesy crackers. She got this redness in her cheeks and she felt kind of funny and “hot”. She had a similar reaction after eating honey-nut cheerios.
After one particularly bad exposure, her cheeks actually ulcerated and bled. It was very strange that this was how this food allergy was manifesting itself in her.
I began searching online for answers. I found that there were many parents that had this same experience with this food allergen. There were even pictures posted online, which was super helpful in my case.
Connecting The Dots
Looking back now, I have been able to connect the dots. I realized that when my older daughter was just a couple of days old, she developed an ulcer on her bottom.
My best guess is that she developed the ulcer from the formula they gave her in the hospital. The formula most likely had Annatto in it for coloring. (Other than the formula they gave her, she was strictly breastfed.)
The redness in her cheeks, I later found out was called “flushing”. Now flushing doesn’t automatically mean a food allergy.
I would describe our first few encounters as a “sensitivity” to the food allergen. Now it’s definitely a food “allergy.”
The progression is easy to see now, but back in the beginning, I was very inexperienced in this area. I wasn’t sure what might be causing the problem.
Her progression was over time and wasn’t all at once, so it was a little more difficult to figure out.
She also didn’t break out in hives, vomit, have diarrhea, cough, become dizzy, or have any kind of rash.
Each child can react differently, depending on how severe the allergy, or whether it’s just a “sensitivity” or food “intolerance.”
It’s a Food Allergy now
My older daughter has developed a full-blown allergy at this point. She gets tight in her throat, and her tongue swells. She also has trouble swallowing if she is exposed to the allergen.
My older daughter is very cautious about reading every package label and “if, in doubt, she goes without!” It’s very scary for her and for us.
The allergen that has caused both my girls some grief is a food colorant called “Annatto.” It is literally in all kinds of food as a “natural colorant.” Sometimes, we have found, that it’s not listed as its name but as “natural color.”
Educate Yourself in What To Avoid
We avoid anything with cheddar cheese, yellow cheese, crackers, dressings, most vanilla ice cream, seasonings, sauces, yogurts, croutons, honey nut cereals, fishy crackers and a whole lot more. It has been such a pain!
My older daughter also had a reaction to some kind of honey nut cheerios that didn’t list Annatto. She was super excited that she could have these honey nut cheerios. After her reaction, she will continue to avoid that food regardless of whether they list it or not.
If you have a child that experiences problems or some kind of reaction, look for a common link. Read every label carefully. Look online for similar experiences from other parents. Talk to your pediatrician or an allergist.
Ingredients Usually Have More Than One Name… be careful!
Also, look at all the ways an ingredient can be listed or “known as”. There may be many spellings and it may be called by different names. The most common name for my daughter’s allergen is called “annatto.”
Other names are: Achiote, Achiotillo, Annato, Annotta, Arbre Rouge à Lèvre, Arnotta, Bija, Bixa orellana, Latkan, Lipstick Tree, Rocou, Rocouyer, Roucou. (You can see from this example, it can be very difficult.)
Remove The Suspect Food
My pediatrician confirmed that my daughter was, in fact, reacting to some type of food. I became on high alert for any type of reaction.
It was difficult when she would have a reaction at school. I didn’t know what she had eaten or what the ingredients were. I also didn’t know how bad of a reaction she was having.
When she reacted twice within a week, I grabbed the labels from both food packages to look to compare. I then figured out what the common ingredient was that seemed like it could be the culprit. This was my big break-through.
After figuring out her food sensitivity, I took my older daughter off the “suspect” food. I was hopeful that she would outgrow the food sensitivity. Over time, she became more sensitive with each exposure, and now has a definite allergy to it.
Teach Your Child About Their Food Allergy and What Foods To Avoid
With my 4-year-old, we have also taken her off all foods with Annatto in it. It’s difficult because it’s such an odd allergy and you have to read the labels really carefully.
It’s hard to avoid, but teaching my daughter that she has an “allergy” has helped. She will ask me, “Does this have Annatto in it?” All kids are different, but knowledge is power and the sooner they can actively avoid allergens, the better.
Teaching my little daughter now that she has an “allergy” will definitely help her now and in the future. Hopefully, she will continue to ask, “does this have Annatto?”
We are hopeful that she will outgrow this problem, which is really just a severe food sensitivity right now.
Alert Child CareGivers of a Food Allergy
My experience with my older daughter, helped me realize how important it is to talk to their teachers. They would allow my daughter access to labels of treats and things brought in to the school. At girls camp, she would look at package labels carefully, and was even accused of being “too picky”. (lol)
If your child goes to daycare, make sure you let them know what they can and cannot have, and what to watch for.
Watch for Little Details For Food Allergies or Sensitivities in Your Kids
We didn’t notice any behavior problems with my daughter. When the “flushing” (or redness in her cheeks) started with my 4-year-old, I was quite suspicious of food sensitivity.
Once she broke out on her bottom, I knew for sure that her little body doesn’t like that food colorant. She needs to stay away from it for now, at least.
As kids grow and develop, they can sometimes outgrow some sensitivities to food. This is different than a true allergy. These require an epinephrine auto-injector or “
Introduce Baby Foods Slowly
When we begin introducing baby foods, we should only introduce one food at a time. We need to see if their little bodies handle it okay. If there is a sensitivity, we need to hold off on that food for a while before introducing it again.
This is also why we shouldn’t introduce certain foods too early. Follow the guidelines! Their little bodies need to develop sufficient enough to digest the food given to them.
Introducing them too early could cause food sensitivity or intolerance. This could also turn into a real allergy later on.
After seeing the progression in my older daughter, it makes complete sense now. When I was a young mother, I didn’t think I would ever have to worry about food allergies. (Never say “never”, right?)
I wasn’t as careful as introducing my babies to different baby foods. Understanding the wisdom in it now, if I had to do it over again, I would definitely be more careful!
Now, I would only introduce one food at a time and wait a lot longer between introducing new foods! I would also record any reactions. A Kids Journal is a good place to keep track.
Our Histamine Response Experience
When my older daughter was having a “reaction” to exposure to Annatto, her body was in this full “histamine” response. This is where it was trying to protect her from anything attacking her body.
She had exposure to our cat during this same time, which wasn’t a regular occurrence. Her body then also decided that she needed to “stay away from cats.”
She had never been sensitive to cats before. She actually played with them and never had any kind of problem. When her body was in this “allergy response” it also became sensitive to cats.
Another Allergy That’s Annoying
Now when she goes to school, she starts sneezing when she gets around anyone that has been holding a cat. Not fun! She can no longer be around any cats anymore. It’s an annoying allergy to get stuffy in the nose, feel like you have a head cold and sneeze uncontrollably!
This is why if your child has any kind of reaction, you would want to wait to introduce anything else. It’s just being wise to wait! If they are in that “histamine response” it may not be a good time to introduce a new food. (or animals based on our experience!;)
If I did it over again, I would wait to introduce peanut butter until they were a little over. Luckily, I haven’t had problems with peanuts as an allergy to my kids. However, peanuts are a tough allergy for so many families!
Let’s Sum It Up with the Food Allergies
Don’t ignore little signs in your kids.
When my older daughter was first experiencing “flushing” in her cheeks, I ignored it. I figured she had been running around and that’s why her cheeks looked red.
Knowing what I know now, I don’t ignore “little” things. It wasn’t until her cheeks “ulcerated” that I knew something was definitely wrong.
Read All Labels Carefully and Educate Yourself.
It took a while to figure it out. I didn’t give up and was diligent in reading all food labels.
We watched for any suspicious reaction in my daughter. I searched online for other parent’s experiences with Annatto.
This turned out to be very helpful. Educate yourself with all the different names that one ingredient can be called.
See if other parents have experienced similar allergy responses. It can be a little tricky sometimes to find.
Remove Suspicious Foods.
Keep a food log or journal, if needed, to keep track of reactions, rashes, etc.
Immediately remove “suspect” foods and wait a while before introducing them again if you noticed anything suspicious.
Know When To Take Your Child In.
From my experience, my older daughter’s allergy developed over time, but some parents don’t have this luxury.
If your child has trouble breathing after eating something, this is an emergency!
If their tongue swells, if they are short of breath or wheezing, this is very serious!
Don’t wait to figure it out, act quickly if you notice anything serious. Get medical help quickly.
Remember sometimes kids can’t vocalize what they may be feeling.
Be diligent in listening and watching to know if they are in distress.
They may say their “tongue is too big” or that their “mouth itches.” Or they may just cry because they are scared.
Listen carefully to them.
Watch for symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.
Be prepared to get them medical help.
Keep a liquid allergy medicine on hand.
With my 4-year-old daughter, I was prepared with an antihistamine. Her “allergic response” is more a severe food sensitivity than an actual allergy.
For this reason, I was able to treat her at home. However, a true “allergic” response needs medical help quickly to avoid anaphylaxis which can cause death.
If in doubt, get medical help! Error on the safe side. Call your pediatrician or take them to the doctor.
Don’t introduce other new foods.
If your child has a reaction to some food, wait to introduce other foods. (Or any other common allergens like animals because of our experience.)
Let their little bodies recover from their histamine response or reaction before introducing more new foods.
Keeping a food log or a journal can be very helpful.
By being diligent in watching our children, we can be prepared to watch for the signs of food allergies!
Always check with your pediatrician if you have any questions about food allergies or reactions in your children.
~Amy
***As a disclaimer, I am not a doctor or medical professional in any way. I am a mom of eight kids with different needs, personalities, etc. This is just my own personal experience with a couple of my kids and food allergies. It is not medically based, but just my opinion, take it for what it’s worth.***
