My Baby Has Severe Food Allergies
QUESTION
Dear Lactation Consultant,
I have a 14-month-old who has had failure to thrive, blood in the stools, purple mottling and various other health problems. Jillian has recently been diagnosed as allergic to several things -- dairy, soy, corn, shellfish and another couple. I have been advised to wean. Anyway, here's my question. How long does it takes for a food to leave the system (breast milk wise) after I eat it -- for example, if I want shellfish, but Jillian can't have any, how long does it effect the milk?
Since eliminating allergens, Jillian has grown, gained and is a healthy color for the first time in her life. After a time of Jillian being unexposed to all these things, can I begin to eat them again and maybe Jilly won't be affected?
ANSWER
For a food that is eaten regularly, like dairy, it can take up to two weeks to totally leave a mother's system. Foods that are eaten only occasionally usually take about 24 hours to leave the mother's system.
The good news is that as a baby's digestive system matures, she will be able to handle foods more easily. The timing, of course, varies from one baby to another.
There is also a new treatment for very allergic babies. Ask your doctor about prescribing Pancrease-MT4 to be taken with meals. That can help break down the allergens to the point where the baby will not be affected even if the mother continues eating the offending foods.
-- Nancy, IBCLC
Kathleen Tackett
Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and Research Associate Professor of Psychology specializing in women's health at the Family Research Lab, University of New Hampshire. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in both the Divisions of Health Psychology and Trauma Psychology. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a La Leche League leader, chair of the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Taskforce, and the Area Coordinator of Leaders for La Leche League of Maine and New Hampshire.
Dr. Kendall-Tackett is author of more than 140 journal articles, book chapters and other publications, and author or editor of 15 books including The Hidden Feelings of Motherhood (2005, Hale Publications), Depression in New Mothers (2005, Haworth), and Breastfeeding Made Simple, co-authored with Nancy Mohrbacher (2005, New Harbinger). She is on the editorial boards of the journals Child Abuse and Neglect, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and the Journal of Human Lactation, and regularly reviews for 27 other journals in the fields of trauma, women's health, interpersonal violence, depression, and child development. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is the "Ask a Lactation Consultant" columnist on Pregnancy.org and serves on the Board of Directors of Attachment Parenting International.
Dr. Kendall-Tackett received a Bachelor's and Master's degree in psychology from California State University, Chico, and a Ph.D. from Brandeis University in social and developmental psychology. She has won several awards including the Outstanding Research Study Award from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and was named 2003 Distinguished Alumna, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, California State University, Chico.
