Food allergy

[medical65]

1.If allergic to milk (hives, severe eczema, blue and swollen lips) what is the best milk substitute for a 1 year old.

2.Unfortunately multiple food allergies exist in addition to milk and have been tested such as eggs, chicken, lentils, peas. We have been told that fish is a strong allergen so should be put on hold. Quinoa can be eaten, but does this contain all the nutrients required for a 1 year old. What foods can be taken to provide the balanced diet needed.

3. As pea has been proven to show an allergic reaction , presumably the numerous foods containing pea protein of which there are many should also be avoided. Again, what food substitutes are there

4. As peas and lentils have been proven to be allergic does this exclude all the legume family. Again how can the nutrients they provide be provided

[Dr Kate Swan]

Thank you for your query. It sounds as though your child has multiple allergies and would benefit from being seen by a specialist allergy dietitian. There are many choices of milk substitutes and their suitability depends on many factors such as weight and growth, type of reactions and allergy testing results, that should be assessed by a dietitian and an allergy specialist in more detail. If you child is allergic to pea, then yes, all pea containing products should be avoided and a dietitian would be needed to advise on substitutes. With respect to legumes, many patients can tolerate some legumes and not others but we would always want more information about whether any others had been tried and tolerated and if they had not been eaten before, we would usually do testing before advising as to whether they could be eaten. I would recommend that you ask your GP for a referral to a paediatric allergy centre with a dietitian.