Hives and redness ?

[wagonmonkey]

Hi there,
Haven't checked out this section often, but thought that I would ask to see if anyone has any other suggestions.

My little girl is just over a year, and until now, has had absolutely no reactions to any foods (has not yet had nuts or shell fish, but lots of other stuff). My son has only had a mild reaction to what I think was the cheese sauce on a fast food roast beef sandwich, but nothing else.

Anyways, strawberries are now in season. We have a small patch in our yard and we got some u-pick berries yesterday to eat now and freeze. A few weeks ago the berries in our yard started. My son loves this because he helps himself. We tried my little girl on some of those (probably at most 4-5 smallish berries) and she had no reaction.

Yesterday after supper, I gave her a couple of cut up berries to try. no problems.

This morning with breakfast, we gave her about 2-3 cut up berries to eat. Because she had had some before, I didn't watch her too closely and went to do something else while my hubby was in the kitchen. When I returned to the kitchen, hubby pointed out the hives on her face (on her cheeks in line with the corners of her mouth about 1 inch patch of them one side and only about 1 cm or so on the other- red and raised). She had finished the berries by this time and we of course did not give her more.

I cleaned her up and after taking her out of her chair noticed that her hands were also red. I gave them another wipe to rule out strawberry juice. Then she also had raised spots on her hands (right worse than left). Then noticed that her toes too were red (no noticable raised spots). Within 20-30 minutes, the hives on her face were going down and soon after the colour started returning to normal on her hands and toes. It was completely gone within about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

The only possibilities we can think of are the strawberries, raspberries or cinnamon as these are the only foods that she has only started recently. The raspberries have never been tried true to form, only in commercial baby cereal, where it is the dessicated form. I had started the Nestle brand about 2 weeks ago and just yesterday cracked open the Heinz box with raspberries that was on the shelf (she had some for breakfast). She has also had cinnamon recently (although not today).

We are thinking that maybe it could be a pesticide or other farming chemical that was sprayed on the plants/berries considering she was fine with our own berries. Or is it that she actually needed the larger berries to give it a suitable challenge? Considering trying about 4-5 of our berries tomorrow to test that, but then again I am a little concerned about the potential outcome. She was not in any obvious distress though with the hives and happily played while we were monitoring her.

Sorry for the long post but am wondering what to do next. Unfortunately we are currently in between doctors for the kids so either have to do walk in clinic or emergency (yuck on both levels). The doctor we have lined up for the kids won't see them until their first scheduled appointment with him. ARRRGGGHHH!!!

[rachaelmae]

could be strawberries, its quite common.... if i were you id leave it a few days then try her again.... if it happens you know its def strawberriesxxxxx

alot of reactions happen the 2nd or 3rd time not the firstxxxxxx

[sam10]

I agree with Rachaelmae. Strawberries do seem to be popular at causing reactions.

I'd leave it a week and then have another go ( with the anti-histamine at hand!) It is awful doing this - we had to go through this with peanut butter and my son.

[wagonmonkey]

Originally Posted by sam10

I agree with Rachaelmae. Strawberries do seem to be popular at causing reactions.

I'd leave it a week and then have another go ( with the anti-histamine at hand!) It is awful doing this - we had to go through this with peanut butter and my son.

Yuck, I know we are in denial. I was hoping to get through the food challenges allergy free. Since then she has had hives in two small areas at separate times twice. Think best to leave it for a week as you said and take it from there. Until then, all the strawberries were given away

How did your son make out? Hope it wasn't too scary.

[sam10]

Made my son wait a week then he had a peanut butter sarnie and came out in horrific hives so he underwent various tests at the children's hospital.


Final test was eating peanut butter all day under medical conditions so off we went with our jar of SunPat - they provided the bread! And he was fine.

The children's hospital were fantastic with us.

He is intolerant to some addictives or something because we keep getting attacks but I am so relieved it's not a nut allergy that I haven't narrowed it down yet to what it is... The consultant thought the hives were initially triggered by him being low with a virus/infection. I dunno if that is possible but she's the expert..


P.s. the hospital told us if you think something is going to cause a reaction - smear it on their wrists. If they have a very high intolerence to it then a rash/hives will appear.

If that is ok but you are still wary then smear on their lips to see if there is a reaction.

[wagonmonkey]

Thanks for the info Sam10. The thing that is the worst about it is that we are now without a doctor for the kids until the winter. I am glad your son doesn't have the nut allergy (I really feel for all you parents out there that do have kids with nut allergies or have them yourselves). I figure if she is allergic to strawberries, it is a little easier to keep her away from them in the long run.

Thanks again!

[wagonmonkey]

OK, not sure if anyone follows these threads afterwards, but I tried strawberries again this week (using Sam10's tip- thanks very much) with strawberries from our garden. Tried a spot test on her wrist first with no noticable reaction. Then gave her two berries to eat, also with no noticable reaction.

Thinking that she either had a reaction to the acid in the berries, something sprayed on them, or has a mild allergy to strawberries in quantity. A little bit of a relief, but will continue to watch her.

[rachaelmae]

sounds positivexxxxxxxxx

[wagonmonkey]

Originally Posted by rachaelmae

sounds positivexxxxxxxxx

Thankfully! Makes me appreaciate all those parents out there with kids who have allergies, especially common things like wheat and milk.

[rachaelmae]

ikwym... must be a nightmare for them.... having to say no to certain foods and lo not understanding why...xxx