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Celeste Sutter wrote a couple day ago about the problems finding what in the
diet is causing problems with her 21 month old child.
 
We have spent the last six months going through similar frustrations with the
diet of our currently 25 month old son.  We have suspected that there have been
some episodes of gluten contamination, but we also have found possible problems
with very heavy textured homemade bread (still can't make a great loaf) and high
fat foods.  Alex can eat egg whites but the yolks cause problems.  He was
lactose intolerant for 4 months or so but can have it now as long as he isn't
having diarea for some reason.  Sometimes we have trouble telling a gluten
reaction from a reaction of excess fat or fiber.
 
At the beginning we identified a very basic "safe" diet of 9 or 10 foods (rice,
store bought rice bread, natural apple sauce, natural peanut butter, plain
puffed rice, beef, mashed potatos, banana, cream of rice).  Our doctor told us
don't worry about having him off milk for an extended period.  It's better to
get him heathly and gain weight than it is to have milk.  Not only did the
diarea go away but even on such a limited diet, he gained weight well.  We have
since taken the route of introducing one new food every 4 or 5  days.  It's slow
and tedious, but it does help single out problems.  If he gets something he
shouldn't it can take 2 to 3 days to get him over the diarea.  There are no easy
and quick answers from our experience, but I hope this helps.
 
Tim and Kay Meadows, [log in to unmask]
Warsaw, IN