Hi, Elaine -

The short answer is "maybe".

Here's what you need to do.  First, check the ingredients on the cereal
box.  Other than the oatmeal, is there anything there that's new to
your baby?  Now keep the box in a safe place; you may need to refer to
it again later.

Next, stop the cereal!  Wait until he's been symptom-free for a week,
and then try it again. But not a whole serving.  Go for a single
spoonfull.  Watch him carefully. Does the runny nose happen again?  If
not, he probably had a cold that happened to occur at the same time.
If the nose does happen again, then remove oatmeal from your "safe"
list and consult with your ped.

Constipation is common when introducing grains to infants, by the way.
It typically means that either he's not getting enough fluids to offset
the solids, or that he's just not ready for solids yet.

I've found the newsgroup misc.kids.breastfeeding to be very helpful when
I started my kids on solids, by the way.  If you're not breastfeeding, I
assume there are other good sources of information.  (BUt since this is
a food allergy list, I HOPE you're breastfeeding :-)

I hope this helps,
--Beth Kevles
  [log in to unmask]
  http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
  Disclaimer:  Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
  advice.  Please consult with your own medical practicioner.