At 10:23 AM 9/23/98 -0500, Theresa Ray wrote:

>1) Who in your immediate family has allergic reaction to milk, and how
severe is it? For each family member listed, answer questions 2-7.

My 2 year old son Nikolas. He used to be anaphilactic, but has improved
lately.

>2) How long was the person breast fed with no supplemental bottles? (If
supplemental bottles were given for the first week, but then the child was
nursed without supplemental bottles for the next year, please indicate that).

4 months. A bottle was given to him at the nursery at hospital when he was 2
days
old without my consent. From 4 to 6 months I breastfed and supplemented with
hipoallergenic formula

>3) How long did the mother follow a dairy free diet, if at all (include
time while pregnant and while nursing)?

I didn't until I found out about his allergy at 4 months. Then I gave up diary
while I continued breastfeeding (2 more months)

>4) After weaning, what formula was the child put on?

Pregomin (soy and milk free) similar to Alimentum I think

>5) When were any foods containing dairy first introduced to the child (i.e.
first had cheese at 4 months, etc)

First bottle (I didn't know about the one in the nursery) at 4 months.

>6) When and how did the person's dairy allergy first show up?

After this first bottle. Anaphilactic shock - hives around mouth and all over
the body, and blood pressure drop, he "fell asleep" and I couldn't wake him
up :-(

>7) If the person is your child, what would you have done differently while
pregnant, nursing, or during the first two years of life, if anything?

I would have made sure to breastfeed longer, but specially that nobody gave
 him a bottle during the first few days. This is a major risk here as the babies

are sometimes put in nurseries at nights and the well intended nurses gave them
bottles to keep them quiet. Also, I gave him the first bottle shortly after he
had the first shots and I have heard afterwards that this sometimes brings
allergies.
I would never introduce a new food after a shot (vaccins) now.

Also, I am very happy that I was very careful with him in introducing new foods
after that and also in keeping him in an allergy safe environment and he didn't
develop other allergies.

>8) For family members not afflicted with dairy allergy, how long was the
person breast fed with no supplemental bottles?

6 months. (2nd son Ander)

>9) For family members not afflicted with dairy allergy, how long did the
mother follow a dairy free diet, if at all (include time while pregnant and
while nursing).

I didn't, but I kept my diary ingest to a minimum.

>10) If you know of women who followed a dairy free diet while pregnant in
the interest of minimizing the child's sensitivity to dairy, when did she
start on the diet? As soon as she knew she was pregnant? Before getting
pregnant? Only during later trime
>sters?

I have heard from my doctors and allergists here that this doesn't make any
difference at all. Anyway, while pregnant with Nikolas (allergic) I craved
and ate a lot of diary and with Ander I tried to keep as diary free as possible
just in case...


Thanks for your work.

Angela