Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Keagan Teaches a Med student

We just got back from the doctor's office. We have been battling with dry skin and baby eczema on Keagan's legs and then on Sunday he had a flare up that also produced this lovely rash on his cheeks and all over his belly. I went out and got the gentlest soaps and moisturizers on the market and that has helped his legs, but this belly rash appeared to be something different and my "Momdar" went off. I called doctor's office at 8:30am and got to see someone at 9:30 (I love our family practice office :) ). I talked to the doctor for a few minutes about what we had been noticing and trying and I had Keagan's pants off and she was observing what I was talking about and nodding and saying "yes, dry skin and eczema... you're doing everything right". I then put Keagan on the exam table and lifted up his onesie so she could see his belly and her immediate reaction was "Woah, no, this is a systemic allergic reaction." The two new things we introduced this week were Oatmeal and a multivitamin. She said it was highly unlikely that it was the vitamin, and since I introduced the Oatmeal Sunday morning and noticed this belly reaction Sunday night, it appears Keagan is allergic to Oatmeal. Who would have thought? So, we're cutting the oatmeal and the vitamins for now, and reintroducing the vitamins in a week. She wants us to keep a whole week in between introducing new foods, but added that this doesn't necessarily mean Keagan will be prone to food allergies in general. Then she asked if the medstudent they had in the office could come look at it. She went right into "teacher mode" with "subject is six months of age, previously healthy, presenting with rash...." it was so cute. The med student also had a "woah" reaction when I lifted Keagan's onesie. It was a baby peep show! But at least we further educated a future doctor :)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Since they generally start babies on rice, oatmeal, and barley I would skip the barley for now too (most babies don't like it anyway). I'd go just to rice and like carrots. Virtually no one has carrot allergies (yes, it is possible but would be really rare). Then do like the greenbeans, peas, sweet potatoes, etc. Carrots and peas and sweet potatoes tend to be popular since they are sweeter than greenbeans. Once Isabelle started with veggies and fruits she really had no desire to eat "plain" cereals anymore and we had to add the veggies or fruit to the rice cereal to get her to eat it. The veggies will also help stop the binding effect that rice has on tiny bellies.

There is some controversy about making your own "baby carrots" at home from store bought carrots because they can contain high nitrate levels (which supposidly they check for in manufactured baby carrots). Making your own baby peas and sweet potatoes should be fine. Greenbeans were hard to make because they always seemd to be too "stringy". We bought those in a jar.

There also could be an additive in the vitamins that could cause a reaction. But the oatmeal is a more likely culprit.

later,
tarah

Anonymous said...

Gosh, was he cranky too? When Charlotte first had her milk allergy, she also had a rash (it was summer, I thought it was the heat), and boy was she irritable! As soon as she went on soy and rice milk, she was a new kid immediately. BTW, she does eat peanuts and all kinds of seeds, so milk was her only issue. As Tarah said, carrots are great, and also sweet potatoes...Charlotte ate so many of those she turned yellow...(I thought she had jaundice!) Won't touch them now though!!!! Fill him up with veggies now before he gets picky!!!!!