We're only at the first step in the food introduction process and we may have already found an allergy. I can't really say for sure if Grayson is allergic to rice cereal or if his eczema is just flaring up because of our recent crazy weather pattern.
Grayson's suffered from cradle cap practically since birth which morphed into eczema about a month ago. We've tried several different bath washes and lotions for sensitive skin, hydrocortizone creams and ointments, but nothing really helps much.
We introduced rice cereal into his diet on his 4 month b-day (Jan. 1) and he has been loving it, but we started feeding him twice a day last weekend and his eczema has gotten worse. He had a really bad flare up yesterday at school so we decided to take him to the doctor.
Of course, I was scared to feed him rice cereal last night if in fact he was having an allergic reaction, so I just gave him bottles. We went to the pediatrician this morning and Grayson's head and body still have dryness and some signs of eczema, but nothing like yesterday. His face is clear as can be (which could be the result of not feeding him cereal or the fact that it's 70 degrees today).
The doctor said he's been seeing a lot of eczema flare ups this week because our weather has been fluctuating drastically from cold to warm. He admitted there could be a link to the cereal, but didn't seem too concerned since Grayson didn't show any other signs of an allergy. He suggested we lay off the cereal and introduce some other food, then go back to the cereal and see if it causes a flare up.
It's all a bit frustrating and in the end is just trial and error. This goes against every problem-solving bone in my body. Why can't there be a clear answer: "yes, he's allergic" or "no, it's just a coincidence with the weather." Arg!
This whole parenting thing would be a lot easier if we could simply apply logic and have a clear outcome.
2 comments:
So sorry to hear about the eczema flare up. Baird has had eczema since he was an infant, and we finally determined it was a reaction to dairy. I probably shouldn't have consumed any myself while I was nursing. We still completely slather him with lotion every night to prevent flare ups, which thankfully rarely occur anymore. For spots, we consistently applied cortizone cream until they went away. Maybe you could try oatmeal cereal instead? And also, have you tried a humidifier in Grayson's room to keep the air from being so dry? I completely empathize with your frustration. Good luck!
I feel your pain! Luke has the same thing and it has been beyond frustrating. I cut out dairy, soy and nuts from my diet and things cleared for a while and then came back for no apparent reason. He recently had a bad flare all over his tummy. Arrrrg! All I know is Aquaphor is a miracle salve and helps his heal. Good luck!
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