Sunday, June 13, 2010

Breakfast Burrito with a side of Benadryl

We found out (the hard way) on Grayson's first birthday that he is allergic to eggs. We made homemade ice cream to go along with the cupcakes and he ended his party puking and getting an impromptu bath.

We thought maybe he was just allergic to the eggs because they were raw in the ice cream and there was a high concentration of them. He's always been able to eat foods with eggs baked into them (such as cookies and other desserts), but when they fed him quiche at school one time shortly after his birthday, his egg allergy was confirmed once again (in another very messy way).

Since it's somewhat common for kids to have egg allergies, I was hoping this was something he'd outgrow, but after giving him a small amount of eggs this morning we confirmed once again that he's still allergic. He didn't puke, but he did break out in hives all over his face and was constantly itching his ears.

I quickly gave him Benadryl at the first signs of puffiness, so it kicked in before things got too bad. I guess he could still outgrow the allergy over the next few years, but I've got a hunch that this is one reaction that may stick with him for life.

I think it stems from Michael's allergy to chicken (and all poultry), even though he can eat eggs without incident. Michael's mom (aka Nana) also tested positive for a poultry allergy a while back, but she can eat it (and eggs) without having any reactions.

All-in-all I think they've got some kind of hereditary gene against poultry and eggs that manifests itself differently over each generation. For now, we'll keep the Benadryl close and the eggs off our regular menu.

1 comment:

Erin said...

Poor Grayson! Baird has an egg allergy too (as well as a peanut allergy). Have you taken Grayson to an allergist? It might be helpful. Baird's allergies aren't severe, and he'll occasionally eat a cupcake or a cookie (usually at birthday parties when it's hard to dissuade him), which we know has eggs in it, but he doesn't have a reaction. Nevertheless, our allergist wants us to completely avoid eggs with Baird in hopes that he will grow out of the allergy. Every year he's retested, so we're crossing our fingers that at next appointment, they'll find him all clear. Good luck!