Talking Allergies

My dairy-allergic son had his 18-month check-up the other day. He has always been on the small side (10 percentile at 6 months, then dropped to the 3rd percentile, and now he's not even on the growth curve for weight). The doctor doesn't think anything is wrong with him because his BMI is in about the 45th percentile. He's just really small!

He is 30" long and 20lbs now (at 18 months).

Although the doctor doesn't think anything is wrong, he said that I really need to work on adding more fat and calories to his diet.

He has a dairy allergy, so no homogenized milk, cheese, cream, butter, etc. etc. etc. Our family doctor has also advised us to be very cautious with PN and TN, and avoid exposing him to them for a few years (my DH is allergic to peanuts).

I have been:
Keeping him on Nutramagin (about 12-15oz a day is all he'll take)
Feeding him soy yogurt
Cooking with a lot of olive oil
Adding flax oil to smoothies
Feeding him dairy free rice cream, soy cream, and sorbet
Adding fish oil to his drinking water
Feeding him lots of meat, hummus, guacamole, beans, etc.

I'm at a bit of a loss for what else I can do to increase his calories while avoiding dairy and nuts... any help/ideas would be extremely appreciated. I need to put some fat on this little man!

Thanks!

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Son - severe dairy allergy and excema.
Husband - asthma, and allergic to peanuts, animal dander, dust, and pollen.
Me - lactose intollerant and allergic to nickel.

The fat might also help his eczema.

Does he eat noodles? Cereal? Baked beans?

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Will he drink soy milk? My daughter is skinny like that...I don't know how tall she was at that age but she went from 20 lbs at 1 to 22 lbs at 2 y.o. The doctor said they don't really gain that year...it's really disconcerting after they gain so quickly the first year!

I think that the things you are doing so far are GREAT! The olive oil thing is a good idea, I think. My dd is 4 now and she is still skinny - but it's just her build...last night she ate 3 pieces of pizza. My ds is a whale and he doesn't eat ANYTHING! EVER! I was skinny like that to and believe-you-me you can definitely grow out of it at about 18, lol. Now everything sticks to me... On a funny note my dd was always 25% and 25% and 90% for head circumference! I am glad she's grown into that melon!

Good luck!

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Daughter, 10 - NKA

Daughter, 3 - peanut, tree nuts, crustacean, dust mites, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, mangoes, mustard, and very mild outdoor allergies, eczema, asthma

Son, 2 - asthma, mild eczema, peanut, mild soy, mild egg

I know the feeling! My little minnie is 20 months old and 17 lbs. But her list of allergies is really long and there's not much we can do to fatten her up.

We are also continuing with formula (Alimentum), likely until she is 3.
We add oil into all her foods - canola oil is a good source of omega-3, and of course olive oil.

You didn't mention eggs? That's a great source of protein and fat. My son loved eggs as a toddler.

Good luck! It sounds like your little guy is doing just fine. Toddlers aren't great eaters as it is and its just that much more stressful when they are small. Do what you can but don't stress it!

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6 year old son - eczema and sensitive skin
4 year old daughter - allergic to nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, mustard and eggs; has outgrown allergies to wheat and legumes (by age 2) and to dairy, soy (by age 3.5).

mgerber, I hope you are able to find more ways to ' pudge' up your little one. Our son has different food allergies but we have a similar issue with weight. Our Dr. weighed him at 20 months where he was still only in the 4th percentile. I completely empathize with you as it stresses me out daily trying to find ways to fatten him up. Not only am I dealing with is allergies but having avoided so many foods he now has very bland taste as well - as he is just a picky toddler. The irony is our daughter was a chubby chubby (ok I really mean fat) baby and would eat anything, now we are in the complete opposite ends up the spectrum with our son.
Best of luck,

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Thank you all so much! I will take all of your suggestions to heart and use them! I am most greatful to learn that "I'm not the only one" with a teeny weeny toddler. I just hope he fattens up a bit before he he starts Jr. High, lol! I don't want the poor kid to be picked on because he's so small.

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Son - severe dairy allergy and excema.
Husband - asthma, and allergic to peanuts, animal dander, dust, and pollen.
Me - lactose intollerant and allergic to nickel.

My husband has always been like that. He is allergic to a ton of things too.
He is 5'9" tall and weighs about 130lbs. He is allergic to wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, etc.
Surprisingly, my 7 year old allergic child is a good size considering his allergies.

How about feeding your son oatmeal? Does he like oatmeal?

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Married mom of 4 living children and a baby girl in Heaven.
Between myself, my husband, and our children we have way too many allergies to list.

My newest love is Coconut milk. It is high in healthy fat, and has a richer and creamier taste than rice milk. There is a new one in the dairy section of health food stores (by SoDelicious), but you can also get it in a can. The canned ones vary in flavor, so try a few to find one you like. And remember to shake well, because it separates in cans. (Which is actually awesome if you want to make your own whipped cream. YUM!)

Good luck, and don't sweat it too much. My allergic kiddo was 20 pounds at 16 months, and is "normal" size now. Still wispy and thin, but on the curve and considered the low side of average! Woo-hoo! Who'd have thought that we'd cheer for our kids being average. LOL.

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Daughter #1 eczema, asthma, and allergic to eggs, dairy, beef, nuts, soy, wheat, dogs, cats, and grass
Husband intolerant to dairy, allergic to grass and dust
Daughter #2 "outgrew" allergy to dairy and egg

I don't see avocado mentioned in your list! It's full of healthy fats. My DD hates avocado, but I have a pudding recipe (non-dairy if you use vegan margarine and non-egg) that uses avocado and she'll eat that. It's a chocolate pudding. It's from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious book. I can post the recipe if you would like.

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Me- No allergies. No eczema. No asthma.
Husband- No allergies. No eczema. No asthma.
DD- Allergic to peanuts and pecans (avoiding all tree nuts)