“Will my child ever be able to eat eggs or wheat or dairy again?” is a question many parents wonder about. Allergies and intolerances are completely different so it really depends on the individual, what they are allergic to and what system is driving the allergy/intolerance.
In short, it is a very complicated question. Below is an overview of the information I could find for the people who wonder if they they will always be allergic or intolerant to a food.
IgE FOOD ALLERGIES
For IgE food allergies, which are life threatening it is always recommended and absolutely essential that you work closely with an allergist to determine the severity of the food allergy. This is because reactions do not progress in a linear fashion. Sometimes the second exposure to a food can be more severe than the first as the IgE level ramp up. For instance, the first exposure to peanuts can result in no reaction. But the second exposure to peanuts can result in a life threatening reaction. For an overview of this, visit My Kids Food Allergies. Because of the severity and unpredictability of IgE allergies, ALWAYS consult with your doctor or allergist about any food allergies because reactions can be severe.
Here is the research I found…
PEANUT ALLERGIES: Tend to be lifelong–20% of children with peanut allergy can outgrow this severe allergy. (1)
MILK ALLERGIES: According to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) “most children eventually outgrow a milk allergy.” (2)
EGG ALLERGIES: FARE says that “Most children eventually outgrow an allergy to egg.” (3)
WHEAT ALLERGIES: FARE says that “Wheat allergy is most common in children, and is usually outgrown before reaching adulthood, often by age three.” (4)
NON IgE MEDIATED FOOD REACTIONS
Non IgE mediated food reactions can be gastrointestinal or dermatological. Celiac disease is a non IgE allergic reaction.
CELIAC DISEASE
Celiac disease requires a lifelong gluten free diet. So, your child will not outgrow this condition. It requires a strict 100% gluten free diet for life.
ECZEMA
Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is an reaction that can be either an IgE reaction or a non-IgE reaction. If you are dealing with eczema and wondering about reintroduction of foods, the book “Dealing with FoodAllergies in Babies and Children,” by Janice Vickerstaff Joneja, PHD, RDN or go to ItchyLittleWorld.com for information and support. (5)
Non IgE FOOD INTOLERANCES
For IgG allergies, which are non-life threatening, there is a not enough published research on whether a child will outgrow this type of intolerance. The information I have on this is anecdotal information from doctors who do non IgE food allergy testing and our experience with food intolerances.
We did intolerance testing every six months when my son was younger and found that the some intolerances changed over time and some remained constant. In general, the intolerances changed based on exposure to the food for foods that was not a major allergen. For instance foods like broccoli and black pepper were more transient. Foods that were major allergens (like wheat/gluten and dairy) were more permanent and didn’t go away.
After we removed the non major allergen foods from my child’s diet for 6 months, that they were less reactive to it at the end of 6 months at which point a other food intolerances would show up based on exposure to the food. For us, it seemed to work to avoid these lesser allergens for 6 months and then try reintroducing them to see if there was a reaction. Once my son was older and his gut healed, changing food intolerances were not an issue anymore.
For food intolerances that are NOT IgE and not lifethreatening, NYC doctor Morton Teich, recommends that if food is introduced that it be introduced in a large amount to see if there is a reaction—so that you know if there is a reaction. We have found this to be helpful. If you are going to try something you are intolerant to we would have a portion of it on an empty stomach to try to see if there was a reaction rather than having a small portion and not really knowing if there was a problem with it.
Other doctors recommend trying the food in smaller portions to check for reactions for non IgE food allergies. There is also some information that introducing small amounts of the food over time can desensitize the child in the future. So, reintroduction is also something to consult your doctor about and do as much research as possible about. This info about reintroduction is ONLY for people with non IgE food allergies. Again, with an IgE allergy, you need to consult an allergist or your child’s pediatrician.
The good news is that as kids get older things do change—not only does the immune system develop—but research and treatments improve. So, there is always hope for a solution in the future. Although we still can’t eat a lot of food, every day there is more awareness and more options for us—which makes it a lot easier.
(1) http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut-allergy
(2) www.foodallergy.org/allergens/milk-allergy
(3) www.foodallergy.org/allergens/egg-allergy
(4) http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/wheat-allergy
(5) http://itchylittleworld.com/2013/01/08/our-eczema-trials-elimination-diet-how-you-can-do-it-too/
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