how to tell if my 4 month old is having an allergic reaction to baby cereal?

Question

My son is 4 months -- we started rice cereal last week and he stopped sleeping through the night but had no other problems with it-- he just stopped sleeping the 10-12 hours he had been

So I started oatmeal yesterday and he slept all night but I could hear him coughing and sneezing. This morning his nose was snotty and a little stuffy.

Could thiese be allergic reactions

No other symptons

Answer 1

take him/her to your doctor!
What is making you believe that there is something wrong? Trust your instincts.
Stop feeding the cereal to your child for a while, see if this improves things.
But, please, if anything bad happens, don't wait. Go straight to a doctor.

My daughter had an allergic reaction to some icecream when she was not about 20 weeks old- I'd been advised that this could be good for her gums since she was teething, and it would also get her used to cows milk, and not long after, she started to get little tiny blisters all over her, which were then followed by red lumps all over her head, and swollen lips- she looked like she had been in a fight. We didn't hang around, we went to the doctors, who called an ambulance(eventually- the originally wanted us to take her by taxi or on the bus, stupid woman).
She was kept in overnight for observation, but was discharged with a prescription for piriton.
I never gave her ice cream again since then. She occassionally will have mild reactions to things, we just give her a dose of piriton and this calms her down again.

Any suspected reactions need medical attention. A doctor/health visitor should be your first port of call.

Good luck!

Answer 2

First things first, you need to give your beauty cereal in the early hours. Some children don't sleep well after eating food for the first time. It is a old wives tell they sleep better with the food at night my children did the samething.
Second of all you probably should wait on the oatmeal until maybe next week. Try giving him the regular ceral this week in the morning and see how he does. You will love it he will stay awake alot more through the day and go back to his routine at night. If you do however see it make him tired in the morning give him a earlier nap.
I had the same reaction with my children when I gave them their cereal he is not allergic he is just ready to go at the wrong time of the day.
Good Luck
Sorry also I forgot about the running nose, it is more than likely a cold. Always remember if the snot is green it is affection take him to the doctor if it is clear snot wait a few days and see if their is a fever. It more than likely is a virus. And antibotics can't help you out.

Answer 3

Food allergies can be tricky to diagnose. Although many people suspect that their children are allergic to certain foods, only about 6 percent of babies actually have a true food allergy — and most of them don't develop that allergy until they're at least 6 months old and have had time to be exposed to the trigger food. The first sign for many of these babies is chronic atopic dermatitis or eczema. These dry, itchy patches of skin usually show up on the face, kneecaps, and elbows. Other symptoms may include:

• Itching and swelling of the face, mouth, and lips

• Skin rashes such as hives

• Watery eyes, runny nose

• Vomiting or diarrhea

• Wheezing or difficulty breathing

• Loss of consciousness

If your baby develops a true allergy to a food, his immune system will react whenever he ingests it by releasing antibodies to "fight it off" as if it were a dangerous virus or bacteria. This process is what triggers the symptoms above. If your baby ever seems to be having trouble breathing or passes out after eating, call 911 right away. He could be having a severe allergic reaction and will need immediate medical assistance. And if he's consistently having any of the other above symptoms within two hours of swallowing a certain food, ask your pediatrician to refer you to a pediatric allergist for testing. An allergist should be able to tell you which food or foods are causing the problem and whether the symptoms are part of an immune reaction, which indicates an allergy, or a sign that he's having trouble digesting the food, which indicates an enzyme deficiency or food intolerance.

Click here to find out more!
What's a food sensitivity and how is it different from a food allergy?
The term food sensitivity is used by allergists to refer to an oral sensitivity that a child may have to a particular food. When a child puts this food in his mouth, he may feel tingling, burning, and discomfort in the mouth, which may progress to cause swelling in the mouth and throat, much like in a serious allergic reaction. Since there is no way to tell when such a reaction may become life threatening, it's important that your child avoid any food that he appears to have an oral sensitivity to.

What's a food intolerance and how is it different from a food allergy?
A person is said to have an intolerance (rather than an allergy) to a certain food if he has trouble digesting it. You may notice that each time he eats or drinks that food he is soon plagued with digestive symptoms such as gas, bloating, or diarrhea. The most common food intolerance is lactose intolerance, but this condition is extremely rare in babies. A baby who is born unable to produce the enzyme necessary to digest cows' milk and other dairy products is very sick right from birth. That said, if your otherwise healthy newborn has very watery stools and is passing a lot of gas, he may have what is known as functional lactase deficiency, which means that he's not yet able to completely digest lactose. (Keep in mind that cows' milk is also one of the most common food allergy triggers.)

Answer 4

I am a nutritionist

they are likely to be caused by digestive disturbances

a four month old is still too young for ANY solid food including rice cereal! please continue giving your baby only formula or breast milk till he is at least 6 months old

*giving cereal has no effect on length of the sleep cycle and can cause your baby to become malnurished


Health experts and breastfeeding experts agree that it's best to wait until your baby is around six months old before offering solid foods. There has been a large amount of research on this in the recent past, and most health organizations have updated their recommendations to agree with current research. Unfortunately, many health care providers are not up to date in what they're telling parents, and many, many books are not up to date.

The following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the first 4-6 months):

* World Health Organization
* UNICEF
* US Department of Health & Human Services
* American Academy of Pediatrics
* American Academy of Family Physicians
* American Dietetic Association
* Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
* Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
* Health Canada

Most babies will become developmentally and physiologically ready to eat solids by 6-9 months of age. For some babies, delaying solids longer than six months can be a good thing; for example, some doctors may recommend delaying solids for 12 months if there is a family history of allergies.

Answer 5

If your 4 month old was allergic to cereal she would be swelling in the face and hands, and she would more than likely be breaking out in some kind of hives or bumps. If this is not the case it could take some time for her to get used to the cereal, but if you are overly concerned call your pediatrician and check with them because they can let you know 100 percent.

Answer 6

The little flag right here shows which you're posting from Malaysia. Does Malaysia have a WIC application? after all -- solids are maximum suitable began at around 6 months. in simple terms because of the fact WIC provides you a chit for something (they'd sell early solids because of the fact cereal is greater value-effective than formula....) doesnt' propose you ought to use it.

Answer 7

There could be many different ways a baby would show an allergy. They could have tummy cramps, they could have problems going to the bathroom (either too hard or too soft). They can also have problems breathing and have asthmatic-like wheezing and rattling as well. My oldest was allergic to rice and all its derivatives and we had to wean him off everything and slowly add everything back to figure it out. Not fun. He had the respiratory issues as well as tummy problems. If you think your baby is having a problem, talk to the doctor.

Answer 8

I suggest stopping the cereal. Newborns don't need it before 6 months and actually could develop allergies by starting solids too early.

Answer 9

It could be more than a reaction to cereal, it could be an internal problem. Get to the Doctor if you suspect anything.

Answer 10

Uh get off this site and take your baby to the Dr He or She would be the best to tell you if your baby is having an allergic reaction.