How likely is my one-year-old-son to outgrow his food allergies if his IgE count is almost 1,600?

Question

The ones I'm most concerned about are wheat, dairy, peanuts, and egg. He's allergic to many more things, but these are the ones that are in practically eveything.
Proffesional medical responses are appreciated.
Yes, that number is one-thousand-six-hundred.

Answer 1

The IgE count is total IgE which sums the IgE values for each allergen. Thus if your son is allergic to many things the IgE count for each may not be that high. It is unusual to have an IgE of 1600 at age 1 so I appreciate your concern. Also you are correct that a diet without the substances you list is not practical and would have long term consequences for your son's quality of life. In theory once IgE is present it will not disappear which would imply that he will not grow out of his allergies. Having said this it would also be helpful to know if you have any food allergies. Many of the child's antibodies for the first 12 to 18 months of life are from the mother and if that were the case there is a theoretical basis for wondering if your son may outgrow these allergies. I assume that the diagnosis was based upon blood (RAST) testing which would offer a numeric value for each allergen and it would be helpful to know what these values are and if the diagnosis was based upon a single blood test for IgE plus skin testing for food allergens you should seek another opinion. I am sorry to hear about your difficulty and I hope and pray the best of luck and health to you and your son. If I may be of further assistance please let me know. [e-mail]

Answer 2

I've heard that most children outgrow their allergies by age 4. However I'm not sure how accurate that is, and some children never outgrow their allergies. Strict avoidance is supposed to help.

That high of IgE is uncommon, and makes me wonder if there might be something else going on. Such as an underlying infection or Celiac?

Also the 1600 IgE, was that test result from when he was eating all the allergenic foods? or after avoidance? You may want to have that level re-tested. If its still that high, then he may still be getting into an allergen or he may have developed new ones. It should go down after a period of strict avoidance of his allergens.

Answer 3

Well I am not an M.D. but I can tell you from personal experience and that of my family members that sometimes you never outgrow your allergies. They just become easier for a time and much like asthma and the cold virus, remain dormant in your system and decide when they will come back.

Be very weary about dairy. So many products have hidden milk ingredients, like whey in them. My Son is allergic to the protein in milk and even the smallest trace amount results in a nasty stomach and blood cell destruction. I was told by the medical staff at Children's Hospital that he had a hidden allergy to it and it brought on chronic anemia.

You must be very careful and even in the future be incredibly weary because it can resufface.

Answer 4

I wish you the best I have the same issue and I can say reading labels on every single thing gets frustrating.but is crusial to the child.I will pray for you and your family.